Hinodeya Ramen Bar

Newly opened in Palms, this Tokyo-based ramen chain will make you forget all about L.A.’s obsession with tsukemen and tonkotsu. The signature offering is a light, dashi-based broth made from dried fish, seaweed, scallop and pork fat, which you can top with a traditional chashu-and-veggie assortment, a pile of sukiyaki-style beef or extra-large portions of chashu. Regardless of which style you order, all bowls here come with thick, slightly wavy noodles made with whole grain flour. Interestingly enough, the most popular item is actually Hinodeya’s spicy miso, a ginger-forward but otherwise unremarkable rendition of the commonplace soup base. While I would still recommend the house ramen for first-timers, seafood lovers shouldn’t ignore the Hamaguri, an excellent, particularly umami-forward dashi broth topped with littleneck clams.