On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Tue., Thu-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
"A++ in my book. Ive tried most of the Ramen joints in the Sawtelle/Little Tokyo/Asian Corridor area, and I must say Ramenya is my favorite.…" read more »
I've developed somewhat of an obsession for Korean food over the past couple of years. It began with Korean bbq, but then expanded into anything and everything that I can get into my mouth (food only, thanks). Granted, service isn't always the best for me since I'm white, but it's something that I've just learned to deal with. And when they see that I can handle my bancham, I know my kimchee, and I love my spice, it's open-arms from then on.
I have been looking for an inexpensive, easy place in my area to go for soontofu. I'm not a fan of Tofu Ya, so when I heard about Asian Ya I figured I'd give it a holler.
The gf and I went over for dinner the other night. Initial impressions, it's a clean place, it wasn't crowded (which was a good thing because it's a pretty small restaurant), and the hostess... had a smile on her face? Yep, she did. In fact, the service was absolutely stellar. Very friendly, very open to making recommendations, and constantly refilled our waters. Plus 10 points.
First off, I will say that the menu in the restaurant didn't match the menu that I saw in the pictures on Yelp. No matter, it was pretty similar, but the pictures sell the restaurant short because it actually has quite a wide variety of options. Soontofu, kbbq specialties, ramen, seafood, etc. We each got the mixed soontofu, and we ordered the pork and kimchee entree to split.
The mixed soontofu ($8) was a good serving of food, definitely enough for one person. It had beef, two small shrimp (so thoroughly cooked that you could eat it whole), and two clams (this is all per bowl). The flavors were excellent, the tofu was nice and tender, and it came with rice and some pretty good bancham. They only brought out 4 types of bancham, but the fresh "kimchee" was decent as far as it goes (I prefer the real deal myself, although it's kind of hard to find), and everything else was good. We both went for the regular spice level on the soontofu (they offer plain, mild, regular, and spicy), since you never know what to expect when trying a restaurant for the first time, but we both agreed that it wasn't very spicy and we would go for the "spicy" next time. Keep in mind that we're both spice freaks, however...
The pork with kimchee was meh ($8). The ratio of meat to kimchee was subpar, and the pork itself wasn't the best. Combine that with the fact that they used fresh kimchee, and all of a sudden you have a pretty disappointing dish. Next time I'll go for the kalbi instead.
Irregardless of the pork and kimchee dish, I'm going 4 stars. Friendly service, good portions, a diverse menu, easy, quiet, and a relaxed atmosphere. And way better than Tofu Ya. I'll be back.
I'd have to disagree with a lot of the reviews for Asian-Ya
it is somewhat difficult to locate but the food here is interestingly good. yes they fuse different ethnic foods together but taste is quite palatable. i have yet to try the neighboring tofu-ya but the people waiting outside always turns me off and i head straight for Asian-Ya. Where can you find cheese soon tofu??? The ramen here is also great and i believe is arguably better than Daikokuya. The noodles come out more fresh and the ramen broth less greasy. I recommend the cheese soon tofu, and surantan men (spicy ramen). They do have a variety of ramen flavors but i'm a fan of the spicy.
I've also seen the owner of Chaya dine here several times so whatever is fine by him is fine by me :)
There are not many good ramen place in west side, so this place is convenient. Good selection of food, ramen noodle to tapas. Menu is izakaya-like. They open till later than some places, so it is good to go after the movie or something. I like surawatan noodle which is spicy and sour soup noodle. I add extra vinegar. The portion is huge and I can't finish the soup. Food is decent. The only thing is that it is run down a little and some plastic plates look old.
Dude, WTF.
This is the second time I have tried to come here to eat and they are effen closed!!!
Based on Simonster's great review, I was hoping to try some of this Korean/Jap fusion but alas, nada. Again.
Argh!!! When is this place ever open!?!
I'll up the stars IF I actually get to eat here. But, TWO STRIKES!!
