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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
"Summary: Cool Japanese restaurant serving a little bit of everything. They were tapas before tapas was tapas. Not a sushi place, try…" read more »
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Not many options on the menu - but with their ramen, you won't need anything else! and the prices are pretty fair~
Definitely a perfect hole-in-the-wall (I just wished they were air conditioned better, especially eating ramen on a hot day)
I had no idea this place was so popular!
Is "Daikokuya" Japanese for "We'll make you wait as long as we freaking want to because we're freaking awesome and can do whatever we freaking want"?
No? Really? Could've fooled me.
Daikokuya's ramen (easy to find because there's only ONE on the menu) is utterly, undeniably, remarkably fantastic. Jonathan Gold, you don't lie...this place is a MUST VISIT in LA. The richer, Kotteri style which you can get at no extra cost was also a must have for me. From the delicate slices of meat, to the perfect-to-sink-your-teeth-into soft boiled and marinated egg, to the mountain of green onions, to the "there's just something special about it" ramen noodles... from the first bite, Daikokuya is a cut above any ramen I've ever had before.
As if that weren't reason enough, their homemade Gyoza are also just damn noticeably better than what you've had before.
Let me say it again. Daikokuya's ramen is a MUST TRY for any food loving soul within a 60 mile radius of Downtown LA. You'll learn to master its quirky clipboard system, you'll happily endure the wait, and you'll even relish in its ominous (but not totally surprising) B health inspection rating. It's chopstick lickin' good.
I was disappointed with this spot, simply because it was OVER RATED.
This was my first time visiting. I can't knock the food here. The ramen is tasty. The noodles are probably some of the best I've tried. But I expected a lot more. A LOT more, something like the holy grail of ramen noodles.
I came to Daikokuya because of the hype. So many people recommended this place. I waited 45 minutes on a Sunday afternoon to get inside. I witnessed people come in surprised to see such a long wait list and leave disappointed, heads down. This phenomenon made me want to STAY in line and endure the wait. This was ridiculous, for a bowl of ramen? C'mon!
I ordered the gyoza (good, nothing spectacular and hypeworthy), I ordered the pork rice bowl (good, but again, nothing to wait in line 45 mintues for). I'm a fan of Flame Broiler, and it reminded me of a mini version with some special magic sauce. They were both good.
The ramen portion is very generous. It's perfect for me, because I can dust a large bowl of ramen no problem. Just keep the portion in mind if you're going to order appetizers and sides. My friend, who usually eats cookies and cakes for breakfast and chicken wings in his sleep couldn't get through an entire bowl.
Great spot to try and see for yourself, but definitely not OMFG THE BEST RAMEN status. I feel bad for Mr. Ramen down the street. That place gets no love. (cricket, cricket....tumbleweed)
This is the story about a young ignorant girl who knew nothing about ramen.
Friend to me: YJ, lets go eat ramen, Ill buy.
Me: Ramen? I have ramen at my house, just come over.
Friend: No, this is different its really good. There is usually a line to eat at this place and its like 8 bucks a bowl..
Me: What?! Wait in line and pay 8 dollars for freaking noodles and soup?! I can get a box of 12 for that price! How good could ramen be? Ill just make you some and ill even put in an egg.
Friend: just come, im picking you up riiiight now.
Unwilling I went, and complained the whole time, about the lack of parking, about the line ( waiting nearly an hour), and about being out in the cold saying "we could have already eaten in warmth if you just came over.." and my friend just nodded patiently saying " you'll see."
And SAW I DID. Omg the ramen at this place is amazzzing. Amazing to the point where I don't need the usual spice I add to my food. Amazing enough where I don't need any kimchi.. though I do need those little pickle things that they have. Amazing enough where I would willingly wait again and again for the hot rich broth with pieces of pork in the cold. Daikokuya..just amazing!
The end.
I find it only fair to publish my Daikokuya review after giving it a little ribbing in my Mr. Ramen post. Now, if you live in SoCal and are even just a moderate ramen eater, then chances are you've either been to Daikokuya or heard someone raving about it like it was the second coming of Christ. Mind you, I think the place is decent, but I honestly don't buy into the hype this place garners.
