Daikokuya Monterey Park — Restaurant in Monterey Park

·         Rare, free street-level lot parking and ample free underground parking (accessible only by elevator) ·         Daikokuya ramen – predictable and enjoyable. Cold ramen – remarkable and refreshing ·         Limited table seats. Majority bar seating. Long waits during peak hours like dinner and weekends ·         2 indoor restrooms with working appliances. Pathway to inner restroom is greasy, potential slip risk.

Street level parking is rare, but free underground parking gives everyone a chance to taste.

This ramen restaurant has been here for several years, and it seems the restaurant is trying to stretch its menu to attract new blood. I would say the most remarkable experiment was the cold ramen. The flavors strong because of the soup, but you don’t get the heavy grease of traditional ramen. Cold ramen is perfect for a hot day.

The signature ramen is also recommended, but I’ve eaten the regular ramen for too many years. My only complaint is that the slices of pork are not thick enough, and the included egg is hit or miss if you want a runny center. The texture and firmness of the noodles are perfect al dente. The soup is adjustable, and a kottari broth is available for stronger flavors.

The 2 restrooms are tucked behind the kitchen, and the floor is greasy. Slipping is a real risk, especially without grip mats on the floor. The restrooms are standard for an oily restaurant, but all the appliances work including the restroom, sink, and paper towel dispense.

Overall the experience was average if you don’t mind waiting. Otherwise, it was...

Ordered a side of Takoyaki and their signature Daikoku Ramen and asked for the richer Kotteri flavor option. This is their tonkotsu soup which included pork belly chashu, marinated boiled egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. The kotteri flavor option gives the broth a much more fattening flavor, still as refreshing to drink and to be absorbed by the noodles. The noodles here are a good portion and very tasty, a good balance between some chewiness and softness to the quality. The pork chashu is very tender, the marinated egg was not very runny and close to being hardboiled. If you're feeling like it needs some salt, the bamboo shoots have a strong saltiness to them that works as a side to the noodles. The takoyaki was well presented with an overflow of bonito flakes on top. The takoyaki octopus pieces were moderate in size but the batter is very good. The sauce is the right amount drizzles on top and the bonito flakes are a lot but a welcome finishing piece. The atmosphere is very cozy with strong Japanese influences from the wooden decor to the tables and meal presentation. Staff are very kind and understanding with any difficulties. There is enough parking in this plaza area. It does get busy but there were seats available to immediately be seated later...

Daikokuya, the power house ramen shop in LA. When we talk about ramen, it's the benchmark for any noodles that touches soup.

The best part I love about this location is it's location. Don't have to drive all to the way to little tokyo to eat a bowl of noodles. And parking is free here. It's a win win. Second thing I love about it is it's happy hour. They have Japanese beer on draft. I think it's Kirin. And it's only $5.50 for the pitcher during HH.

In my previous review, I've stated that their food is great. But I wanted to follow up on that review with a new one. It seems that it's been my go to ramen shop for some time now. Yet every time I think about eating ramen, I have to think about that aggravating wait in line. You simply can not coming here and expect to eat immediately. It seems that it's almost impossible to get a table for 4+ during rush hour. This place is super small, they should really consider doing take out orders or get a permit and start setting up tables outside.

This is [A]-Murica...you can't expect everyone to just eat and go like in the busy life style of Japan. People here are more kicked back. And they want to take their sweet ass time. So do us all a favor and start doing take outs. Ps, we still...