For some reason I thought this was a izakaya. But the menu basically was all over the place with items like chicken pho, jalapeno fried rice, and prosciutto salad. But with a name like Asian-Ya Soy Boy, what'd you expect?
I asked the waitress what their most popular dish was, and she quickly said it was the soon tofu. I asked what their second most popular dish was - hoping to hear something Japanese - and she replied that it was the kalbi.
So I ordered both. And they were alright. But it just didn't feel right. It's like going to an Italian restaurant and being told their most popular dishes are the beef burrito and cheese enchiladas.
Basically a Korean restaurant.
I tried to go here yesterday (a Sunday) because it was open according to Yelp and I didn't want to drive to K-town.
Drove by..and it was closed. wtfruitbasket.
Today, drove by and woot woot...it was open.
me and the girlfriend got it togo.
interior: not bad..blacks and light browns. 1 chalkboard with japanese written all over it and the other with wines and sake.
the service was quick and painless and we each got the kalbi/soon do bu combo.
we each got 4 side dishes in our to go bag and when we got home...the kalbi was fuggin small. it was like....my dog had eaten it already and left me scraps.
besides that, it was uber salty just like the soon du bu.
it wasn't bad but it also wasn't spit on your neck fantastic.
overall, a japanese owned korean restaurant is quite odd as it is usually the other way around.
convenient for being open late on the west-side, but I'd rather drive to K-town or go to Tofu-ya on sawtelle than this junk.
btw...."ya" refers to a store in japanese...such as ramenya sells ramen...tofuya sells tofu.
asianya sells.....................................asians? bah.
outties.
The Korean or Japanese offerings at Asian-ya are not the best in their class by any means. You will, for instance, rather have better ramen at Daikokuya or Hakata ramen. You might have better curry at Curry House. You will also undoubtedly rather have better soondofu at other Korean soondofu establishments.
Sure, nothing in the menu that I've tasted so far has been truly standout compared to offerings from specialty joints, but comparing ramen from a place that only sells ramen to the ramen from a place with an mixed bag menu like Asian-Ya is a bit unfair.
That said, what sets Asian-ya apart, is the sheer convenience of being able to order *any* of these things at *one* establishment in an non-pain-in-the-ass part of West LA. You get prompt, polite service, and quality fresh (albeit, yes, somewhat salty) food.
Yes, its name is a bit corny, and its identity is a bit confusing (yes, I think they're *trying* to be an izakaya), and portions may be smaller than what we're trained to expect, but appreciate the place for its convenient location, consistently well above average food and for the laid-back but quality environment the pleasant staff is trying to promote.
Note: Its closed on Wednesdays. But when you're frantically looking for your Japanese food fix on Monday and of your favorite joints are all closed, consider coming here.
My cute server flipped me the bird! Was it because I asked for more banchan or water? Nope.
Rolled in here last week for some pork soon dubu. I ordered spicy, but it wasn't spicy at all by my standards. Which is okay, cause according to the Simonster, it would have been nearly inedible at extra extra spicy. The side dishes were just okay, but I don't think soon places are really known for great banchan. We also had an order of bulgogi which was good.
In comparison, I think So Kong Dong is better, but Asian-Ya is closer. I'd go back if I didn't want to fight the parking on Sawtelle for Tofu Ya.
So about the server flipping the bird, she was showing off the rhinestones on her fingernails and I asked if she had any missing (since she serves the food) and she proudly flips up her middle finger and says "yah on this finger" which was true, although she didn't mean anything by it and was thoroughly embarrassed after she figured out what she did.
The soon tofu here is better than Tofu Ya. (Nothing wrong with Tofu Ya; I just don't know why people wait outside that place when Asian-Ya is just a couple of blocks away.) They have a lot more choices on the menu, too. The ramen is awesome and the serving huge. They're open 11:30a - 2:30p for lunch and 6pm - 12 midnight for dinner weekdays; 5p - 12 midnight Saturdays & Sundays.
Having just had Tofu Village the week before, I was excited to try a similar place that's just down the street from my work. Plus, it was highly recommended by an un-named dog avatared friend of mine.
