Ramen Tatsu-Ya co-owner (and half of its namesake) Tatsu Aikawa describes ramen as "the soul food of Japan." He should know, given that he's lived in Japan. He's also lived in L.A.—that's where he cultivated his culinary talents as a chef at a sushi bar—but Tatsu still considers Austin his hometown. He met Takuya Matsumoto, the other half of the Tatsu-Ya equation, when they were both working as DJs in Austin. After each DJ did some soul-searching, they ended up on the same culinary path. So when Tatsu moved back to Austin from Los Angeles, it didn't take long for he and Takuya to debut their ramen restaurant.

The duo is serious about crafting authentic, perfectly presented ramen—that's why they don't allow takeout. In the time it takes you to travel from the restaurant to your home, the noodles could get soggy and the broth could separate. No, it's best to dip your spoon into a piping-hot bowl of noodles within the walls of Ramen Tatsu-Ya. From original pork to soy-based vegan ramen, none of the soups disappoint. However, Yelp reviewers do recommend adding some heat with a Spicy Bomb mix-in (it consists of spicy red pepper paste) and some flavor with fried Brussels sprouts on top.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya
1234 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
www.ramen-tatsuya.com
www.yelp.com/biz/ramen-tatsu-ya-austin-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr insatiablemunch