The line here can vary from "wow, it's kind of packed" to "Jesus, that looks like a 2 hour wait." If you do make it in, you have the option of sitting either at a booth or at this pseudo-bar area where you can see the chefs in the back preparing your meal. Granted, I've only sat at the booths, but I do hear that sitting at the bar should be avoided if you can help it, if only to avoid the inevitable barrage of steam coming from the kitchen.
Sitting down you will find a menu with various izakaya-style selections, and only two types of ramen. You have the Daikoku ramen (a pork bone ramen), which is what most people order, or you have the Tsukemen which is the same dish except served with cold noodles on the side and dipped in the pork bone broth. Unfortunately, the only other food I've sampled here was the gyoza and the fried rice. The fried rice was just that: fried rice, nothing too crazy. The gyoza was also alright, nothing standout or mind blowing.
Now, onto the main attraction, the ramen. The Daikoku ramen is decidedly the bowl you will want to order when coming here. The pork bone broth is rich, the pork is fatty and flavorful, and overall it is a very good bowl of ramen. The Tsukemen is perfect for a warm day, as you aren't staring down into a giant bowl of steaming ramen. The cold noodles are decent, but take a turn towards Flavortown once dipped in the pork bone broth. Overall, both bowls are good and definitely worth trying at least once during visits to Little Tokyo.
Sadly, I have quite a few problems with Daikokuya. The number one issue was actually an isolated incident during my last visit, but has unfortunately kept me from coming back: I found a rubber hairband in my bowl of Daikoku ramen. Yes, that's right, those bands that you use to tie your hair back when dealing with food. Repulsive. The other issue I had was disjointed service. Now, I can't shift 100% of the blame to Daikokuya for this because lets face it, this place is the busiest restaurant in Little Tokyo, beating out Shabu Shabu House. But honestly, it stinks having to wave your hands like you're flagging down an airplane on a deserted island. I also hate that rushed feeling you get from eating at places with long waits and little seating; it makes it very hard to relax and enjoy your food.
Daikokuya definitely serves a good bowl of ramen, but unfortunately the long waits, seemingly unclean environment, and awkward service just don't hit home with me. Go at least once to try the Daikoku ramen and see if it was worth the hour+ wait; if it was, then you have your new spot with the other LA hipsters.
Despite a one hour wait, Daikokuya was a fantastic ramen experience, with some Nami Asahi, and single order of Gyouza. Extra fat broth is an absolute must. The Ramen style is cooked in a springy, almost chewy style.
While I haven't sampled each of the flavours and noodle styles, the place is definitely authentic and tasty to say the least.
The price point is very friendly, and deserves 5 stars. Depending on your Ramen style preferences, I'd either recommend Daikokuya or Shinsengumi while in LA...
Actually, I would give them 5 stars, but they ran out of kotteri just when the bf and I were craving porky goodness. They'll get that star back the next time I go, I'm sure.
Anyway, the first time I enjoyed the ramen goodness that is Daikokuya was on a Sunday afternoon. They were about 10 minutes from opening and already a line was forming out the door. Luckily, we were seated fairly quickly. The ramen is fantastic -- the broth is rich and not overly salted. The noodles have a great texture and the pork pieces... those are the good cuts!
I'll have to try their other options (like fried rice!) and get the kotteri broth next time. It's definitely worth the drive to Little Tokyo, especially when I'm having those noodle cravings!
Ah, alright. I'll let you all in on the secret. But don't tell anyone! (Even though this place had been reviewed over a THOUSAND TIMES here. Wow.)
This is the best hole in the wall noodle house in all of Los Angeles. My first year in Los Angeles a good chunk of my friends were Japanese film students, and I was fortunate to discover this gem through them. They practically lived here, and told me it's some of the best home style food they'd had in LA. I can see why.
To the untrained eye, Daikokuya is a small, unassuming restaurant tucked into a row of identical looking storefront along a street in Little Tokyo. However, all you have to do is look for the small gathering waiting out the door, and you know you're there.
