Hakata Ikkousha Tonkotsu Ramen Little Tokyo

I recently visited this Japanese ramen restaurant located close to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, and it was such a satisfying experience. The atmosphere of the place already gives you the feeling that you are stepping into a spot where ramen is taken seriously, and it did not disappoint. I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen, which is usually my go-to when I want something hearty and comforting. The noodles were thin, which I really enjoyed. You could actually taste the wheat in the noodles. Looking back, I think I should have asked for them to be cooked softer, but that’s just personal preference. Even so, they paired wonderfully with the broth. The real star of the bowl was the soup—an incredibly rich tonkotsu flavor that immediately brought me back to memories of enjoying ramen in Japan. It had that deep pork richness and creamy texture that you hope for but don’t always find outside of Japan. I also ordered gyoza on the side, and those were delicious as well—crispy on the outside and juicy inside, a perfect complement to the ramen. Overall, I really enjoyed this spot and just wish they had multiple locations so it would be easier to come back more often. Definitely a place I’d recommend to anyone craving authentic Japanese ramen in Los Angeles.

I ordered the soba with a request for soft noodles, but what I got was quite firm and tough. The broth was noticeably salty. The pork slices were extremely thin (around 0.2 mm) and not too big or small size only 1 piese — for the price of $16.50, it didn’t feel worth it. The chicken karake was also very salty — a bit too intense on its own. It might go well with rice, but with ramen, it’s a bit overwhelming and could be a concern for anyone watching their sodium intake. (High blood pressure) Also they are charg for spicy for $1.50 each

The umami in this ramen is insane! Came in on a busy Saturday and got seated immediately. You fill out a little paper with how you'd like your ramen. I got the classic tonkotsu with premium topping, extra egg, and an extra noodle! Service was lovely and the people dining by us were regulars and super friendly. The flavor was SO good. It made me realize I've been going to a few subpar chains recently, hahaha. This place is legit. Honestly, a hidden gem. And I love that there's a Book Off walking distance from here, lol. Absolutely 10/10.

It’s my favorite spot for a spicy broth. You can adjust the spiciness and their karaage spicy or not spicy is also really good. Just make sure to check if there’s a wait time during dinner time because it can get pretty packed!

Ramen was ok but the 🥟 were good! Service was on top of things and served us quickly even when I didn’t want mushrooms so kudos! Parking is hard to find here and I went on a Sunday too.

My family and I visited Hakata Ikkousha Tonkotsu Ramen in Little Tokyo L.A., & as avid foodies from Oregon, we were excited to try a new spot in the city. From the moment we walked in, the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, guiding us through the menu and making recommendations since it was our first visit. The food exceeded our expectations. The ramen was rich and flavorful, perfectly cooked. The broth had a deep, savory taste that made each bite incredibly satisfying. We also tried a few appetizers, which were equally impressive. Overall, the dining experience was fantastic, earning a solid 10/10 from us. We can’t wait to return and explore more items on the menu. If you’re in Little Tokyo, we highly recommend stopping by.

My bf and I tried the black devil and god fire. We went to the max for spice level. The ramen did not have flavor. It was just spicy which what we asked but there was no combination of flavor and spicy. But the food presentation was very nice.

A coworker recommended this place for the Fried Chicken, but everything here is great! Easily one of the best Ramen spots in Little Tokyo. We got in at 5:30, wrote down our orders, and were served quickly. I had the Black Devil ramen, very rich, spicy and flavorful. We went premium for toppings and it is the perfect amount. The atmosphere is pretty comfortable but fast paced, however we did not feel rushed. Can't wait to come back here and try more!

I have went here twice already and it has been such a pleasant experience eating Ramen here! The service is very welcoming and friendly with the workers ensuring if everything is going well. The choices you have for your food is all on the paper and the delivery was top notch! From the noodles, the veggies and the broth is excellent. Coming here was the first time eating Ramen and I was not disappointed. The area is fairly small but comfortable. If you are ever in the LA Area and in Little Tokyo; definitely come here!

