Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Aug. 22, 2026. It was last updated on June 22, 2023.
Many consider West Los Angeles’ Sawtelle neighborhood to be one of the hottest foodie hubs in the city. Here, hungry visitors can easily placate a wide variety of cravings in one walkable expanse.
Though the area has certainly earned its official recognition as “Sawtelle Japantown” — for example, there are about two dozen places to get your ramen fix, not to mention numerous options for sushi and Japanese snacks — there are also abundant restaurants offering other types of appetizing Asian food (Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese) and non-Asian food, such as New American fare and Mexican classics.
Below are our 13 top picks for Sawtelle restaurants — let the eating begin.
Daikokuya
For some of the best ramen in town, head to Daikokuya’s Sawtelle location that’s blessed with a significantly smaller crowd than the permanent one surrounding the Daikokuya in downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo neighborhood. Although ramen might be the restaurant’s rightfully earned hook, its shredded pork rice bowl is what entices most diners (like me) to return for more. The takoyaki dish (a crispy ball-shaped Japanese snack made with octopus) is also a customer favorite.
Hide Sushi
Slinging sushi since 1979, Hide Sushi is a no-frills, hole-in-the-wall institution that focuses on providing customers with high-quality fish. Fresh nigiri (raw fish or other seafood on top of rice) and sashimi, rather than loaded sushi rolls, are the specialty here, and the ankimo (monkfish liver), yellowtail and albacore options especially shine. Or, get the popular chirashi bowl, which is a bowl of sushi rice generously topped with raw mackerel, octopus, salmon, shrimp, halibut and tuna, as well as shiitake mushroom and sesame seeds. Prices are relatively inexpensive compared to other good sushi spots in L.A., and the restaurant is cash-only.
HoneyMee
Craving delectable soft-serve ice cream? Saunter over to HoneyMee, which churns ice cream with milk sourced from a family-owned, kosher dairy factory in California. You won’t find any artificial coloring or flavoring in this “true milk” creamy treat, either: Instead, the ice cream can be dressed up with natural, raw honey and honeycombs harvested from a local, certified bee farm. Choose from options such as the eponymous Honeymee (ice cream with a honeycomb chip), the Dear Chocolate (ice cream with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of French sea salt) and the Honey Affogato (ice cream with drizzled honey and coffee). An extra drizzle of honey is free of charge.
Marugame Udon
Originally from Japan, Marugame Udon is a build-your-own Udon bar via a theater kitchen, so guests can watch their food being prepared with made-to-order Sanuki-style Udon noodles. Diners can choose from a variety of bowls and add their own tempura and sides. Popular options include the Tonkotsu Udon (Sanuki-style Udon in a creamy pork broth) and for, vegan diners, the Vegan Udon, featuring a vegan broth and ground soy meat.
Nong La
The interior of Vietnamese restaurant Nong La is fairly simple, so it’s the food that really does the talking. Start with an order of perfectly golden cha gio, or crispy egg rolls, and use the accompanying lettuce to wrap the egg rolls before dunking them into the fish sauce. Diners have their pick of a variety of fantastic choices, which range from pho soup and bun bo hue soup to bun noodle salad. My favorite, however, has to be the thit xiu banh mi sandwich: a liberal amount of braised pork belly that’s tucked into a toasted French baguette and crowned with the usual fixings of house mayo, pickled daikon, carrots, cilantro and cucumbers. My advice? Put an egg on it, too.
Nong La is extremely popular for lunch, so go early to beat the crowds or place an online order for pick-up. Dinner slows down a bit, but it’s still better to arrive earlier than later.