And, yes, there WILL be a line... So, make sure you get your name on the little clipboard list sitting on the chair just inside the door.
The only thing to order here is the ramen. That's all I've ever had and all I ever want. For 8 dollars, you receive a gigantic bowl of steamy, delicious ramen goodness. And no, poor college kids, this isn't like the plastic packages you have a mountain of in your cabinet. This is a painstakingly all-day-boiled broth, deliciously meat, thick noodles, a handful of sprouts and onions, along with a rich boiled egg that has infused the broth. Damn. You WILL take some home with you. I cannot express it enough - the portion size is ridiculous.
You know this place is hidden gem, because there is always a wait for a table. Their dining room is small, and done up with a lot of 1950's-1960's post-war Japanese trinkets. Make sure you check out the kickass vintage Japanese movie posters in the bathrooms. One day I'm going to figure out how to smuggle one out in my pants. Maybe in my giant, styrofoam takeout bowl.
My one drawback is that the dining room is a bit small, which means there is a pretty long wait during peak dinner hours to get a table. I would suggest this as a middle of the day/early dinner place to avoid the rush. Also, as they say, if you can't stand the heat... get out of the kitchen. It's an open air kitchen with a counter, so the temperature can get a little up there while they're making their magic in a bowl.
But, I don't care about any of that. The food speaks for itself. Either way, make your way here sometime while you're in Los Angeles.
Delicious.
Some of the best ramen I've ever tasted, even compared to what I had the month I spent in Tokyo. Bowls are huge and steamy, broth is flavorful, and meat is done just right.. beers are cheap and available by the pint or pitcher. They've got garlic paste! We take the subway here and drink freely. If you drive you may have some difficulty finding parking..
My boyfriend usually goes for the pork ramen that comes with pieces of hard boiled egg (he's a egg freak). The summer ramen was awesome; served cold and perfect for a hot day. Sushi here is decent too. I really haven't gone wrong here yet. The line can be a wait (around 10-20 minutes or so). Don't go at peak times if you are afraid of the huge crowds and a longer line. The good news is that it's well worth the wait.
Look how many Yelp Reviews this place has got! It's ridiculous!
Definitely a place to take friends who are visiting from out of town.
Remember the college days when you'd have ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? I do. Erase any misconception you may have about the instant noodle and try Daikokuya.
Daikokuya serves up no ordinary instant noodle. The key to their success is the slow boiled broth, the traditional ramen noodle, and fresh ingredients.
Also on the menu are rice bowls and home-made gyozo that are out of this world!
One visit to Daikokuya will make you a believer and look at ramen noodles in a different light.
One of the most enjoyable times I've ever had was here with my friends. Let me first say that the wait is RIDICULOUSLY long but despite this and a two-hour wait, I still think it deserves a 5-star rating.
My friends and I were very amused by one particular dish, the Mother and Child Reunion. We could not get over the morbid undertone of the chicken and egg in the very food we were consuming. This became one of our inside jokes for the next few weeks. Good times.
The ramen with koteri flavor is nothing short of perfect. I'm not an avid ramen enthusiast but I know good ramen when I taste it. It's definitely the best I've ever had and definitely worth the wait. Oh did I mention? The servings are huge! Their fried rice is also one of the best fried rice in LA.
Too much good stuff!! I wished they were open late night!!
Santouka Ramen is still my #1 spot when I crave japanese ramen.
But considering the drive and traffic, and depending on how hungry I am, I'd come to Daikokuya for my ramen fix. It's definitely better than Orochon down the street and many others in its near vicinity, but really?? an hour wait?? Maybe its cause I hate waiting especially when I'm super hungry.
Anyway, it's a weekday, around 7pm, and my friend and I finally get seated at the two very end bar seats. As I struggle to find a comfortable way to sit while holding onto my purse, I give up and it ends up on my lap. Friendly Japanese server takes our orders. I order the regular Daikokuya Ramen and my friend orders the Ramen + Tuna rice bowl combo. He gets his salad [flavorful, thousand island-type dressing but better!], then we finally get our bowl of goodness. The noodles were cooked perfectly with the right amount of chew and softness. It was delicious. Soup, very well made, but I do like having my choices of soyu or miso at other places. Friend liked the tuna and said it was very fresh. I opted not to try because I wanted to be able to finish my bowl. Which I....didn't.
