Ramen Brahmins

Kotoya Ramen Replacing Rojas Eatery in West L.A.

Kotoya
Kotoya Photo: Tatiana Arbogast

As Little Osaka continues its diversification program with restaurants like NongLA, Nina’s Mexican Restaurant, and Plan Check, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Japanese eats continue to crowd West L.A.’s nearby Little Oaxaca neighborhood. Especially when it comes to the region’s recent ramen explosion. Kotoya LA, a ramen spot from one Shinsuke Horinouch, who traces his roots to Tokyo on a website chock-a-block with superior ramen hyperbole, is taking over the Santa Monica Boulevard space briefly occupied by Rojas Eatery.

Kotoya, like tsukemen-master Tsujita and tonkotsu-specialist Yamadaya, claims a meticulous and time-consuming approach to making its ramen, offering both a tonkotsu and miso tonkatsu that take fourteen hours to prepare and employ slow-cooked, four-hour braised chasu and garnishes like ajitama eggs and menma topping prepared by hand.

The restaurant plans to eventually expand to an izakaya-like atmosphere with booze, as well as offer grilled kushiage options. Kotoya is currently staffing up to debut soon at 11901 Santa Monica Blvd. in West L.A.

Kotoya Ramen Replacing Rojas Eatery in West L.A.