Orochon Ramen

(213) 617-1766

123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA 90012 34.0504 -118.2418

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Neighborhoods: Civic Center / Little Tokyo, Downtown, Central LA

orochonramen.menutoeat.com/

Hours:

Daily 11:30am-10:30pm

Price:

$

Last updated 3.29.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Japanese, Asian

What People Are Saying About Orochon Ramen

Featured Review

Melissa Gage

Contributor

The no-frills atmosphere and frequent waits don’t deter folks from flocking here for giant bowls of assari-kei-style ramen that’s served in seven levels of heat. On warm days, eating a hot bowl of broth in the somewhat cramped, steamy dining room can be a bit much--snag a table outside instead, and watch people pass through the outdoor court three floors below. Ever since being featured on the Travel Channel’s “Man Vs. Food” with Adam Richman, thrill seekers have been flocking here to try the famed Special 2 challenge--finish the chili-spiked inferno of ramen topped with jalapenos in 30…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Anyone who can finish a bowl of the special No. 2 will get his/her photo on a billboard in the restaurant and on the website.
Parking:
Park in the underground garage located on Second Street between Los Angeles and San Pedro Streets. Don’t forget to bring your ticket to get validated.
food quality
87.5% positive
  1. big freaking bowl of soup.
  2. the pork (swine) was delicious.
  3. As long as you get good noodles I mentioned, you'll love it.
  4. Service was slow (this was as expected), they forgot our fried rice order and then wouldn't let us cancel it when it didn't come out before the noodles.
  5. Ramen lovers love the flavorful broth (miso, soy or salt flavor), fresh and chewy noodles and 'order 'em as you like 'em' toppings like bean sprouts, corn, butter or a thick slice of roast pork.
  6. Excellent japanese ramen noodles
  7. There are three different soup bases to choose from, many different toppings, and the noodle is always firm with good texture.
  8. the noodles are good and fresh in general.
value
100.0% positive
  1. It's great value for your money.
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. Service was slow (this was as expected), they forgot our fried rice order and then wouldn't let us cancel it when it didn't come out before the noodles.
  2. As long as you get good noodles I mentioned, you'll love it.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/14/09

Oooooooo spicy!!

Contributor

Very good ramen indeed. Only downside is the long waiting time.

  • Pros: Example: best croissants in town
  • Cons: What are the drawbacks?
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/28/09

Such a Big Disappointmen I'm MAD!

by Sheauen

It was not AS SEEN ON TV. Super crowded at 9pm on a Saturday night, even though it was an hour before closing there were still crowds of people waiting to get in. So what is the hype all about? Service was slow (this was as expected), they forgot our fried rice order and then wouldn't let us cancel it when it didn't come out before the noodles. CAN I HAVE SOME NOODLES WITH MY VEGGIES...big freaking bowl of soup...A LOT of bean sprouts and bamboo shoots, a small handful of noodles, and a few slivers of char siu/pork. NOT worth the wait, NOT worth the crowd, NOT worth the $$$. I'm sticking with Hakata Ramen.

  • Pros: featured on man v food on the travel channel
  • Cons: bad parking, long wait, crowded, mediocre food
3 Star Rating: Average

10/01/08

ITs OK

by mustcop

its okay. the pork (swine) was delicious. the broth was ok. its ok. its ok its ok. pretty packed but was seated in less then 10 minutes

  • Pros: charsu pork, broth
  • Cons: noodles
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/06/07

Not bad!

by multi

Decided to dine her because Daikokuya was packed and we were REALLY hungry! I have to say if it weren't for Daikokuya being so crowded I wouldn't have stumble upon this place which is just as good! I had the shio soup ramen SO GOOD! However, what I don't like about it is that the ramen doesn't really come with anything you have to add on stuff like chasu, egg, etc...The price just keeps adding up, but I guess it is OK if it taste good.

  • Pros: Broth
  • Cons: Add-ons
4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/20/06

Super spicy ramen, as hot as you dare

by jflux

Tucked away on the third floor of a mall in Little Tokyo, Orochon Ramen attracts ramen-lovers and thrill-seekers alike. Ramen lovers love the flavorful broth (miso, soy or salt flavor), fresh and chewy noodles and 'order 'em as you like 'em' toppings like bean sprouts, corn, butter or a thick slice of roast pork. Thrill-seekers (or should I say 'fire-eaters'?) love that Orochon offers 7 degrees of spicy fire in their broth: from 7 (not spicy) to the hyper-hot special no. 1 and no. 2. How hot is it? I watched a hapless diner next to me literally dripping sweat as he tried to finish his bowl -- and try mightily he did, despite his obvious discomfort, because it's not just hot, it's tasty. Orochon challenges any comers to finish a bowl of special no. 2 in 30 minutes to earn a place on the "wall of fame" e.g. a polaroid photo commemorating their accomplishment. My only complaint is that the servers (mostly young Japanese expats) are somewhat scattered -- I waited for a while to get my order taken -- but they were very apologetic when they discovered their oversight. It's not a fancy place, but it's clean and down-to-earth. I saw a fair amount of families, college kids on dates and groups of friends -- all are welcome at Orochon. Just expect a wait on the busier lunchtimes on the weekend as the secret is gets out...

  • Pros: super-spicy & tasty ramen broth, fresh noodles, casual and fun atmosphere
  • Cons: sometimes a wait for a table, somewhat scatterbrained service

The Details on Orochon Ramen

Place Categories:

  • fresh japanese ramen noodles
  • best ramen
  • not love place
  • flavorful order em
  • love ramen lovers
  • great value
  • delicious pork
  • flavorful broth
  • like toppings
  • delicious swine
  • good texture
  • slow service
  • very poor experience
  • flavorful flavor
  • big freaking bowl
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