Portions are pretty large and spectacular. So come hungry! Or if you're not, you will be by the time you get seated since the wait outside is will be treacherous.
This is my favorite ramen in the world.
it's winter time and you know that i'm going eat a lot of hot soup and noddles! this is almost as exciting as dressing in cute winter clothes.
the wait sucks, sitting near the cooking station on a hot days is gross, and the restaurant is so small but ignore it and just go with someone that will make you laugh so you ignore all the same stuff.
all you need to get:
1) big bowl of RAMEN- flavorful broth, chewy noodles, good pork
2) FRIED RICE. SO GOOD (albeit a little oily)
Oh, it's *this* ramen place, the one always with the grip of people waiting outside all the time.
There was this time, once ago, in which I decided to brave the wait and line to see what the hubbub was about. And now I won't hesitate to wait in line again, I've been a converted Daikokuya fan.
What can I say that hasn't been said already? One of the best tonkotsu ramen in LA, really. If you love the pork, you will love the tonkotsu. For extra flavor, go for the kotteri. Adds an extra level of heavy taste, but you'll love it if you really want to up the intensity of the ramen broth.
The rice is also fried in the same pork fat, for that extra piggy goodness if you aren't feeling like noodles. Well I guess you can get both, or save it for a take-out order for the next day. Either way, your stomach will thank you.
I tried to come here two other times and failed miserably since they were, for some reason, closed despite its opening hours until 12:00 am or 1:00 am on weekends, but finally last Friday I was able to eat at this delightful little ramen shop so inconspicuously located in an non-main Japantown area of Japantown. I am so excited to be staying in the area in a few weeks so I can almost walk here!
First, they definitely have some of the best donkotsu ramen I've had; not only is the broth flavorful and thick but you can ask them to make it with extra back fat soup to make it even more flavorful! Their ramen is well cooked, not over cooked, and the right amount of bite / chewy to fulfill the flavor of the soup but still taste great on its own. The best part? The pork of course! Probably some of the most amazing melt in your mouth pork I've had. I've been to a handful of "amazing" ramen places and so far this has got to be my absolute favorite.
They have these awesome combos for a few dollars more where you can get their eel and rice or their sashimi and rice as well as many other types of rice bowl foods and they give you a ton of food for the price and its all extremely fresh / good.
They have bar seating and table seating and most days all day long there's a wait so get there early and don't starve yourself or else you won't want to stake around for the 30+/- min of wait.
Everyone's had the good ol' cup ramen and 10c ramen packets... it's pretty much what college "cooking" consisted of, no?
Well prepare yourself for a complete 180 and a long line. The wait is worth it, so long as you don't starve to death. This the best ramen I've ever had. I figure why not add to the nearly 1200 reviews?
The food is great and the noodles are freshly made. No more flavor packets here! It's something that makes me wish that I lived closer to Little Tokyo. I also had an eel & rice dish here... both were really good and great value.
It's a nice little place to take friends that are in town if you don't mind fighting the traffic to get there. The parking situation isn't the best though.
BEST RAMEN YOU CAN GET IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!
Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong.
But I will tell you the one and only thing I hate about this place: limited capacity. They don't take reservations, so wait times can reach up to well over an hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Sundays are brutal as well, since they're only open "until the soup runs out." Also, some people don't understand that because there is limited seating, Daikokuya is for sitting, eating, and leaving. Not sitting, eating, and talking. Go sit and talk somewhere else! Other people want to eat here too!
I went with some friends on a Sat and we had a wait for about 20 mins. Once we were seated we were served fast.
It's been months since I've had ramen and it was such a treat! a HUGE bowl of yummy steamy ramen in a really good soup.
I wasn't even that hungry but I ended up finishing most of it. I ordered the tradition pork ramen and it comes with one full hard boiled egg!
Overall, it was great.
small venue, expect a wait.