So we go and I order what I had at Tofu Village, bulgogi and combo soon. I guess I was setting myself up for a disappointment;
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Not as many sides
- Smaller portions of each side
- No fish side
- Half sized portion of bulgogi
- Kind of greasy bulgogi
- Combo soon only had one clam!
- Soon was smaller as well
Meal was good though, just not as good as my last tofu meal. And for the price, I guess it filled me up pretty well. I do like the name though, "Soy Boy."
I wasn't sure what kind of restaurant this was. Is it another Korean owned Japanese restaurant or a Japanese restaurant that serves Korean food too? My wife saw a picture of hot and sour ramen from this place in a Japanese free magazine, and since pretty much no one else in LA severs hot and sour ramen, my wife was dying to try this place.
The menu is a combo of izakaya, soon tofu, and ramen.
My wife had her hot and sour ramen (suratanmen?), she said it was good, but not as good as bowls she's had in Tokyo, where she's from. I had the tonkatsu with the rice set, which is rice, miso soup and pickles. It was just ok tonkatsu, no different from Curry House or the ones I make myself.
If I go back, I'll definitely have some Yebisu beer with my meal, that will for sure make it better.
I am a huge fan of soon tofu and am so glad there are some decent places in West LA now. Tofu-ya used to be my go-to place, but the crowds are just unbelievable, especially when you can get tofu that's just as good (if not better) at Asian-ya. The cheese soon tofu is a really interesting and tasty twist, and the mushroom soon tofu has real Asian mushrooms (not the button mushrooms like at Tofu-ya). The only downside to their tofu is that they only have 4 banchan dishes, and they don't have unlimited refills like at other tofu places. It's still worth it, though. The other great thing about Asian-ya is that they also have Japanese dishes, so it's a good place to go if not everybody wants tofu. They have ramen, some izakaya-type dishes, and rice plates. Their surantanmen (hot and sour ramen) is my favorite non-tofu thing to get. I used to only come here when Tofu-ya was full, but now I actually prefer Asian-ya. Enjoy!
4 stars. A cozy little eatery with good Japanese (and Korean) flavors.
The decor is modern, simple but nice, contrasting colors with the dark wood furniture and ceiling. The food is good too. The large spicy tuna sushi roll is about a foot long and very tasty. We had a bowl of curry noodles and it was very satisfying in terms of volume and taste, albeit a bit salty. The "soup" had the right soupy consistency but was a bit salty. I am more familiar with Japanese flavors so I couldn't say much about Korean flavors. Also tried a homestyle beef and potatoes "stew" dish, which was well prepared and tasty but the portion was on the small side. This dish should include a small portion of rice, but the rice was charged in addition. Hot tea is also a $2 expense. Wine, beer, sake, and soshu are served.
Service was prompt and courteous.
Verdict: nice neighborhood casual joint for Japanese flavors.
Even if this is not technically an izakaya, it can sure seem like one on a weekend night. On a recent visit, the place was wall-to-wall young Japanese getting their drink on, bottles of beer and sake and plates of grilled squid and fried stuff cluttering the small tables. There is a blackboard with daily specials that are mainly of the izakaya variety.
You can have the soon tofu (eh) or the katsu or kalbi (better) or you can be like me and order the "Singapore Raksa." There is a popular dish in Singapore (where my wife is from) called Laksa and it is basically noodles in a coconut curry soup. Since Japanese typically pronounce the letter "L" like an "R" sound, I reasoned that "Raksa" must be Asian-ya's version of "Laksa". I tried to explain the humor in this to the waitress but she just giggled behind her hand. She also refused to pronounce the word "Los Angeles" to prove my point (I'd had a few.)
Anyway, the Raksa arrived and it tasted like Indian red chili powder mixed with coconut milk...nothing like Laksa but still pretty good. My wife thought it was an abomination.
I give the place three stars in spite of the food. Why? The servers are young and friendly, prices for food and drink are not unreasonable and people enjoy themselves here. A great neighborhood resource.
