This Westsider loves any excuse to go to DTLA. I love the buildings, the hustle and that irrationally accomplished feeling I get when I find street parking. So when I heard our buddy @dtla_everyday was hosting a lunch at 3rd Generation Sake Bar, I RSVP-ed ASAP.

3rd Generation Sake Bar 
808 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, CA 90017
http://3rdgenerationusa.com

3rd Generation Sake Bar has been open over a year now and has gotten the Financial District locals sippin’ on sake and slurpin’ their fantastic noodles. The atmosphere here is casual and calming, hip but not pretentious. This lunch crowd was made up of some of the top Instagrammers in LA, whether they focus on Los Angeles itself, photography or, (of course) food. I had the pleasure of finally meeting @misoo_hungry, who’s as adorable in person as she is in her selfies.

I started with a Lychee Shochu Martini. I can never resist a cocktail with Lychee. It brings me right back to my childhood. The Lychee, not the cocktail. They didn’t skip on the serving of this martini, which is always a plus in my book. For those of you who don’t know shochu, it’s similar to sake, but it’s distilled instead of brewed, so it’s kind of like the vodka of Japan. The Shochu used was one of those “so smooth, you can’t taste it” types.

Then I got the Salmon Avocado Hand Roll & Baked Crab Hand Rolls; they were both so fresh and so yummy. I was excited to see a roll with soy wrapping (the white one) since it’s not very common.

Normally the Spicy Tuna Burger is only available on their happy hour menu, but we lucked out and got to try it today. The bun is actually crispy fried rice that holds the ample portion of spicy tuna and avocado together. Don’t let that picture fool you, it was a burger cut in half, so my image is only half the portion. It’s a surprisingly big for a happy hour treat, so I know where I’m going the next time it’s 5 o’clock.

My main entree was the Spicy Miso Tonkosu Ramen. I’m very thankful the chili paste is put on the side so you can adjust how much heat you take. I’m kind of a wuss, so I opted for a smidgen. Although the tonkotsu, soft-boiled egg, and veggies were on point, I felt like the real star of the dish were the noodles. They were the yellow curly kinds, opposed to the straight white noodles commonly found in LA ramen houses. So if you want to expand upon your everyday ramen house, you should start here.

 

I loved the Black Sesame Ice Cream I had for dessert. 2 scoops of creamy, dreamy, nuttiness. The perfect way to end lunch.

Special thanks to Robby of @dtla_everyday for inviting me to lunch and be sure to follow them on IG!