Was in the LA area and heard a lot about this place, and Alan H. is a staunch supporter. I've loved Santouka from first sip, so I decided to try it out, we came at the tail end of the lunch crowd on a weekday and had to wait 10-15 minutes. Food roundup (2 ramen combos - kotteri style, 1 with chicken and egg bowl and tuna sashimi bowl):
Salad: Big portion of finely shredded cabbage and addictive japanse mayo dressing.
Chicken and egg bowl, tuna sashimi bowl: The chicken and egg bowl was delicious, chicken and egg a top rice with a sweet and savory soy like type sauce. Very hearty and delicious. My sashimi was fresh, I ended up just eating the 4 pieces on top and skipping the rice, so much food!
Ramen: I must say the bowl is huge! You get some pork, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and lots of chopped green onions on the top. Broth was flavorful and reminded me of a better version of Shin Sen Gumi, I still prefer Santouka's shio broth. Also, the noodles were nice and firm.
Lowdown: I declare Daikokuya #2 in my ramen book, still prefer Santouka. I can tell you this place wins with value and portion size, Santouka's bowls and rice bowls are very small compared to here. The combos were no more than $12 and I couldn't finish the ramen or my rice for the tuna sashimi bowl. Beware this location as far as wait and ventilation needs to be better, kinda stuffy. Also, paid freaking $8 to park....its LA, right....
If you come here for the first time, AT LEAST order the raumen. I never understood the concept of going to a specialty restaurant only to order something completely different.
Get the original raumen WITH kotteri, trust me. Never get the XLARGE bowl only because it's the same amount of raumen in a bigger bowl, which is heart-shattering. If you want to sit at a booth, you must request it unless you have a huge party or sometimes you're lucky you'll get it. Otherwise, you'll have to sit at the bar and sweat your ass off from the steam in your face. The great part is that it's an authentic B grade so you know it's good.
I LOVE Daikokuya ramen.
It's funny, I always walk out of Daikokuya swearing I'll order a smaller bowl or refrain from finishing my entire bowl of ramen the next time. BUT every time I go, I always get greedy and order a ginormous bowl of kotteri (extra-fatty) ramen and a side of fried rice ..... and eat it all. Yes, it is THAT GOOD :)
Anyways, the only downers are:
(1) Parking in downtown LA SUCKS and
(2) There is always a really really long wait. It doesn't matter if you go on a Tues night or a Sun afternoon....you will stand outside for over an hour!
Food: Great Ramen, excellent Eel bowl (yum!), salad was good too
Service: great
Wait: not bad as long as you have great company waiting with you
YUM! That's all I have to say. I never liked ramen till I went to this place!
One evening, we again could not figure out what to eat for dinner, and so my girl suggested this little ramen shop she has always wanted to try but never had the patience for.
So off to Little tokyo we go, and after figuring out where to park, we head in to wait in line. It being a thrusday night, i guess the line wasn't as long as it normally is, but we still waited atleast a good 45 minutes.
After a few confused minutes, we were seated at the counter watching the chefs cook. Which was pretty cool.
I got the japanese hot dogs as an appetizer, and the ramen. she gets the gyoza, and the ramen.
the hot dogs were good, the gyoza, meh.
The ramen was good. not exceptional but good. the broth was tasty, the noodles cooked ok. The chasu very japanesey. The best part was the soft boiled egg.
After reading the reviews, maybe the extra fatty broth will put it over into the really really god zone. I think the ramen might deserve 4 stars. but the overall experience and wait push it into the 3 star range for me. Santouka i think is better overall.
I've upped the rating because the broth is sooooo good! I just wanna chug the stuff.
After reading about Daikokuya on food blogs, hearing about it from friends, and even getting a… Read more »
The first time I went I thought they deserved 5 stars. But the last most recent time that I went when a friend took me here for a belated bday dinner i thought it only deserved 3 stars. So i'm taking an average and giving it 4 stars.
