AFURI Arts District: A Yuzu Ramen Shop With Reservations in LA

AFURI ramen + dumpling at 688 Mateo St in the Arts District built its reputation on one bowl, the $18 Yuzu Shio, a clear chicken broth brightened with yuzu that tastes nothing like the heavy pork soups common across Los Angeles. This ramen shop opened on June 16, 2021, and it takes reservations through Yelp, which is unusual for a noodle restaurant. Weekday service starts at 11:30 am, and Sunday doors open at 11 am.

The name comes from Mount Afuri, also called Oyama, at the eastern edge of the Tanzawa range in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. According to the company, spring water from the mountain's foothills is used in the soup back home. The brand began in 2001 as a shop called ZUND-BAR at the foot of the mountain in Atsugi, then opened its first Tokyo location in Ebisu in 2003, which is the shop most travelers know today.

Start with the Yuzu Shio at $18. The menu lists shio tare, chicken broth, chi-yu, menma, greens, chashu, egg, nori, yuzu and thin noodles, and a gluten-free noodle option is available. The Yuzu Shoyu, also $18, keeps the same build but swaps in a soy tare for a deeper, rounder flavor. If you like heat, the Yuzu Ratan at $19 uses a spicy shoyu tare over the same light chicken broth.

Those who want something richer have two tonkotsu choices. The Tonkotsu Shio at $19 pairs pork broth with scallion, kikurage mushroom, black garlic oil, chashu, pickled ginger, egg, sesame and thin noodles. The Tonkotsu Tantan at $20 uses a spicy miso tare, pork crumbles and thick noodles. Vegans are well served by the Hazelnut Tantan at $23, built on a hazelnut broth with miso cashews, shiitake and bok choy.

Dipping noodles are a strong order in warm weather. The Yuzu-Tsuyu tsukemen and the spicier Kara-Tsuyu each cost $21, and the yuzu version carries the same citrus note as the signature ramen. For the biggest appetite, the Chashumen at $24.50 loads the bowl with extra pork. An honest tip: skip the Zen at $12 unless you plan to add toppings, since it comes as a plain shio broth with garlic chips and noodles only.

The dumpling half of the name deserves attention. Crispy gyoza come at $9 for five pieces or $16 for ten, and The Infatuation praised them along with the fried shiitake bun. Tori karaage, Japanese fried chicken, is $12. To drink, AFURI pours its own Yuzu Lager on draft for $9.50, a light beer that matches the citrus in the broth. The menu states that no substitutions are allowed, so order dishes as written.

Weekday hours run from 11:30 am to 10 pm Monday through Thursday, to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 am to 9:30 pm on Sunday. Happy hour runs all day, every day at the bar and on the patio, and from 5 pm to 6 pm Monday through Friday in the main dining room. Arriving for weekday lunch or early happy hour is the easiest way to get a seat without a booking.

Reservations are taken through Yelp, which helps on Friday and Saturday nights when the Arts District fills up. Groups should know that the menu adds a 20 percent gratuity for parties of six or more. If the dining room is booked, head for the bar or patio, where happy hour pricing applies all day. If you are closer to the Westside, the Culver City branch at 9300 Culver Blvd in The Culver Steps is another option run by the same owner.

The space reflects the neighborhood's industrial bones. The Infatuation, which rated the restaurant 8.1 in its 2026 ramen guide, compares the room to a tech start-up cafeteria with lots of stainless steel. That clean, bright design suits a bowl built on clarity rather than richness. The dining room, bar and patio each feel a little different, so choose the patio for a relaxed afternoon and the bar for a quick solo meal.

AFURI's founder, Hiroto Nakamura, partnered with chief executive Taichi Ishizuki to bring the brand to the United States, and its first American shop opened in Portland, Oregon, in 2016. The Arts District location is run by franchise owner Mars Duan, who opened it in June 2021 and later added the Culver City restaurant, announced in August 2023. A third Southern California branch operates in Costa Mesa in Orange County.

The yuzu is what sets the menu apart. Many ramen chains in Los Angeles compete on how thick and creamy their pork broth can get, while AFURI goes the other way, with a light chicken soup sharpened by citrus peel and a hint of chicken oil. That makes it a good choice for a summer lunch, for diners who find tonkotsu too heavy, and for anyone pairing ramen with an afternoon of gallery visits nearby.

Pair the meal with art. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, at 1717 E 7th St, is about a quarter mile from the restaurant and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm. Admission is free, and the museum offers free onsite parking, a rarity in this part of town. A late lunch at AFURI followed by an hour in the galleries makes an easy weekend afternoon.

Takeout is available through the restaurant's Toast ordering page, and delivery runs through DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates and Caviar, all linked from the official location page. Yelp handles reservations. Gluten-free noodles can replace the regular ones in the Yuzu Shio, and the menu clearly marks the Hazelnut Tantan as vegan for diners with plant-based diets.

This ramen shop suits diners who prefer a clean, bright broth, groups who want a reservation instead of a line, and gallery-goers spending an afternoon in the Arts District. Order the Yuzu Shio and crispy gyoza on your first visit, try the Yuzu-Tsuyu tsukemen next, and finish with a Yuzu Lager on the patio during happy hour. For more Arts District food ideas, ask the Karpo APP.