// JAPAN / LOS ANGELES // 

menya hanabi

who needs soup?

We love a Japanese import. Especially when it hits the burbs and is located in a strip mall that shares a parking lot with a Burlington Coat Factory, Vons and LA Fitness. Iconic.

Menya Hanabi appeared on the map in 2019 amid a flux of ramen openings in the city. In the context of a city that has an established ramen scene and a general knowledge of things like tsukemen (thanks, Tsujita), it was only a matter of time before another genre of ramen entered the group chat. And that genre is mazesoba. The Nagoya style “dry” (aka soupless) ramen is (hilariously) referenced as “Taiwanese” style ramen, even though it was fully invented in Japan. But we can kind of see how they got there, the influence of mixed noodles with a porky gravy is pretty standard in Taiwan. The menu at Menya Hanabi is pretty straightforward with the classics. You get your choice of different iterations of mazesoba, plus a bunch of topping options. And you can’t really go wrong with the pungent and umami flavors of pork, bonito, garlic and chives. Mixed in with a creamy egg and you have perfection. Not to mention you get to finish off the meal with a shot (ok it’s actually a pretty generous bowl) of rice to sop up the sauce.

the details

Address733 W Naomi Ave Suite K, Arcadia
Japan locations listed here
Websitehttp://www.menyahanabiusa.com/
Yelphttps://www.yelp.com/biz/menya-hanabi-arcadia
Instagram@menyahanabiusa
Hours11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30-8:30pm everyday, closed Tuesdays
Price$$ – all the noodles are around $15 plus or minus a couple dollars
Aestheticpretty generic commercial ramen shop vibes

good to know

Go here for: mazesoba, duh

Order this: mazesoba, duh (make sure to get an egg!) (and top it off with some vinegar to cut the richness)

Amount of time to spend: 30 min to an hour for dining, service is pretty quick, but there also might be a wait

When to come: weekdays and lunch times are more manageable for walk ins but even on weekends it usually isn’t too long of a wait

Parking: is free in the strip mall lot. We are, after all, in the suburbs. But that doesn’t mean there’s necessarily enough to go around. We are, after all, in SGV. So be patient.

Other things to note: They have dozens of locations all over Japan and several locations around Asia including Malaysia and Korea.

Last visited: January 2020

Last updated: November 2021

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