We went to Hakata Ikkousha Ramen and the sericce was great. They were constantly checking on us making sure we're OK seeing if we needed anything. It had a great vibe to it. Nice setting a decent amount of seating and it was able to fit our whole party 8 to 9 people. I got the God fire Ramen with two eggs and then I also got the pork belly bowl on accident however I don't regret it because the rice went really great with my Ramen. I did the second to highest spice level because I'm a spicy food connoisseur it was delicious. Noodles were nice and soft temperature. The eggs broke down into my Ramen perfectly and the broth was delicious . I highly recommend the God fire Ramen if you like spicy food. The pork belly was delicious nice fried tender, juicy all the right texture all the right flavor highly recommend the pork belly it was delicious. The gyoza was good but my standard word have changed since I make it at home so it was good, but it wasn't anything special. The fried chicken was also pretty good, nice tender, juicy a really good fry on it so when you bite into them to it had a great crunch would suggest trying . Overall, a great dining experience would definitely recommend to Ramen connoisseur or anybody who wants to try really good Ramen and I will definitely be back.

I had a friend visiting me from Denmark and took him to Little Tokyo. I wanted to try a ramen place other than Shinsen-gumi and decided to try Hakata today. SO GLAD WE DID! I had Tsukemen and my friend had regular Tonkotsu. This was his first time trying ramen, and he loved it!! I was very happy with my flavorful Tsukemen as well. I liked the fact that there was option to choose light or regular for the broth, because I often find broth at ramen places is too salty. I will definitely go there again.

I got some ramen after an event to go here. They were fast and efficient. I really enjoyed the thickness of the ramen broth and the texture of their noodles. This place is convenience located right in the heart of Little Tokyo, making it super easy for you to grab delicious ramen while exploring the neighborhood. I'd come back here again for some ramen!

Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Found another excellent ramen spot in Little Tokyo. I ordered the Black Devil with spicy level 2, perfect for spice lovers like me. If you're not into spicy food, be careful. I also tried the Tonkotsu with spicy level 3, which surprisingly wasn't that spicy. My favorite was the Black Devil. The soup was rich and well-balanced, and the ramen texture was on point. Now for the downside, after dinner, both my friend and I ended up with upset stomachs. We suspect the meat, which looked like it was pulled straight from the freezer and placed directly onto the hot soup. I've never seen ramen meat look like that before. I really like this place and want to give it another try. Hopefully, it was just a one-off, and I'll update my review after the next visit.

We came here for a quick lunch. We were seated promptly and service was friendly. Its a cozy little place with a overall good ambiance. Now onto the important part, the food! Honestly one of the better ramens I've had. Not too salty and a good proportion of noodle, soup, and add ons(egg, meat, vegetables) . I got these black devil, a mix of spicy tonkotsu and black tonkotsu. The meat is tender, the egg is marinated and soft boiled, and the noodles firm and very slurpable! I will be back!

First time trying this place a couple days ago for lunch. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen, mentai rice bowl (lunch combo), pork chashu rice, and pork belly appetizer. The ramen broth is amazing. It was rich but not too fatty too. Noodle is pretty good. I ordered the all inclusive toppings, and one ingredient I found really weird was cabbage. Anyway, the pork bowl is decent and it's really huge, and the mentai bowl is alright especially for $3.5 extra for lunch combo. The seared pork belly appetizer is pretty good and flavorful. The service is good, no complaints there. And the ambiance of the spot is pretty nice. The interior is designed to give Japan vibes. Parking can be tough btw, since this place is located in the heart of Little Tokyo, so parking would be on the streets or the available parking structure around the area. One main thing that would really make me reconsider coming back would be the price. The all inclusive toppings is $7.50 extra, and the pork belly appetizer is $8 for a mere super thin 5 slices of pork belly.

Really nice ramen spot in Little Tokyo, with interesting strong flavors with customization options. Getting there: Parking available in nearby lots of structures. Seated immediately. Vibe: Cozy ramen feel with open view to the chefs area, signs in Japanese and small tables around with specials on the walls and on the table. Casual spot to relax vibe with ramen. Food: Sheets available for you to fill out your preferred ramen, then the hardness of noodle, strength of flavor, topping options, etc. I really enjoyed the Mentaiko ramen which has an orange hue and is so umami and delicious. The thin noodles at normal hardness has the perfect al dente bite and the flavor is rich, toppings well balanced. My partners ramen is in the rich tonkotsu style and so savory and flavorful. Might be overly strong for some but I am a fan. Very tasty ramen spot with bold flavors. Wonderful!

