LA Times Critic Shines Light on Beverly Hills’ Somni | Eater LA
"I dove into Sawtelle’s Ramen Row at Mogu Mogu, which opened in April this year and occupies a spartan but cheerful dining room where owner Tomohiro Wada’s team produces a brothless ramen called mazemen (mixed noodles). The house protocol is to stir the noodles for 30 seconds, blending all the toppings until they emulsify into a sauce; on every table there are jars of vinegar flavored with ragged strips of red chile, and Wada recommends anointing the noodles with the lightly spiced vinegar about one-third through the bowl for a reviving whomp of umami. The kitchen plays with toppings that might be diluted or lost in a hot soup: there is a cheese mazemen layered with minced pork, two wobbly onsen eggs, ample Jack cheese and ringlets of scallions, furnished with strips of nori and a hummock of blended fish powder. Stirred thoroughly, the dish turns fragrant and creamy with salty, garlicky contours—someone at the table will probably compare it to a Carbonara sauce." - Mona Holmes
