Beverly Soon Tofu and Santouka Ramen
Those of us who live in southern California do funny things when the temperature drops below 62 degrees. We wear scarves. We disingenuously empathize with our east coast brethren. We say “I totally understand, man” to our friend talking about the Chicago winter, when in reality the only thing we truly understand about snow is that it is probably white.
But this lack of understanding shouldn’t stop our desire to seek out the creature comforts of cold weather. Therefore in a two day span I hit both Santouka Ramen, situated in a west side Japanese grocery mall, and Beverly Soon Tofu, nestled in a strip mall off in the nexus of Koreatown dining (the corner of Vermont and Olympic).
I was pleased with both. Santouka offers a salt, miso or spicy miso variety. I would go with the salt ramen with pork. The broth is simple, classic and flavorful. The pork is ridic (slang for “ridiculous”) and its simultaneously fatty and tender construction complements the broth wonderfully. Follow the plastic models and order accordingly, but note it is cash only.
Beverly Soon Tofu is a family-run business that has been around since around the release of the Thriller album, when they originally debuted on Beverly Boulevard. The spicy kimchi soon tofu stew is a misnomer - it actually contains beef and a variety of creatures of the sea. The place is also cozier than BCD Tofu House, as it only has around 9 or 10 wooden tables. They also offer a nice spicy squid as one of the combination dinners.
Both Santouka and Beverly Soon Tofu are places that allow us to enjoy the winter without suffering frostbite. Don’t take them for granted.
Beverly Soon Tofu, 2717 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006, (213) 380-1113
Santouka Ramen, 3760 S Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90066, (310) 391-1101