Another solid and satisfying ramen craving. . We came here right after a Kings game looking for something hot to warm up. Hakata Ikkousha hit the spot. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen with extra firm noodles and premium toppings and extra chashu. The bowl was solid. The broth was rich and creamy. The noodles were perfectly done, firm and chewy. My son ordered the Spicy Miso with standard toppings. He enjoyed it. The broth was also rich and creamy. My daughter got their Tsukemen Ramen. She liked it. The dipping broth had nice bonito and pork flavor. The thick chewy noodles was cooked perfectly. We also ordered a side of Mentaiko Don for us to share. Which was just ok. Overall the ramen were delicious. The service was friendly and fast.

First time here Rudy was the server, great energy, definitely cared about my experience and what I thought, noticed I hadn't been there before. Ramen was superb! Ambience was cute felt authentic and welcoming.

TLDR: A ramen spot with a lot of customization options. It's somewhere in the middle when it comes to taste, but it's a place I can recommend to people in the area. Tonkotsu Ramen - A bowl packed with flavor and meat. It's definitely not the best ramen, nor is it top 3. It is, however, a bowl of ramen that can fix a bad day where food is the solution. The chashu was on the less marinated side, but the flavor profile is still good. The egg was cooked well, and the noodles were al-dente. This is a good base order. Fried Chicken w/ Curry and Rice - The chicken karaage was good, and the curry sauce was something I wouldn't mind paying for. Rice is..... rice. Overall, it is a dish I can recommend to someone who isn't feeling ramen that day. Service - The staff did a good job keeping an eye on us and ensuring our waters were refilled. They were kind as well which is a nice touch. Ambiance - It's your ordinary ramen restaurant in LA. I'm afraid I cannot differentiate this place physically compared to the many other ramen shops within a 3-block radius outside of the restaurant's address.

It's a cute little ramen shop located in the business of Little Tokyo. My boyfriend and I checked out the Yelp reviews, and he was intrigued by the God Fire and Black Devil. When we arrived, there was no wait; we were immediately seated and the server was friendly. We asked her about the spiciness levels of the God Fire and the Black Devil... I was not daring enough to try either, but my boyfriend loves spicy food. He ordered the God Fire with everything toppings, but I can't remember how spicy (I think it was level 3?). I ordered the Tonkotsu with everything toppings. Unfortunately, I was feeling under the weather and could not enjoy my ramen :( The broth was hot and made me feel a little better, but I admit that I ate most of my ramen the next morning. My boyfriend, who was feeling great, enjoyed his ramen, even while sweating from the heat of the broth and chilis. He ate more than 3/4 of his bowl, and finished the rest at home later that evening. The menus had the option to add extra green onion. But the everything toppings included a handful of green onions already (see pic). I would only suggest ordering extra green onions if you have a real love for green onions.

Little spot in Downtown Tokyo. Be prepared to wait because the place is cozy. Easy menu to order your style ramen. Have different flavors of saki, several appetizers to choose from. Large portions of ramen. If you're a ramen fan, you will enjoy!

Loved their black tonkotsu ramen! The tonkotsu broth was very rich and had strong flavours of pork bone and garlic. It was also not overly oily or fatty. Requested the noodles to be extra hard and they were nice and chewy. However, the ramen was a bit pricey for having an average portion size and only having one piece of thin chashu, some woodear mushrooms and green onions as toppings. The spicy tuna bowl was good and the fish tasted fresh. Came here for the lunch combo and there was no wait. Service was super quick and the restaurant was tidy.

Came down to little Tokyo on memorial seeking out some Ramen. Was referred to this place and wow, they didn't disappoint! Amazing Ramen and very courteous and prompt service. As a side note, I also got a small order of spicy tuna on rice and gyoza - again, really really good!

Strongly recommend Ikkousha ramen as it's a classic and really stands out in the soup base, basically the same as we'd eaten in Japan.

Good ramen spot for a casual night out. I got the god fire level* 3 really tasty. Highly recommend. Edit: typo.