PROS
* the portions are pretty large. The best deal is the combination plate...way too much food but if you share it with someone else then not too bad
* They give you a lot of toppings in the ramen
CONS
* the line here is like ridiculously long. We've always had to wait almost an hour. Maybe that's why people think it's so good because they're so hungry
* the ramen itself is just slightly above average. It's not as flavorful as Santouka and not as much variety as Ramen Ya
* hard to find parking in downtown. I always end up parking at the $3 lot. That's not expensive parking by downtown standards but makes your bowl of ramen a little more pricey than it should be
FOOD:
1.) The Special = Pretty good :) Not too many toppings just a boiled egg, some meat, and lots of green onion in a yummy broth
SERVICE:
Good good.
ATMOSPHERE:
It's not too big, had bar seating, and maybe 10 booth tables. Had a nice warm bustle about it, because the place always has so many people waiting to eat here.
I've been pretty lucky with my Daikokuya experiences. All the times I've gone I was able to find parking on the same street pretty close to Daikokuya AND there was little to no wait! I go around 1pmish on the weekdays.
Their food is good. I usually get a combo (ramen and eel bowl) and share with mi madre. As a result we are stuffed and our taste buds more than satisfied.
love this place! but one star for making us sit at the counter! i don't like sitting on stools with no where to put my over-sized purse. heh.
When I heard that my family wanted to come here, I kind of panicked. The reason being is that there was 5 of us. For those of you know have been here before, you can kind of feel me on this one. Not that it's impossible, but getting a table for anything more than a party of 4 is near impossible. Perhaps the first 2 tables when you first walk-in can fit 5 most of the time, but beyond that, because of the bar, would make it a very tight squeeze.
When we eventually got seated, which didn't seem terribly long despite having 5 people, I already knew what I was going to have. I was going to get the Daikoku ramen, and decided to get the combo with fried rice. My brother and sister in law had never been here before, so they obviously both got the ramen. My sister in law got the kotteri flavor, which was hard to describe, but it was different in a good way. My dad got the kotteri as well and my mom got the regular.
My fried rice came out first I pretty much devoured it. I mean, it is a smaller plate, but yeah, I practically inhaled it. I think it's this diet I'm on. I have flashes of gluttony.
Everything was good as usual. Oh man, just thinking about it now makes me want some. My mom is absolutely in love with the broth, so much, that she brought home her leftover broth. She had finished all the noodles, and just had the broth, but she still took it home. I think it's still sitting in our freezer....
holy shito.... almost 1000 reviews? Good Lordy....
We came here after the Spa Luce Elite Event…
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Daikokuya must be really lucky that i still give em 3 stars and not lower.
i drove all the way up to LA from SD just to eat here and orochon. i call it "the journey for great ramen".... omg maybe i'm wrong for putting my expectation that high?
we had to wait for about 40 minutes outside the restaurant for seating. which i don't mind at all as long as the food tastes good.
after we were seated, we ordered the combo with unagi bowl, then this order of pork meat with green onion as appetizer. about the ramen, since we were going to taste orochon afterwards, i tried to order the large portioned ramen to share with my girlfriend, turns out that they don't allow it there. and since i ordered it as "a combo" i can't downsize it either. so we ended up ordering another small portion of ramen for my girlfriend THINKING THAT THE RAMEN WOULD BE GREAT AND WON'T BE ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US. oh yea, we ordered that thingy broth. the one from pork back fat.
the unagi bowl came out delicious. it's a lil bit smelly but whatever, i like it. and the pork meat, wow. even though it's pan fried (unlike advertised as grilled) it's one of the best tasting appetizer that i ever had.
since we sat on the bar, we saw that our ramen was coming. they chef threw a large amount of green onion, that really excites us.
the first time i tasted the soup, i was like WTF MAN right away. then i looked at my girlfriend which turned out to have the same expression with me. it's virtually tasteless. and that pork fat thingy. it's just hallucination or probably placebo that daikokuya tries to convince us.
it was that tasteless that i opened the salt bottle and poured it to give it a salty taste (you know that you should give some dash rather than opening the bottle and throw the salt to your food)
we ended up not finishing the ramen at all.
i feel bad for the portion that my girlfriend ordered, barely touched at all.
so yeah, we drove 2 hours to daikokuya for it's high rated ramen. turns out to be very2 over rated.
given the chance to just rate the ramen, i would give one star only.
but wait, turns out orochon sucks even more, probably 2 stars then...
but then, the unaju and appetizer tastes good. so yea... 3 stars
Does the popular Daikokuya live up to the hype? Not positive, but their ramen IS damn good.
