# America’s oldest ramen restaurant celebrates 50th anniversary in LA

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/americas-oldest-ramen-restaurant-celebrates-50th-anniversary-in-la/
- Published: 2026-11-09T00:54:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T01:26:52+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/08/us-news/americas-oldest-ramen-restaurant-kouraku-celebrates-50th-anniversary-in-la/
- Topics: Americas, Culture, Food, World

## Key points

- Kouraku celebrated 50 years in Little Tokyo.
- The restaurant is recognised as America’s oldest operating ramen restaurant.
- The block party included tastings, games and performances.

## Summary

Kouraku, a Little Tokyo restaurant recognised as the oldest operating ramen restaurant in the United States, marked its 50th anniversary with a Sunday block party. The celebration highlighted the restaurant’s long history and its place in Los Angeles, with owner Mamoru Tokuda saying he was pleased to celebrate with the community.

The festival featured complimentary mini portions of shoyu and tonkotsu ramen, fried rice with gyoza, carnival games, live performances and a gyoza-folding challenge. Chef Juan, who has worked at Kouraku since 1991, prepared food for the event; tastings were limited and distributed through timed wristbands. A bar inside served guests aged 21 and over, and the city installed a marker recognising the restaurant in January 2025.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.