I ordered take out at this place during work. It was my first experience with soon tofu and the girls at the register were pretty helpful and suggested the beef and mushroom age tofu with spicy broth.
The take out portion was HUGE. Huge like it would be best to order one and share it. It came with little sides of bean sprouts, spinach and kimchee. I ate it for lunch then brought it home and had it for dinner with my husband along with a salad. You can't go wrong for 9 bucks.
In the pantheon of bad restaurant names, "Asian-Ya Soy Boy" is right up there with "El Super Taco". Plus, this is the site of my former favorite ramen shop, so this place opens with two strikes going against it.
But it serves soon doobu, and it's a block away from me, so I had to try it.
The layout of the place is the same as when it was Yokohama Ramen, but the decor has been changed quite a bit. Everything is now in stark red and black, with the vaguely ominous Soy Boy logo looking down on you from all angles.
The menu is simple enough: soon doobu is the feature, but they have kalbi/bulgogi, tonkatsu/chicken katsu, a few salads and even bibimbap, all of which can be combo'd with the soon doobu.
I decided to go simple and had seafood soon doobu. Not bad! I think I might give it a slight nod over Tofu-ya for flavor. And the "spicy" that I ordered had my nose running without being too painful.
Interestingly, the staff (and I would presume ownership) is all Japanese as was a significant amount of the clientele. Nevertheless, I though the food rang fairly authentic, and I'm a pretty harsh critic about such things. I'll be returning soon.
As an aside - this place is somehow affiliated with Ramenya on Olympic, though I'm not sure of the exact relationship.
Scrumptious!
***simonster's westsiiiide fave soon tofu joint***
despite its ridiculous name, asian-ya soy boy is my new favorite soon joint on the westsiiiide. their bedazzled (literally) menu may not be the most comprehensive, but it seems to have exactly the right items and combinations that i crave when i want soon.
what makes this place better than tofu-ya is that it offers an assortment of soon: beef, mushroom, seafood, vegetarian, mixed beef/seafood, etc. at tofu-ya, they only offer mixed beef/seafood, and since i'm not a big fan of mussels, clams, and shrimp, i always end up picking those items out.
asian-ya soy boy's combinations include the mixed soon as a default, but i really like how you can substitute it for their other soon varieties for little to no upcharge depending on the substitution. i went with the mushroom/beef soon combo with bulgogi, EXTRA spicy, and when it arrived at the table, it was properly extra spicy with a deep red color that scared my gal a bit. i'm always annoyed by restaurants that assume you don't know what you're asking for when you order extra spicy and give you something that's only weakly spicy if at all.
the soon was super flavorful and packed full of beef, tofu, and 3 kinds of mushrooms, and the bolgogi portion was seasoned well and a good size.
my gal had a cold shredded chicken and noodles dish that was really tasty , and would be a great hangover meal, but was eclipsed by the soon.
asian-ya soy boy's menu also includes kalbi, tonkatsu, chicken katsu, gyoza, and other korean and japanese favorites, which gives you a lot of options for ordering combos or single dishes. service is attentive, polite, and friendly.
the restaurant is surprisingly small inside, so it's probably not good for groups larger than 4. the location is a bit odd too, nestled between nothing and nothing, and the tiny parking spaces seem only to fit honda fits, which suddenly seems like a brilliant name for that car now...
The best part about this place is obviously the name. As if Asian-Ya wasn't genius enough, they decided to throw Soy Boy into the mix too. It's actually kind of a shame they wasted Soy Boy as the tack-on accessory part of the name, cuz they could've made an entirely different restaurant called Soy Boy and I would've gone to both just because of the names. But alas, Soy Boy is now spent... an alter ego or alias if you will to Asian-Ya, much like Eminem has Slim Shady and Lil Wayne has Young Stunna.
