New tsukemen spot in Little Tokyo, looks really good.
If anyone goes please report back!
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I literally just put this on my lunch list. I’ll try to head over soon! 
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Is the idea to swish the meat around in the hot broth to cook it?
The meat is already cooked. It’s just a different form of Japanese food where instead of the noodles being in the broth, you dip the noodles into the broth to absorb the flavor. Typically the broth/sauce for tsukemen is thicker/richer since you are dipping it and not just drinking it the way you would w/ ramen.
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Oh, but the meat is pink in the photos, and looks like the raw meat I get a hotpot places…?
It’s not raw; it just looks pink because of the slow way it’s cooked. Tsukemen is not like hot pot where you submerge the meat to cook it. The tsukemen broth is almost more like a dipping sauce, as @infinitemeridian said.
It’s just a stylistic thing for the pork to be rosy and sliced thin. Even not just with tsukemen, but some ramen places serve the pork like that, and it’s not meant to be cooked in the broth. Here’s one I had at Mugi to Olive in Tokyo:
Looks good; I’ll check next time I’m in Little Tokyo
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Ah, okay, got it. Thanks.
Went there for Lunch today.
The Verdict… VERY GOOD. Not as good as Tsujita. But great addition to the area where there isn’t a Tsukumen specialist.
Since it was just me, I ordered the small deluxe. It’s deluxe because it includes a lot more of their unique take chashu. The Chashu is sliced SUPER THIN. It’s like melt in your mouth ham. I loved it because it made the dish so much fresher and lighter.
The dip was intense. It had that sardine funk and chunks of chasu. This is a big reason why I still prefer Tsujita’s. It’s just a little more balanced.
Although it was small, there was still plenty of noodles because the plate is actually a bowl with a crazy large rim. They held on to the dip really well. My only quibble is that it came with a lime slice and not a wedge. I like to squeeze lemon over my noodles to help add brightness to the dip. Luckily I had some lemon from the Karaage also ordered.
Although they did not have a lime wedge, they had a ton of condiments on hand!! Shichimi, Fish Powder, Roasted Garlic, Red Chile Paste and Chopped Jalapeno. I loved these and dabed each spoonful of noodles to get different flavors each bite!
Finally, I could not resist and also ordered the Karaage. I was expecting a small bar sized plate…
What came was HUGE. Four large pieces of Karaage.
Now I like my Karaage to have a little more batter… crisper… but what little coating these guys had was great. It had a rich Garlicky flavor. The chicken inside was moist and well cooked. I brought home the two biggest pieces and P loved it. Would definitely order again.
When I asked for the check, the waitress came out with a little sparkling Yuzu drink. It was about shot glass size and supper yummy with fizzy and yuzu honey flavors.
You can tell from the decor and service they are going for a more upscale vibe to the place. Still, I found the prices on par with the nicer ramen places.
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