This is my favorite place to get tonkotsu ramen. From the first time I tried the broth, it was life changing. It was rich and so flavorful. The ordering system reminds me of Ichiran, where you can customize your ramen from the noodle hardness to the taste or add ons. The tsukemen was alright, it wasn't the best I had. I highly recommend trying their signature tonkotsu and skipping the tsukemen. I ate here twice and never had to wait, always got seated right away.

I ramen was good, but the bowls were a bit too small. I wish they were just a tiny bit bigger. I wasn't full after finishing a bowl and we got extra meat also. It was a cute restaurant, reminds me of restaurants in Japan.

This ramen hit the spot. Nice spot with good broth, noodles and tea egg. They won't let you order to go here tho, So you'll have to eat it there. But you can take leftovers to go. I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen and was happy with the soup. They didn't have a gluten free option, so unfortunately we had to get some ramen from another place for my daughter with Celiac. The pork was nice, tender and juicy. The tea egg was cooked perfectly and not overcooked. Broth was thick and good, but lacked the umph umami flavor I look for. Service here was okay. It was very crowded and busy, so I get it. No points dinged for the servi

We stopped in on a very busy friday night in little tokyo. This place however had no wait and was even half empty. I got the black tonkatsu ramen with 'premium' toppings. I honestly felt like the broth wasn't as flavorful as I thought it would be. It was pretty thick at the top of the bowl and has a bit of a grainy texture. The meat and egg however were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The noodles were well done but it's not my personal preference to have thin noodles. However, I would consider coming back and trying some of their other broths.

Amazing food, quick and friendly staff, and a sweet cozy hole in the wall that is a must try if you love spicy ramen. My boyfriend and I each got leve 2 spicy and it was more than enough heat! I'd recommend.

Hakata Ikkousha Ramen is in my top 3 of favorite ramen restaurants in LA. Specifically the black devil ramen, which is my go to order. The fusion of the garlic from the black tonkatsu and the spice from the god fire makes the perfect broth. Chasu is thin, and the egg is cooked perfect with the yolk runny. I go in on the noodles and order kaedama (extra noodles) for only $2 more. I order the noodles hard with the spicy level 3. I have a high spice tolerance, so 3 is perfect for that kick and very enjoyable. At times I get level 4 spicy but it can overpower the black tonkatsu broth because it's pretty spicy. 5-star ramen, excellent choice for a cold night! All the staff are enthusiastic and just overall a great authentic ramen experience. The restaurant is small so prepare to wait at least 25 -45min for dinner.

The spicy tonkotsu hot pot was mildly sweet and spicy, but creamy. My bf loved it and enjoyed the risotto afterwards. Tonkotsu & pork belly is good as always.

One of our favorite ramen spot. Try the Tan Tan. Ground pork and cubes of chicken. Make as spicy as you like. My favorite!

This is one of our favorite places to grab food in Little Tokyo with reasonable prices and great quality food. It is no frills and you leave feeling satisfied and happy. Come here before 7pm M-F and the beer and sake are 50% off. Also the dumplings are served next door at Wolf and Crane.

IT'S GIVING 10/10 ENERGY! Love Hakata! Whenever we are in Little Tokyo this is a must stop. Quick service, good food & good vibes. My favorite is definitely the cabbage salad. It is HUGE. You can definitely share it. Their chicken katsu curry is so delicious as well. Their friend rice paired with ginger on top is chefs kiss! If you are in the area stop by, you will love.

Best ramen that I've had in Little Tokyo. Always friendly service as well. Lunch specials from 11:30 - 2:30pm. And happy hour (beer specials) starting at 5:30

One of the best bowls of ramen I've had in LA. Come get the combo fire and black garlic (3rd one on the menu). We arrived at noon when they opened and there was no wait. Ordered and food came out in minutes. Highly recommend checking this place out.

Good ramen, large bowels, and really great broth. I've just about tried them all, love the garlic based Black Tonkotsu and the "God Fire" spicy ramen, but the "Black Devil" pictured would be what I'd suggest if visiting for a first time, it's a mix of the signature Tonkotsu and Black Tonkotsu broths.