Anyway, I found the restaurant itself kind of disappoitning and not really worthy of the name. First of all, why would you call yourself Asian-Ya when pretty much all you serve is Korean food? I know I know, Tofu-Ya was taken, but maybe they could've gone with Korean-Ya or something. When I first heard of Asian-Ya I'd hoped it had all sorts of Asian food-ya. So anyway. The only spot in the lot when I went was an absurdly small compact spot - apparently half the lot is compact and half is regular - so I ended up parking all the way around the corner in a residential neighborhood. The waitresses were all appropriately fobby, which is a positive. But the food was just ok - I think probably not as good as Tofu-Ya, which people already complain is crap compared to K-town. The good news is they have different flavors of soon tofu like a cheese one. The bad news is that cheese soon tofu doesn't taste any better than it sounds. Dammit.
Overall, I think maybe you can use Asian-Ya as an overflow if you have a craving for soon tofu, Tofu-Ya has a big line outside, and you don't want to drive to K-town. But I'm still disappointed, especially because I'm a big Ramenya fan. Maybe once Asian-Ya goes under, they'll build an Omelette-Ya. Mmmmmm.....
Despite its "Asian" storefront marketing, soon tofu is its main dish. Its offerings are similar to Tofu-ya (in the nearby Sawtelle), and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the food tastes about the same. It's a little off the beaten path, but easy to find.
Eat here if you're:
- you're already in the Westside;
- in the mood for soon tofu or a combination w/ meat and you don't care about ambiance;
- you don't want to wait in line;
- you don't care about ambiance; and
- your group is no larger than 6.
This place is just as good as Tofu-ya. I think what I like about this Japanese-Korean hybrid is the combos. Soon tofu soup & tonkatsu, ginger pork, etc...With all kinds of tofu houses popping up, this one is a bit different because of the combos. Try it, you might like it!
really really nice japanese serving staff, but the food was only so-so.
i ordered a soon tofu-meat dish combo. i ordered the soon tofu very spicy (there was no choice in the type of soon tofu with the combo - just the seafood mix). it had some kick but no body or flavor of which to speak. i ordered their pork bulgogi which was bland. my friends got the kalbi (beef short ribs) which were good, but i've had much better.
plus the meat dishes were all super tiny. the rice was brought over in a bowl, so no heated bowl or water to mix in the crispy rice usually left over in that bowl (those who have gone to this type of restaurant will know what i mean).
i can't really comment on the banchan (sidedishes) b/c i only really like a few of those. it's supposed to be a mix of korean and japanese, but it just boils down to a korean joint operated by japanese folks.
oh, and the rub? they brought my green tea in a cup with hot water and a tea bag. a tea bag!!! that's just wrong.
It's close by, and I love soontofu so I gave it a try. I was pretty disappointed with my spicy mixed tofu. It had good kick but not much flavor. The side dishes of bean sprouts were so cold, my teeth hurt. Their kimchi had too much ginger. The radish kimchi was not yet ripe. My hubby, though, liked his vegetarian mild tofu. I have to say, I prefer Tofu-Ya. But if you're willing to drive a bit, I'd say it's worth going to BCD at Western and 9th.
it's goooooooood!
I went there thinking it was Yokohama Ramen, which has been reviewed as one of the best ramen spots on the westside. Well i went there and Asian-Ya Soy Boy was in its place. The reviews I read (which were a total of two) failed to mention the tiny detail of Yokohama Ramen being gone. But I went into Asian-Ya anyway with a clean slate and not having any expectations. Still thinking this was a ramen spot, I was quite confused when I see nothing but Korean items on the menu. But I'm open to trying new things, so I order the soon tofu miso. My bowl comes to me looking like a mini cauldron with the soup bubbling. I'm waiting for something to jump out of the bowl and land onto my face. I dig in anyway....I burn my mouth. I guess I really can't say if I liked it or not. I'm pretty sure I burned off all my taste buds from the boiling soup. But the store was cute. I guess I was really craving ramen and this just didn't cut it for me. Maybe I'll try it again...if i'm forced to.
All Drinks Half Price Thu. &…
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
$ushi $pecial!
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Venice
Category: Korean
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Japanese
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Japanese
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Loading...
