Ramen Nagi

When James told me he had some free time for lunch, I jumped at the opportunity to make plans to meet with him. I sent him a few options, and after some back and forth, we landed on Ramen Nagi in Century City – a spot I’d been wanting to revisit for a while.

We arrived separately at the Westfield Century City mall. I made a beeline for the restaurant to get us in line as quickly as possible. Ramen Nagi, known for its efficiency, has a great system: staff members come down the line to take your order ahead of time, so everything moves smoothly once you’re seated.

As I waited, I got an order sheet for the both of us and started circling my go-to selections: the RED KING. Spicy, rich, and packed with umami, it was my absolute favorite. I customized it just the way I like: extra seaweed (always), large noodles, and rich broth.

When we were seated, James casually mentioned that he hadn’t had ramen since college. That blew my mind a little. I felt oddly proud to be the one reintroducing him to what I considered a serious upgrade from the 99-cent packets of Top Ramen from college.

The food did not disappoint. The Red King was just as good as I remembered.  The broth was velvety and bold, perfectly balanced, and deeply satisfying. It was comfort in a bowl.

What made it even better was the conversation. There’s something about ramen – its warmth, the slurping, the slightly messy experience of it – that makes for a relaxed and fun meal.

The staff even came over and gave me a bib to protect my outfit! I truly appreciated it.

James and I talked, laughed, and caught up without any sense of rush.

Of course, Westfield Century City is still an absolute piece of shit when it comes to parking. It is overpriced and rather chaotic.

But honestly? Totally worth it for the ramen and great friendships.

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