Ramen 3.5/5 - The standard tonkotsu is solid but it lacks something, it's fatty but it lacks a depth of flavor. The noodles are thin and straight. The toppings are standard. The egg was cooked to perfection. Sides 4/5 - The appetizers are small but good. Edamame and pan-fried gyoza were hits with the kids. Service 3/5 - They are friendly but don't go out of their way to serve. You have to wave them down for stuff even when it is empty. This place used to be better. I can't quite place a finger on how. It is kind of over-priced for what it is, but gets the job done.

I love watching these guys cook their ramen with their long metal spoons Five stars Five. Stars five stars five, stars five stars

Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance: 9/10 A gem in between a busy intersection a with lots of other shops. The ramen here always hits the spot. Try the ramen my way and thank me later. Make sure to add a spicy Karaage to your order: 10/10.

Come here all the time. My parents are the type of people to love spicy food. One of the few places they agree with me and my siblings. The spicy karage and rice is a killer combo.

Just perfect post theatre nosh. You have a choice if the spicy level...choice of toppings, choice between small and large portions, even soft and hard noodles....i love you have choice and can have it your way ...you order by checking off how you want your order, but u still need to flag a server to retrieve our little paper...our server was a bit curt and unwelcoming but she seemed to be in charge and busy. Anyway i got the large karage appetizer...highly rec...a chilly night needs curry.. the small bowl of katsu don wasnt so small...the rice was perfect...the curry did not disappoint, delicious..the curry wasnt thick but a bit watery, but so good. Really hit the spot. Mom loved the miso ramen, the egg was perfect, miso soy was a bit salty to but the little kernels of corn were a fabulous addition. It's a low key casual place, not fancy but clean and contemporary. I'd eat there again. Rrasonable prices. One star off for inattentive server altgoigh she did reluctantly allow my party of two to sit at a table for 4. Must have had a hard day and it was close to closing time.

I'll gladly admit it's a me problem, I really don't care for Ramen and Ramen is very low on my food list of things to try but when in Rome or little Toyko you try the Ramen. That said, everybody I travel with does love Ramen so I've had a lot of different Ramen over the years in a lot of places and cities and this one was definitely one of the most mediocre I've tried. I got their signiture tonkotsu and it just tasted like nothing. The pork and BBQ pork? Tasted the same to me bland and flavorless. The noodles were fine but they didn't give me a lot of them. I specifically asked to not have mushrooms and was told that's how they make it and to pick them out. That surprised me a bit. I don't want or like mushrooms at all so that was a bit off putting. The egg was good, really about the only thing that was good tbh. Broth tasted like basically nothing not even salty just nothing. So yeah do with that what you will. I'd skip it or order something else. Oh and they only do pork no other options at all for meat. I was told the vegetarian option was basically steamed vegetables in hot water since everything is meat based. Cool....

The ramen portion is a bit on the small side. Even someone like me, a petite girl, doesn't feel quite satisfied and ends up feeling a bit empty after eating it. Surprisingly, their rice dishes are generous in portion, and they're even more affordable than the ramen! I highly recommend trying the rice dishes! 拉麵的份量有點少，像我這種小小隻的女生都覺得吃不飽，吃完反而覺得空虛。反倒是他們的飯類，份量超大，價錢也比拉麵便宜！超級推飯類！

Broth was very flavorful. I know this is a controversial opinion but the meat was so perfectly skinny I literally ate the whole thing (yes I'm sorry I'm that bitch that literally eats around the fat of the char siu in ramen... ) and loved that it included wood ear! Chicken Karaage: - super crispy and dry coating - juicy n moist chicken - highly recommend!! Big love for the customisation option here (u can even choose the noodle hardness!) IG: spillingthe.beans

I ordered the tonkotsu ramen and I loved the free check in topping. I have yet to find a better ramen spot since this franchise hits the spot every time. I always get the karage chicken and it is so delicious with the Mayo and spices that come with it. I would highly recommend coming here for your ramen cravings. The staff and ambiance inside were very comfortable and there were tons of seating. Staff was nice and made sure we were good and checked in often.

