Ika Ramen and Izakaya

I dream of this udon ramen from time to time. It was the best ramen I've had and something I can't wait to experience again.

I've been going to this location since I was in college, but they changed their menu. We had the East LA & Spicy Noods. The Spicy Noods is on the shareable plate, but I normally have it as an entrée because it is so good. The ramen is also very good. Make sure to check out their murals, the anime playing in the corner, and the hours on the other door off the dining area if you're looking for a post-dinner drink after dinner.

DELICIOUS Ramen! Went here with my sister & brother in-law and had a lovely time! The service was superb and we never once had to flag the waiter down for anything as she was on top of it.We ordered "Ribs for your pleasure" for an app which is fried ribs, fried kimchi with sweet soy and it was wonderful. My husband ordered the Miso Ramen and I ordered the Oyako Don. All of our meals were well prepared and super flavorful. Perfect place to go out with friends or for date night!

We came here on a random Friday night when we were bar hopping in benson - 30 min wait but they have the coolest basement speakeasy bar that we passed the time in! Very fun vibes!! The ramen was AMAZING! Very large portions for the price. Service was a bit disappointing - they forgot to put in our order so we waited for 45 minutes but the food was soooo good so we'd come back! Think it was just a busy night.

While service can be a hit or miss, the food is good. Unfortunately, the inconsistent service quality does outweigh the wait for food that sometimes is too cool by the time you're served. I recommend ordering takeout in advance, if you're in a pinch. Ambience is okay with R&B, hiphop, and pop music, and cool wall art to occupy myself with while waiting for food. Another alternative is to ask if you can order takeout and have it delivered to the downstairs bar, for a nice ambient dinner with great music.

One thing about me is, I am always going to say YES to Ika Ramen. My go to is the fuego ramen. It has a generous piece of chicken thigh and the skin is fried to a delicious crisp. They coat the chicken in a buffalo like sauce which I love. My only critique is, I wish it was a little spicier but that's just me. The benson location is smaller so if you have a larger party, I recommend their downtown location.

Ika Ramen is a great little spot in the middle of Benson. I ordered the Shoyu ramen which was good, and my boyfriend thought the tonkotsu was good, but not his favorite ramen. We came in with a group of 8 on a pretty busy day for an early dinner, and we were able to get a seat fairly quickly (~20 minutes). This location is smaller than the others, so if it's busy you might have to wait a bit for a table. The decor inside is fun, and definitely adds to the experience. The bar downstairs is super cool and is definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a cool spot for drinks! Our waitress was great the last time I visited - she was super attentive and took care of us quickly, even with a larger group!

Fun themed restaurant in Benson. Ordered a buta kimchi don with tons of texture and flavors. Tender and savory pork belly, crunchy veg, and fresh kimchi worked well in the bowl together. It was more sweet than spicy.

We heard this was one of the best ramen places in town, so we were excited to try. The atmosphere is like a trendy asian restaurant. Service was good not great. We found out there is a speakeasy downstairs so that was neat. We were a bit disappointed with the food overall. - Tonkatsu ramen (3/5): the broth was almost luke warm when it was served to us, so that was disappointing. The flavor overall was good but not as savory as tonkatsu typically is. The soft boiled egg was cooked well, and the pork was tender and tasty.- Spicy miso ramen (2.5/5): the broth was flavorful and had a kick of spice. Noodles were good, lots of toppings- Tokyo fried chicken (4/5): loved the chicken, pretty fatty and oily but still tasted great. Very crispy and delicious- Pork belly steam buns (4/5): pork belly was cooked and seasoned well. Love the buns and the crunch of the cucumberOverall a bit disappointed in the ramen, but next time will have to try the other types of ramen instead of the classics!

Best food ever. Good service and the people were amazing. Do recommend!!! Try it when you get a chance!