WHY A new, radical wave of ramen that fuses Japanese tradition with Californian innovation.

WHAT Ramen California sprang from the mind of Shigetoshi Nakamura, a Japanese ramen prodigy who has taken on the task of reinventing the noodle soup. Indeed, diners should be advised to abandon all previous ramen knowledge—Nakamura’s noodle soups are all about fresh, market-driven produce. In the signature California ramen, more than 30 vegetables bob through the powerful and clean chicken broth. The heirloom tomato ramen is a study in fresh flavor, while the wildly inventive Reggiano-tofu ramen is all about experimentation. There’s a rotating selection of small plates, too, including excellent bao-like bread crusted with rosemary and sea salt and consistently good carpaccios.

WHO Ramen lovers who are willing to set their purist tendencies aside.