Gottsui on Sawtelle: Decent Light Broth Kobe Beef Ramen and Yakisoba but Avoid Okonomiyaki

I first read about Gottsui on Sawtelle for its ramen and quickly discovered that ramen isn't its main staple. The items to have here are okonomiyaki and yakisoba. Still, I actually enjoyed the ramen the most. It was no tonkotsu broth ramen a-la Tatsu but I liked its lightness and use of braised kobe beef chunks, an alternative to chashu, tender slices of slow cooked pork usually found in these delightfully heavy bowls. It only serves its ramen in small portions as an appetizer. I also loved the hard boiled egg that was cooked just right -- with the egg yolk ever so slightly underdone and mois. The noodles were nice and hard. It came with a motherload of chopped scallions and pickled ginger. The nifty bowl it was served in was a bonus.

I liked the yakisoba, stir fried noodles with a bunch of stuff like cabbage, a protein and other veggies, topped with bonito flakes and pickled ginger. We had the Kobe Beef (one of nine variations) that was uber tender. The noodles were a tad overdone but otherwise, the flavors of the cabbage, garlic and beef melded well. This was also topped with shaved bonito flakes and pickled ginger. The animated bonito flakes that melt with the heat certainly made for a nice presentation.

The Gottsui okonomiyaki (one of 13 variations) that included squid, shrimp and pork belly all mixed up with egg, potatoes and cabbage, also topped with shaved bonito flakes wasn't as successful. I didn't like having the egg in a separate layer of omelet, as opposed to being incorporated into the batter like the ones I remember having in the heart of Shibuya in Tokyo -- where the batter of the pancake is poured before you onto a griddle table side and you witness it cooking all the way through. The anticipation is often irresistible but we were always rewarded with a nice, crunchy and slightly sweet concoction. Despite it being a Japanese chain, Gottsui's version didn't taste like the real deal to me.

The gyoza looked promising with its crusty edges but alas, they disappointed. The filling was too mushy (like they had been over ground in a food processor or something) and didn't have too much flavor.

Service was pretty bad. Had to ask for the water to refilled multiple times. It's also A/C-challenged. No air or at least it didn't feel like it indoors. The outdoor seating is no good because there are flies galore. They definitely need to do something about the air, especially in this heat wave. Ok, I'm a spoiled Angeleno who can't deal with temperatures above 80.

The desserts were completely forgettable. The roasted banana with vanilla ice cream was only edible because of the banana pieces. The ice cream tasted like it had been in the freezer for far too long. It wasn't even creamy, like it was melted and then frozen again. Bad.

The ice cream scoop atop a red bean cake was equally bad because they used the same ice cream. They need to seriously do something about that ice cream.

I hate valet parking with a passion so never park at the mini mall the restaurant is in (I sorely miss its pre-valet days). If you're willing to walk a bit, there is plenty of parking in the residential areas nearby.