KOTOYA JAPANESE RAMEN

Westside Japanese Staple Kotoya Seems to Shutter Overnight | Eater LA

"Originally a casual, Santa Monica–adjacent pan-Japanese spot that had been a Sawtelle mainstay for more than half a decade, it served straightforward fare from sushi rolls and gyoza to fried chicken and ramen and even spawned a ramen-focused offshoot in Palms in 2016 (that outpost remains open). Its Santa Monica Boulevard storefront was boarded up as of March 18, the phone disconnected, and a note on the door reportedly declared it closed for good—a surprising end given its sustained popularity. Despite the closure, the wider Sawtelle Japantown dining scene continues to thrive with numerous Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese options, including chef Chris Oh’s Korean Super and the Tsujita ramen complex." - Farley Elliott