The black tonkotsu ramen is pretty good, but the serving size is a bit small, and you only get one slice of chashu. Just remember, extra toppings will cost you more. But, hands down, the katsu curry stole the show! The katsu had that perfect crispy breading and a satisfying crunch. Plus, they give you a massive portion. Seriously, don't miss out on the katsu! As for the service, it was good. I went on a Tuesday night, and it wasn't too crowded. Just keep in mind that finding parking might be a bit tricky since it's in Little Tokyo.

The only thing redeeming about the ramen was the egg... The broth was flat, meat was cold, service was mid

My friend came to LA to visit. So I have to take them to one of my favorite Ramen spot in town. Tonkatsu is still the best. Black one is great. Tsukemen is sweet and sour, my friend ordered it and like it. Friend Chicken is just average. A bit too starchy for my preference. Food came really fast which is also nice. Bathroom is clean. All the staff here are always attentive and nice!

Food is good but this chef was very rude ! Making gestures because one of the ramens had hair and chef, waiter were laughing making jokes and gave us the check when we weren't even done. We were barely there for 20 minutes.

The waiters were nice at first, but then shortly after receiving my hair I found a very curly hair inside my ramen. I let the male waiter know and he handled it well and he was going to remake it; but as he took it to the kitchen the cook with the eyeglasses kept glancing at me and making gestures as if I took out hair from my head and placed it there. Which I did not, and I also do not have curly hair. They kept talking about it and glancing at me and I started to feel uncomfortable so I told them to not remake it it's okay, and the other 2 people who were with me continued eating; he kicked us out saying he had people waiting to eat 25 minutes into the other people in my party eating, very rude and unprofessional. We did not make a scene we could have. This was not okay at all, worst service I've gotten.

Solid spot for tonkotsu ramen. There is an order menu per person/order. The servers will double check with you if you are not sure or miss something. You can customize the noodles, which was interesting! I guess some people love having extra onions with their ramen! Food: The regular tonkotsu is so creamy and fatty. The chashu meat is so good. If you like meat, I recommend ordering it as an extra topping. My eating partner ordered the black devil level 4 (max) spicy and said it wasn't spicy at all. The server offered some extra spicy thing. It wasn't until after adding it that the ramen had a spicy kick. We were wondering if they accidentally switched the spicy level with another order?? Or it's just usually not spicy?? Checking in on Yelp gives you a free extra topping (egg, seaweed, veggies, or bamboo), but they only allow one free topping per table. I went with a party of 3, so only one of us got a free topping.. That wasn't very cool, but better than nothing ?? Parking: The metered street parking goes until 8 PM on weekdays for $3/hour (I think it's max 2 hours though) There is free street parking over in arts district if you don't mind walking less than 10 minutes. There's a lot of shops in this area to check out, so you'll be walking around anyway.

I am a huge fan of the type of ramen they serve here. If I recall my first time here was back in 2021. My ramen bowl would always be the black devil. It is spicy and that's how I typically prefer my ramen bowl. The service is pretty good with the servers being pretty attentive. The restaurant is also clean and I love how they keep their restrooms clean for the customers to use!

We joined the waitlist for two through Yelp at 1:30 pm on a Sunday, and the wait time is only 10 mins. We check in and wait for another 5-10 mins before seated. The service was top-notch, and the food was so good. We had the original tonkatsu, and I love how balanced the broth is. Not too light, not too thick. Love it!

I remember when this place first pop up I traveled from SFV to have this type of quality ramen. Now this type of quality is everywhere. I'm still glad they are consistent on what they do. I haven't been here in years. Now I live down the street. This use to be the it plaza with all the great food surrounding this place. The competition is getting very fierce now a days. Funny I was looking for chicken karage but I ended up eating ramen. I had a second round of noodles to feed my fat ass cuz I worked out. Parking: there is a parking lot and plenty. Friday night wasn't bad at all surprisingly. Seating: like most ramen spots, this a bit bigger than your average. Some tables have 8 seats. Food: black tonkutsu and spicy tuna don. Amazing. Again, I wasn't in the mood for ramen and this is pretty good. Service: on point, as crazy busy as it was. On point. Fun Note: i do like whos DJing the music when I am here. Recommendation: of course.

I love the food so much especially the tonkotsu ramen and edamame you have to order that. The service was good. The music was good to and the restaurant as well.