LA Chef Debuts Downtown San Diego Ramen Shop

Los Angeles ramen chef Daiki Tanaka has chosen San Diego as the launching point for his first solo restaurant, debuting Artisan Noodle Tatsuki in downtown San Diego in a 35-seat space on Broadway. Open Monday through Saturday, serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., its grand opening is scheduled for Thursday August 22, when the restaurant will be giving away 100 bowls of ramen at lunch and dinner to its Instagram followers.

Tanaka spent five years working at famed LA ramen shop Tsujita and will be offering his rendition of its signature dish, a dipping-style ramen called tsukemen which features cooked noodles served with a side of concentrated broth. Thick noodles from Sun Noodle are used to stand up to the rich soup.

Other ramen varieties include traditional tonkotsu ramen, made with a pork bone and back fat-based broth that takes 60 hours to prepare, and a spicy miso version spiked with chili oil that spotlights the chef’s homemade miso blend. Diners can customize their bowls with grated garlic and a special seasoning mix available at each table. The concise menu is rounded out by two types of pork buns, Sapporo beer, and hot and cold sake.

The chef told Eater that he’s looking to open another shop in Clairemont Mesa, and plans to eventually take Artisan Noodle Tatsuki back up to Los Angeles.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo