Killer Noodle by Tsujita
Nestled in the center of LA's Little Osaka (not to be confused with Little Tokyo near Skid Row) is the third installment of the massively popular ramen and tsukemen restaurant Tsujita. As Tsujita has gained popularity, they have expanded to three locations, all based on the same street - Sawtelle. I'm sure in the future, the entire block will be some rendition of the ubiquitous noodle shop.
What Makes it Unique
Killer Noodle is set apart from Tsujita and Tsujita Annex as a more Chinese influenced cuisine. Rather than Japanese tonkotsu or soy sauce broth, the restaurant focuses on Dan Dan Men - a kind of spicy, intense tasting chili oil based soup.
After all, their napkin holder claims:
Our restaurant aim for painful, delicious and spicy
Just what are their parameters for "Spicy" and why are they trying to inflict pain? I've been to many restaurants in Japan that claimed to be very spicy, but was always underwhelmed. Well, Killer Noodle doesn't pull any punches.
Unlike other spicy ramen restaurants which just let you choose the spiciness (辣), you get an extra parameter of "numbness" (麻). Im sure you're all familiar with the cayenne pepper, which dictates the spiciness, however the prickly ash is something new. It's an aromatic shrub that grows in the Central and Eastern parts of the Unites States, but is perfect for this kind of knee-knocking Chinese noodle.
I ordered the "Tokyo Style", with numb and spicy set at 3 each, which was the recommendation. I'll be lying if I said I could get through it without a gallon of water. I didn't resort to ordering yogurt, but they have it on hand in case you can't get through it. Mrs. Bru had "Downtown Style" with no soup, Spicy 4 and Numb 2. That was way harder in my opinion as it seems the soup dilutes the spiciness evenly. Here noodles were an affront on the pain receptors!
Also, mini-me ate for free as they have a special mild noodle dish for toddlers. Fantastic!
The interior is a modern fusion-esque den of pepper red and brick. Smiling monochrome faces adorn the wall, which is an odd choice considering the pain you go through while eating. I can only imagine these pictures were the "Before" in a before-and-after set.
In Summary
It was a wonderful and unique experience. I trust Tsujita in all matters noodle and was delightfully surprised that they branched out to something new rather than just making a 3rd location with the same cuisine.
Toddlers eat free is always a policy that will get me in the door and I was glad I went.
