EAK is excellent – this place is on a very happening street – Melrose Ave. You can spend a couple of hours walking down the street checking out all the hipster, goth, and other unique clothing stores. No joke, this area has a very eclectic set of stores…and people…Anyway, on to the ramen.
“EAK” or “IEKEI” is a style of ramen that blends Tonkotsu and Shoyu style broths. It is also a mixture of chicken and pork flavors. It’s topped with spinach, rather than the traditional green onions. Also comes with nori, tamago, with thick and straight noodles. The noodles are also chewy and short, making slurping easy.
On the web @ http://eakramen.com/
This is the outside
What’s available here?
I went with the Zebra ramen. It’s “thick and bold”. Gotta love that!
One my second visit I tried the miso broth. It was f*ing awesome. I added sweet corn and a slice of butter. Adding butter makes it that much richer. Not for everyone, but I personally love rich broths.
The cucumber kimchi is on point. It’s not too sour like traditional kimchi, but refreshing, especially on those hot LA days.
The ginger gyoza is amazing. I think that you’ll even like this if you don’t like ginger. The ginger flavor is slight and not overwhelming at all. Karaage is also very respectable.
They also have tons of inspiration ramen artwork.
Check out a short clip: