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).

11/19/08

Best ramen place in LA ever

by lesterhung

I go to Daikokuya with my gf at least once every month. There is only 1 kind of ramen here -- the daikoku ramen. The ramen is too good that it worths the 1+ hour wait. I've tried most of the famous ramen restaurants in LA and this is definitely one of the bests.

btw, this place is called Daikokuya instead of Dakokuya

• Pros: awesome ramen
• Cons: parking, and long line

04/16/08

Hits the Spot

by lost222

Absolutely a hole in the wall with FANTASTIC food and no fuss service. Came during lunch and opted for the bar seating because there was no wait. Ordered their specialty hot ramen for $9. 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. Had this dish in Japan and VERY VERY close to the acutal thing.

• Pros: greap cheap food
• Cons: the ambience

04/07/08

Soup for the Soul

by gizzmo01

I love coming to this place especially during winter. The broth is full of flavor, it comes in huge portion, and its reasonably priced. A must-try for all the foodies out there! The place is small but I actually like its hole-in-a-wall vibe.

Hearty bowls and the waft of steaming broth ensnare random passers-by to this bustling Little Tokyo diner.

by Contributor

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, Japanese fruit cocktail with mochi.

Hits
Quality of ingredients is stressed: They only use Kurobuta (black) pork because of its tenderness; their soup must be brewed for a full day; and they use an ionized mineral water system for all of their cooking.

Misses
Narrow walkways make it almost impossible not to bump someone or to be bumped. This can be particularly hard when customers have to meander to the very back to use the bathroom. Because of the tight space and steaming soup, the restaurant can get stuffy and has a really strong aroma that seeps into clothes.

12/08/07

the best!

by serbi12

This place isn't fancy, but the staff is nice, and most importantly, it serves the best Japanese raumen I've ever had!

• Pros: delicious
• Cons: sometimes it's hard to park nearby

11/11/07

Tasty kurobuta (black pork) Ramen

by klliuc

Daikokuya is a small and cozy Ramen restaurant located at J's town. We recommend the Daikokuya Ramen - kurobuta (Black pork) ramen, the pork is soft, it seems to melt in your month, that's gorgeous. And the soup is tasty too. You must give it a try!

05/30/07

Great Red Lantern Eats

by huskyduck

In Japan, a red lantern outside a restaurant indicates you can get good, cheap eats inside. Daikokuya is a great red lantern ramen house in Little Tokyo. They only serve one kind of ramen here, the tonkotsu or pork broth. Daikokuya's is refreshingly lighter and less saltier than at other ramen houses. A standard bowl comes with a shoyu boiled egg, nori and perfectly cooked black pork slices. For just a few bucks more you can add a donburi bowl. The ikura bowl is absolutely delicious and they use sushi bar quality ikura. The oyakodonburi and tonkatsu are other good choices as well. A wait is inevitable but more often than not, your wait will be much less than what you are told. For shorter wait times, go during off hours.

• Pros: Lighter than normal Tonkotsu broth; Sushi bar quality Ikura Donburi
• Cons: Always a wait; parking always a challenge.

05/25/07

When I crave ramen, this is the ramen I crave

by cronysix

The restaurant's name is Daikokuya, with an "i." It's a tiny restaurant in the middle of J-Town, and it's definitely worth the travel--if you're far from it. I've never tried anything else on the menu because the ramen is so good. I believe there are three levels of spicy-ness you can choose, and if you can take some spice, you can't do wrong with the medium.

• Pros: Yummy, fast, big portions

01/21/07

absolutely the best ramen! 'been comin' here for several years!

by labartender2

for about $10 you can get a bowl of ramen with a decent side this...i love the shredded pork. you get a lot for your money, because once you're done with your ramen, it's sure to fill you up. 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. but beware, go early, or else you'd be waiting a while for a seat. it's worth the wait, however. i remember waiting as long as 30-45 minutes, but it's rewarding. just think about that hot bowl of ramen you're about to indulge. and mind you, the service is always fast and friendly. i often have cravings for this place, so i try to go at least once or twice a week. i've tried making ramen at home, but i've given up, so if i want ramen, i go to this place. you say you're not a ramen person, well they've got other delicious items on the menu, but at least try the ramen once, and when you do, you'll thank me!

• Pros: all aspects!
• Cons: the wait, but no big deal!