Best Business Lunch Restaurants in Sawtelle Japantown (90025)
7 hand-picked restaurants, AI-analyzed and critic-validated
Notable Picks
8.8
Sawtelle’s tsukemen standard-bearer, built around intensely reduced pork-and-fish dipping broth and springy house noodles. The bowl rewards patience (and a likely wait) with deep, smoky umami and precise noodles that stay snappy to the last dip. Go for the classic tsukemen first, then explore the richer, spicier variations.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chashu Tsukemen, Spicy Tsukemen, Sunrise Vegan Ramen
What makes it special: LA’s defining tsukemen spot with a famously concentrated dipping broth.
#2
Casa Modena
8.4
An upscale Italian dining room known for silky pastas and composed Northern-leaning plates, tucked above Wilshire. Lunch here feels like a quiet splurge with polished service and a well-paced midday menu.
Must-Try Dishes:
Housemade pappardelle, Osso buco, Tiramisu
What makes it special: Handmade pastas and a cozy, celebratory Westside trattoria vibe.
#3
Daikokuya
8.3
A high-traffic ramen institution that delivers rich tonkotsu and garlic-forward bowls with dependable speed. It’s casual and loud, but ideal for a no-nonsense lunch that feels like a neighborhood ritual.
Must-Try Dishes:
Daikoku Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen, Homemade Gyoza
What makes it special: Classic LA tonkotsu ramen with decades of local loyalty.
8.2
A Westside Persian institution serving refined, saffron-perfumed stews and expertly grilled kebabs in a comfortable, traditional dining room. Portions are generous, and execution stays reliably high year after year.
Must-Try Dishes:
Koobideh platter, Fesenjan stew, Tahdig with khoresh
What makes it special: A long-running Persian dining room with consistently polished grilling.
8.1
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Quick Bites Champions
Trendy Table Hotspots
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
A Sawtelle staple for pho west of the 405, with a light, fragrant broth and consistently high-quality beef cuts. The menu mixes classic bowls with a few bolder, lemongrass-driven soups, and the room stays buzzing at lunch and dinner. It’s the reliable neighborhood stop when you want clean, modern Vietnamese comfort food.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho Tai Bo Vien (rare steak & beef balls), Pho Dac Biet (special combination), Bun Bo Hue (spicy lemongrass beef soup)
What makes it special: Pho-focused Westside institution with a lighter, lemongrass-leaning broth profile.
Worthy Picks
Vibes:
Trendy Table Hotspots
Group Dining Gatherings
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Business Lunch Power Players
Modern Shanghainese-leaning comfort food geared for sharing, with polished dumplings and wok-fired rice plates. The room is simple, but lunch is efficient and reliably satisfying.
Must-Try Dishes:
Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings), Short Rib Dan Mein, Dungeness Crab Fried Rice
What makes it special: High-volume favorite for consistently strong handmade dumplings and noodles.
7.9
A daytime strip-mall deli that quietly excels at classic cold and hot sandwiches alongside Mexican plates. Bread-to-filling ratios are generous, and it runs like a practiced lunch machine for locals on Sepulveda.
Must-Try Dishes:
BLT Sandwich, Tuna Salad Sandwich, Turkey Avocado Sandwich
What makes it special: Reliable, big-portion deli sandwiches at true neighborhood prices.