9th St Ramen: Labor Of Love
To determine the deliciousness of ramen, one must go through two emotions: comfort and thirst. Comfort comes from hot broth that touches your lips and travels down to your belly, imparting a blanketing feeling of warmth. Thirst comes from rich umami that fills your mouth with deep, savory flavor leaving you craving a sip of ice cold sake. Luckily, 9th St Ramen does both of that and more.
Just before physical closeness was a thing of the past, we had the chance to visit Chef Luke Reyes to discuss his latest passion: ramen. He was the executive chef at Butchers & Barbers in Hollywood and hosted pop-up cannabis dinners throughout LA, but it was his genuine love of food that led him to Japan to learn the craft of ramen.
“I spent time in traditional ramen shops. I want to honor the dish by continually being a student of what I am cooking.” said Chef Luke. He spent the next three years sourcing the finest ingredients and worked tirelessly to create a unique experience in the former Chu’s Kitchen space.
“We completely gutted the entire place and everything that could go wrong, went wrong. It was almost comedic. We did whatever it took to make it beautiful. So, this is much more than a passion project for me. ” said Chef Luke. Unfortunately, the team only had one month to present their ramen to diners in-person as the global pandemic threw another curve ball at them. They quickly considered the safety of their employees and customers and pivoted to take-out, delivery service and are now slowly re-opening according to CDC guidelines.
Thankfully, ramen is one of the few dishes that tastes just as wonderful when reheated at home. Their most popular offering is a 36-hour pork tonkotsu ramen. It’s a labor intensive process split into two 18-hour parts by roasting, boiling, and stewing a whole pig until it breaks down into a gelatinous pot of soup. The broth is muddy in color, thick with flavor, and the backbone of this exceptional ramen. Each serving is highlighted with tender pork toppings and springy noodles that slurp back whipping a splatter of oil along your chin and across the table. If pork isn’t your preference, 9th St Ramen offers a vegan, chicken or lamb option. All invoke slurping, sucking, and guzzling—an involuntary reaction to delicious ramen.
For no-heat fare, try their Hiyashi chūka options which are chilled Japanese noodle dishes centered around Wagyu Tataki or Spicy Crab & Tomato. Think: ramen without the broth. It has all the flavor without the sweat. To satisfy your thirst, they have a selection of natural wines and small-production sake that delicately cut through rich, lingering flavor so every bite is just as good as your first.
9thstramen.com | 111 W. 9th St
Written by Janica de Guzman | Photography courtesy of 9th St Ramen
