Daikokuya Little Tokyo — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I honestly don't get the vibe. I was in LA for 5 days, and there was always a line out of this restaurant. I asked a few of the folks outside and they all recommended it. My party and I were seated at the counter in a few minutes as we went there late at night; but that was where the good things end. The only reason I gave the food 2 stars was so I can give the service 1 star.

It took forever to get someone to take our orders, we had to ask the waiters for water & even utensils. We were chopstick-less as the entrees & sides sat on the table for 5-10 minutes as we chatted and hungrily stared. My friend asked for spoons for the soup broth and was handed an individual spoon while everyone else had noodle soups and were spoon-less. The waiter had also gotten 2 of our orders wrong where we asked for the combination deal of rice & noodles, and we waited over 20 minutes after everyone else finished eating for someone to come over to hand us the check and for them to realize they had gotten the order wrong. No staff ever came over to ask how the food was or to even care about what's going on. After correcting our order, we continued to wait as they served every other customer, even those who where seated after they had corrected our order... then we finally got ours.

Moving on to the food. It tasted very... mid. The food was salty, there's no flavor other than salt. The salt drowned the umami, if there was any umami to begin with. The tonkatsu was boiled and bland, the egg was almost hard boiled & also very bland, the 2 pieces of square seaweed sheets were soggy and drooped all over the noodles as it was served. The soup was very salty, no umami, no meat/bone flavor, no nothing. I might as well be Uncle Roger and be drinking 1:1 water & MSG, at least MSG has umami. The chefs (?) were there any chefs? Nothing wrong with my Latino brothers, but other than scooping toppings and draining noodles, they really didn't seem like they were there. The glass divider between the kitchen & counter was oily and filthy; though the countertop was clean.

The bill came out to a little over $100, & even though we tipped over 15%, we really didn't think the restaurant deserved any. This was by far the worst meal we had in LA. Left the restaurant hungry as I only got 4 bites of noodles and a bit of rice. We laughed at each other for having salty scallion...

Oof, this was one of the most disappointing meals I’ve had in a long time. I waited 10 minutes outside to be sat at the bar (which was half full).

I order the special ramen and katsu curry side and wow, was it bad. The Katsu was fried more like KFC than Kyoto. Hard, not light and flaky panko, also drowned in curry sauce. Every time I had it in Japan it was a big plate to help combine the flavors, here it was a tiny bowl filled to the brim. Soggy rice gravy on the bottom of hard fried chicken. The ramen I could not take more than 3 small sips. I think their special broth is puréed chicharoñes with hog neck sweat. Harsh, loud, and so salty absolutely none of the subtly and refinement of any ramen I had in Japan (I got back in November after a month). To be clear I went to places in the Ehime countryside and downtown Tokyo, ate from a hole in the wall place that served raw horse, but even their pork dish was much more refined.

So I took about 5 bites of my main meal and told the waitress I could not eat anymore. She was more worried if I was going to pay, which I said I would since the food was prepared. I told her that it was not like the subtle, technical cuisine I had in Japan — she said “well I’m Japanese and I like it”. Definitely more worried about me paying than my satisfaction. For a place that does such business and has this prestige I would have liked them to offer to take it off the bill, I would have insisted on paying. But no, they were just defensive and shamed me for not liking their obnoxiously flavored food.

Very poor all around, but I get I’m in the minority here. Just be sure you like it because otherwise you’ll be told that you are wrong. Regrettable experience and one that felt no where near Japan, more like a rice bowl Doninos than...

What can I say about this spot that hasn't already been said? This is the QUINTESSENTIAL ramen of LA. If you want a taste of Japan, THIS is your spot. Everything about this place screams authentic.

The music adds to the low-key ramen bar atmosphere and the seating is just like places you'd see in Japan.

The star of the show, the food, is just as enticing. THE RAMEN! Hot and fragrant, it'll get your stomach rumbling as soon as you see other people eating theirs. The broth is rich and filling with a hearthy texture and blend of spices. I recommend getting garlic and ginger on top to really make the broth POP, but really, make it how you want it! I like my broth spicy and it really hits after a night of drinking, or the night after the night drinking.

They have your usuals for ramen and sides. Their little cabbage salad, oh my lord, that is delicious and I'd say almost worth coming for JUST for the dressing they add on top. Their portions are also hefty and really help to fill you up, I'll even sometimes order extra noodles just so I can keep eating! Their sides like the karaage, fried rice, and pork cutlet bowls are also just as filling and delicious!

Overall, you have to try this spot at least once! Either alone at the bar enjoying a beer, or with friends after a night of drinking and shopping!

And please, whoever is in charge of the music KEEP BEING IN CHARGE! I love listening to city pop while I enjoy my ramen, really adds to...