Cuisine
Best Japanese in Los Angeles
Japanese spots pulled from our Los Angeles guides — picked by taste, price, and vibe rather than crowd averages. Here's who each one is for.
Sumo Dog
$Hot Dogs / Japanese fusion · USC / South LA
In USC Village, Sumo Dog does Japanese-style hot dogs — think teriyaki, spicy mayo, furikake — that are cheap, fast, and more interesting than your standard dog. It's a solid between-class option when you want something quick and a little different without leaving campus or spending much.
Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle
$$Ramen / Tsukemen · Westwood / Sawtelle
Tsujita on Sawtelle is the ramen spot UCLA students make the short trip for. The tsukemen — thick noodles served alongside an intensely rich, concentrated dipping broth — is the signature, and the tonkotsu ramen is no slouch. The pork broth is simmered for 60 hours and it shows. Lines form fast at lunch; go early or off-peak. Worth every minute of the wait.
Hide Sushi
$$Sushi · Westwood / Sawtelle
Hide has been a Sawtelle institution for decades, serving fresh, generously cut sushi at prices that don't punish you. It's cash-only, there's often a wait, and the room is nothing fancy — but the fish is excellent and the value is rare for LA sushi. The kind of reliable, honest spot students come back to all four years.
Marugame Monzo
$$Japanese / Udon · Westwood / Sawtelle
Marugame Monzo makes udon by hand in the open kitchen, and the difference shows — the noodles are chewy, springy, and a world apart from the packaged version. The uni cream udon is the cult favorite; the classic kake udon in dashi is the purist's pick. A short trip from campus and one of the best comfort-food meals in Sawtelle.