Daikokuya

In Short – Empty chairs and countertops are hard to come by at this perpetually crowded soup shop. A popular dish at the family-owned spot is the daikoku noodle bowl, which includes marinated meat, seasoned bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions and a special sauce-soaked hard-boiled egg found swimming in the bottom of the bowl. Customers jam elbows when ramen-guzzling and soup-sipping, but willingly overlook the tight space. Popular appetizers are the gyoza, edamame and tempura. Desserts include mochi ice cream; dango, sticky rice balls with sweet soy sauce glaze; and cream anmitsu,…

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Editor's Tips

When to Go:: If possible, come at least 10 minutes prior to lunch at around 11:30am to jot your name on the waitlist, so you can be guaranteed a seat.
Where to Sit:: Although it's lucky enough to get any seat, try to avoid the counter right next to the grill--the fumes can get gross and irritating.
Know Before You Go:: The menu, mostly dishes paired with a type of meat, is not vegetarian-friendly.
The Extras:: On Sundays, the restaurant is open only until their soup is gone, so come early in the day.

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User Reviews (31)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“Service is fast & efficient, the place is small so space is limited, the ambiance isn't much.” “If the food isn't enough you'll definitely like the vintage decor and the open kitchen in which you could watch the preparation of your food.” “love the decor!” “It has very unique and interesting atmosphere.”
drinks	100.0% positive	“The ikura bowl is absolutely delicious and they use sushi bar quality ikura.”
food quality	100.0% positive	“The restaurant is famous for their delicious ramen bowl which comes.” “After all the hype it received, I was soooo stoked to go to Daikokuya for authentic Japanese-grade ramen.” “tender piece of pork that melts in your mouth accompanied by 1 of the best ramen broth's I've ever had (ok, I've only been to about 5 ramen specific restaurants, but this place is the best out of 5!)” “Tasty kurobuta (black pork) Ramen” “One pitcher of delicious, delicious Kirin.” “The pork--though a little fatty--is delicious, as is the the most flavorful broth ever.” “If the food isn't enough you'll definitely like the vintage decor and the open kitchen in which you could watch the preparation of your food.” “The broth of the ramen is fantastic, and so is the meat, and a bowl costs about 7.50 and will fill you up without anything else.” “usually have a personal preference to order the Miso ramen over the Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, and aside from the ramen I'll usually order a side of ikura (salmon roe) or the typical accompaniment to ramen - gyoza: little pork dumplings softly steamed and” “And the soup is tasty too.” “They also have donburi rice bowls which are good and you can get a small bowl as a combination with your ramen.” “It is made fresh, daily by boiling the pork bones for hours to get that great flavor.” “We recommend the Daikokuya Ramen - kurobuta (Black pork) ramen, the pork is soft, it seems to melt in your month, that's gorgeous.” “That fat from the pork makes a rich broth.” “needless to say that the ramen is delicious and so flavorful, i've tried other ramen shops in LA but nothing can compare or is as good as this place.” “like the fried rice but the salmon roe is great too.” “love the shredded pork.” “lunchtime is just as busy as dinner/late night time, but the food is still sooooo good.” “The ikura bowl is absolutely delicious and they use sushi bar quality ikura.” “The soup base was creamy and full of flavor, the ramon was cooked perfectly, the meat was tender and the hard boil egg was a surprise but a good complement to the dish.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“I've never tried anything else on the menu because the ramen is so good.” “Sure it's a bit of a wait at times but once you sit down and pick your bowl, you will have that warm happy feeling inside knowing that your stomach will be satisfied with your selection.”
overall	100.0% positive	“tender piece of pork that melts in your mouth accompanied by 1 of the best ramen broth's I've ever had (ok, I've only been to about 5 ramen specific restaurants, but this place is the best out of 5!)” “Depending on your travel situation, you may not ever experience better Ramen then this (I know of a really good place in Hokkaido, Japan, but I am not telling you about it).” “needless to say that the ramen is delicious and so flavorful, i've tried other ramen shops in LA but nothing can compare or is as good as this place.”
return potential	100.0% positive	“But I would deffinitely come back and I highly recommend this place.”
service	100.0% positive	“like to slip in when there aren't many people around and enjoy my big bowl of ramen by myself while reading some old school manga.” “This place isn't fancy, but the staff is nice, and most importantly, it serves the best Japanese raumen I've ever had!” “and mind you, the service is always fast and friendly.” “The service is always the best it can be, with the small staff that usually moves quickly back'n'forth (no slackers here).”
value	66.66999816894531% positive	“The broth is full of flavor, it comes in huge portion, and its reasonably priced.” “Daikokuya may simmer their broth for 18 hours, and yes, the broth is rich, but not worth the hype.” “In Japan, a red lantern outside a restaurant indicates you can get good, cheap eats inside.”
wait time	0.0% positive	“Service was slow.”