Met friends at this Little Tokyo ramen house for lunch. They don't take reservations - seating's limited - so we waited a bit for a booth.
Tried a large bowl of their Daikokuya ramen, with their teriyaki eel bowl combo, served with a salad ($12.95 total). The eel was as good as can be and the ramen exceeded my expectations!
The broth was delicious and soothing, a wonderful tonkotsu soup base filled with chijire-style egg noodles, light enough to not overwhelm, and tasty enough to making trooping through a bowl easy. Along for the ride was a marinated boiled egg, pork belly, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Last but not least, we shared an order of the kurobuta pork sausage ($4.95) - not your average wiener; the menu even says so. Sweet, scrumptious, with a light mustard on the side, the sausage was a treat.
Service kept our waters filled and cleared plates fast. (We stayed longer than usual since a friend drove from quite far away to join us. Wouldn't do that again, but tipped extra since we held up seats.)
Next time I'll get a regular bowl of ramen, and more appetizers!
I'm no ramen connoisseur, but Daikokuya serves a tasty bowl! I'll be going back soon for sure.
Had to try this place after hearing so much about it from family and yelpers. The ramen was outstanding, great fresh noodles, juicy pork, and out of this world broth. Generous green onion toppings and bean sprouts and the secret ingredient: toasted sesame seeds. Hands down the best ramen? Could be. I emptied the bowl... every last drop.
Warning: no vegetarian options.
Been here several times and food is always on point. The ramen combos are a steal and will def get you full. I usually get the shredded pork or the chicken. The salad is pretty good and that dressing is straight crack! This place is usually poppin' and you will probably have to wait a while before you get seated. Parking isn't that bad and there's a a nice little convenient store a couple stores down.
I came here last night after the yelp Halloween event. It was about midnight and there was a short wait.
I ordered the ramen san pork belly but it still had the whole egg. I was warned to order the half order and I am glad I did because the standard order is enough to feed 3 people. It was very good and reasonable too and they didn't charge me the full price since I did not have meat in mine. The prices are very good too!
Located in Little Tokyo.
Small and always have a long line no matter what time you go...but it's definitely worth the wait!
Get the ramen and the shredded pork bowl combo. I guarantee you won't finish it, but it's so the best!
I have once stood outside in the winter cold (I mean, California winter--it's not that cold I know, but as a Cali girl, I was cold) for 2 hours to eat here!
2 people, saturday night, 6pm. sure, you will have to wait about 15 minutes to get seated. trust me, it's worth it.
I hail from the land of not so good ramen (SF), but every time i'm remotely near here, i am just drawn to japantown.
get the ramen. get it kotteri (rich with bits of pig BACK FAT), and get the combo with the shredded pork bowl. OMFG that is by far the meal that i will eat the night before i am electrocuted to death.
if only that could be my daily meal, then i would truly be "living the dream"
Although it can't compare to true ramen from Sapporo, Kyushu, or even Tokyo, Daikokuya isn't half shabby. It has a stronger taste than most of the other ramen stores in the nearby Little Tokyo area.
They have a fine selection of different types of Ramen but the descriptions might be fuzzy for those who are new to the experience.
It's good to see your chef's making your ramen in front of you because you can see the effort and time they put into making your meal.
I can't say that it's the BEST ramen I'd ever had, or if it's even to die for, but I can honestly say that it's one of the better ramen joints in the area.
As for the wait, you can't winge about it because it's all part of the ramen dining experience.
I ate every drop of the ramen and its a BIG BOWL
my Boyfriend took me here and I had such a great time
really good deals for the Combo plates
everything is amamzing!
we shared the Ramen and Chk Bowl it was really filling.
even though people hate the line/parking
it still keeps it unique and special...
anyone who hasn't gone here yet...
DUH get the RAMEN!
you won't be let down.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
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