Plan Check Kitchen + Bar
A popular gastropub known for its superb burgers and craft beer, Plan Check Kitchen + Bar’s original location is on Sawtelle, and the neighborhood is all the better for it. Ask almost anyone who’s eaten there, and he or she will likely gush about the PCB (Plan Check Burger) that features a patty, mixed pickles, schmaltz onions and Americanized dashi cheese (cheddar and parmesan cheese blended with kombu, or edible kelp, and katsuobushi, a dried, fermented fish), all snuggled between a pair of toasted buns. Oh, and you can’t forget about the Ketchup Leather, either — dehydrated ketchup reminiscent of a fruit roll-up — that liquefies under the heat of the fresh burger.
Other great selections are the Southern Fry (a sandwich of fried Jidori chicken with spicy green pimento cheese, duck breast ham and pickles) or, for plant-based diets, the Plan(t), which has a vegan patty, melty swiss, lettuce, fried onion, tomato mayo and a crunch bun.
Dan Modern Chinese
If you can’t be bothered trekking to San Gabriel Valley, Southern California’s true Asian food mecca, or dealing with the lines at any Din Tai Fung restaurant location — much less booking a trip to Wuxi, China, where the steamed bun dish originates — then Dan Modern Chinese (in the former location of ROC Kitchen) is likely your best bet for xiao long bao (soup-filled dumplings) on the Westside.
Biting into these juicy little pockets of goodness is close to godliness, and it would be foolish not to request at least several orders. You'll also find scallion pancakes, served with a ginger-soy dipping sauce; the perfectly steamed, garlicky bok choy; and the beef roll, which is admittedly greasy but full of flavor.
Sea Salt Poke
The poke fad arrived in the Sawtelle neighborhood by way of Sea Salt Poke, serving up fresh fish dressed up with sauces, veggies, fruits and, if you so desire, a sprinkle of the namesake sea salt. Portions are generous, and prices are comparable to most poke spots in Los Angeles. In addition to premium proteins, guests can choose from non-premium varieties such as wild tuna, wild spicy tuna, wild salmon, wild spicy salmon, white shrimp, organic tofu, imitation crab or sweet-sour octopus, along with a base (white rice, brown rice, mixed greens, fruikake cauliflower rice, seaweed salad, spicy crunchy rice or soba noodles) and mostly free toppings, including avocado, pickled mango, fresh jalapenos, edamame and more. There's also a Chef's menu of pre-made bowls.
Seoul Tofu
If you're craving Korean food, head to Seoul Tofu for soondubu (soft tofu stew) and meaty Bibimbap stone pot rice bowls. Banchan (Korean side dishes) are abundant here, but don't fill up on them too quickly. The menu features a variety of traditional Korean dishes, but favorites include Bulgogi (grilled thin slices of marinated beef) and scallion seafood pancakes.
Sonoritas Prime Tacos
Sonoritas Prime Tacos began bringing vibrant flavors from Mexico’s Sonora region to Sawtelle eight years ago, and neighborhood regulars have welcomed the bustling taqueria with open arms. Sitting on the restaurant’s patio, start out with chips and salsa and an order of elote (Mexican street corn with fixings of cotija cheese, lime and chipotle mayo). Then, wash down a strong selection of tacos with a Mexican soda or a pistachio horchata. Meat-eaters should dig into al pastor, carne asada and chicken tacos on Sonora-style flour tortillas. Supplement tacos with an order of decadent churros with Nutella and ice cream for dessert.
Tatsu Ramen
There’s no arguing that Sawtelle hosts many excellent ramen joints, but Tatsu Ramen in Sawtelle Centre stands out. Though a small space, the restaurant still packs a punch with its palatable ramen options. Customers love the flavorful tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, and there are chicken and vegan broths available, too — as well as yummy sides including pork buns and chashu (Japanese braised pork) rice.
Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle and Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle Annex
Tsujita LA has snagged two locations on Sawtelle, and they serve — you guessed it — ramen. The sought-after duo is known for their tsukemen, a dish consisting of ramen noodles intended for dipping in a separate bowl of very rich broth that has been simmering for a whopping 60 hours. The key difference between the original Tsujita LA and Tsujita LA Annex are that the latter features much thicker noodles. Both establishments are cash-only.