11/15/11

Great Japanese Food

by pburstyn

Daikokuya STRIKES AGAIN! Man o man what a place. This is my favorite hole in the wall for the rest of the century! Went there for lunch yesterday and let me tell ya, it was just as good as last time. I had the CA role, which all beit the bunny hill of sushi is still a great pleasure when done right, and they do it righ baby! Then I had the pork belly bowl. Now let me tell you something... this thing is a pork lovers dream. You have a nice bed of warm sushi rice on the bottom, then you have paper thin sliced pork belly that has been cooked up nice and crispy. THEN they finish it off with that wonderful sauce you get with your eel at your favorite sushi joint, mine being Katsu-ya. On top of that you have a nice pile of green onion to finish off the taste profile. I was sitting at the bar and when this stuff hit the counter the whole world just melted away and I was suddenly transported to a field in the middle of the Swiss Alpes and none other than Julie Andrews was spinning next to me singing her little heart out. If this place does not move you, pull out all your teeth and start eating baby food, because you don't deserve to eat real food anymore. OH, and don't get me started on the Gyoza, but that is for another time.

Peter Burstyn is a former chef from NY and is now an insurance agent with Farmers Insurance. Visit farmersagent dot com/pburstyn

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04/12/10

Ramen Heaven

by CaptainLD

Where else would you go to get ramen in Los Angeles? Little Tokyo of course! Sure it's a bit of a wait at times but once you sit down and pick your bowl, you will have that warm happy feeling inside knowing that your stomach will be satisfied with your selection.

Pros: Fast service, excellent food
Cons: A bit of a wait

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02/10/10

Great Bowl of Ramen, rain or shine

by theminty

When it's wet and raining, one of the things I crave are soups. One of my favorites is a big bowl of ramen from Daikokuya. Of course, the wait can be interminable since the place is rather small but once you sit down, the memory slips away.

Yesterday, I walked in just around noon and the wait was a mere 15 minutes. However, it got busier as the afternoon wore on.

I highly suggest one of the combos. I like the fried rice but the salmon roe is great too. I plan to get the shredded pork next! Daikokuya's pork is gorgeous with rendered fat. It's like wining a prize when found in the fried rice or I like to save it for the end with my ramen.

The soup is always the best part. That fat from the pork makes a rich broth.

Pros: rich broth, friendly service
Cons: small, long wait

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12/07/09

One word: M'eh.

by WORX4FUDE

After all the hype it received, I was soooo stoked to go to Daikokuya for authentic Japanese-grade ramen. I was so let down, it was just heart-breaking.

I've eaten a lot of ramen in my day, much of it in Japan, from Kyoto and Nagasaki, to Hiroshima, Osaka, and Tokyo. Daikokuya may simmer their broth for 18 hours, and yes, the broth is rich, but not worth the hype. Perhaps it was because the soup was room temperature, or that my friends ramen was a bundle of over-cooked starch, but whatever the reason, I was seriously disappointed in this apparent "ramen mecca."

So, the soup was "M'eh," the gyoza was sub-par, and I was horrified to find that the traditionally crispy "Katsu" was slathered in egg and thick sauce (NOT the tonkatsu sauce I've been rasied with). Whack.

I will NOT return, and I will do my best to avoid any of my other acquaintances from making the mistake of shelling out their cash for this (and this is a very large compliment, if you ask me) "on-par" ramen. I'd rather go to Marukai, Mitsuwa, or Ramenya, ANY day of the week.

Pros: Cute decor
Cons: Over-rated, Over-hyped, Over-priced, It's in Downtown

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01/13/09

Best Ramen in CA.

by Elderp

I have eaten a lot of Ramen in my day and this is definately some of the best. By far the best Ramen in CA and it beats even a few Ramen shops I have eaten in Japan before. Gyoza and the speciality Ramen are highly recommended. The texture of the noodles are slightly more "al dente" than what most westerners are used to and a bit thicker. The speciality of the house is pork ramen in a pork based broth. The noodles are mixed with green onions, a marinated egg, and been sprouts. Very simple, but after having eaten a lot of Ramen, apparently hard to replicate.

As far as negatives go there are two . The first one will show itself to you when you get to the door. That will be the line out the shop. Be sure you sign up on the sign in sheet as early as possible. If the noodles run out (and they could), your out of luck. The second negative is the shop itself. It has a B rating for a reason. It is a bit run down, they said it got a "refurbishment" when we were there, but I think it could use another one. Not much seating in the restaurant, so if you don't want to have to wait you can ask to sit at the bar and could get in faster.

If the restaurant was decorated a bit better and a bit cleaner I would give it full stars. Then again you don't really go here for the ambiance, you go here for the noodles. Small details aside, you will not get better Ramen in CA. Depending on your travel situation, you may not ever experience better Ramen then this (I know of a really good place in Hokkaido, Japan, but I am not telling you about it). If you have the time and $9.00 for that bowl of Ramen, go for it! The menu is quite simple, but if you can draw the crowds they do, why do something else?!

Pros: The best Ramen in CA, fast service, and a friendly staff.
Cons: Small seating, dirty restaurant, and long lines (no reservation system).

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User Reviews (31)

11/15/11

Great Japanese Food

by pburstyn

04/12/10

Ramen Heaven

by CaptainLD

02/10/10

Great Bowl of Ramen, rain or shine

by theminty

12/07/09

One word: M'eh.

by WORX4FUDE

01/13/09

Best Ramen in CA.

by Elderp

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