Daikokuya

Authentic ramen and great service! I’ve tried my fair share of ramen places and Daikokuya is by far the best. Their original bowl hits the spot every time. It’s tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall place so seating is limited. However, this place is definitely worth the wait!

I thought this place was alright. Small place but great place for single people to go eat. I got the Daikoku ramen. Wasn’t really impressed. It was just okay.

Came on a Sunday night to have dinner with my sisters around 7:15pm. There’s quite a wait time since the restaurant inside is pretty tight and small. there’s bar seating and about 4 – 5 table setting. We waited for about 30 minutes before we got seated. While waiting, make sure to look at the menu so you know what to order once seated! :) Just a suggestion.
We ordered Geso Age (Fried Squid Legs), (2) Daikoku Ramen Combination both with small side of Salmon Sashimi — one Ramen with Spicy Miso $ 1 more, Pork Cutlet Bowl, and California Rolls.
Their serving bowl for ramen is pretty big! The broth is full of flavor. I added chili powder for spice! The night we went, we were told they «ran out of sushi rice» and the waitress told us we couldn’t order it since it would be a 45 minute wait — we asked for regular rice instead to go with our Salmon Sashimi… Then 10 minutes later, a couple next to us ordered the same combination except Tuna Sashimi instead of Salmon, and they were served sushi rice!!! That was pretty upsetting, but nonetheless, the salmon was delicately delicious… Now that they had sushi rice again, my little sister wanted Cali Roll…
Their Geso Age was awesome! Give it a try — squirt some lemon juice over it and dip it in mayo!
Pork Cutlet Bowl was pretty delicious as well… It was crispy, juicy, and with so much flavor. It wasn’t greasy. It’s served with caramelized onions and rice.
California Roll is as expected — nothing fancy or different.
I took away a star because one of the waitress was pretty rude. It might’ve been a long night for her. Regardless, she should have a smile on her face and shouldn’t have an attitude like she didn’t want to be there… Even my 12 year old sister commented on her lack of customer service! Food is great though!

Daikokuya is a ramen chain that is busy at whatever location you go to because the food is awesome – especially the ramen which has thick flavorful broth and perfectly al dente noodles.
THINGS TO KNOW:
*Not for big groups
*There’s plenty of parking in the shopping complex
*Expect a wait
*A bowl of ramen is pretty big and less than $ 10.
*The other food is good too – esp. the sashimi bowls and octopus balls.

Hardest place to find, or maybe I have a poor sense of direction. Reading the reviews I wasn’t expecting this to be a 4 star ramen restaurant, especially with all of the good ramen spots in LA. I ordered their Daikoku ramen which is their tonkotsu flavor broth. The broth was one of the better ones that I’ve had. I haven’t been to a lot of spots in LA (I know they are wayyyy better than Nor Cal), but up in Northern California this would be a top 5 ramen restaurant for sure.
The restaurant is pretty small and can only fit about 25 people at max which include the bar seats. We got there right when it opened so we were able to get a seat. Once we were done and exited the restaurant, there were at least 3 different groups waiting to be seated.
Overall, decent ramen with good combination selections for an average price.

The service is fast and the ramen is amazing along with the salad
Just wish the place was bigger

Located in the same plaza as Empress harbor restaurant.
Small spot just like the one in little Tokyo and ramen and broth slightly different.
Spicy tuna roll was fresh and yummy.
I had the original ramen, something about the noodles makes it different from other places! Yummy. The broth is light but very flavorful.
You have the option to get this spicy if you want that extra kick.
No need for a cold day for ramen, this place is so good, you can go everyday!
Parking is pretty limited and there is more in the underground parking. Lines are still long but it’s worth the wait.

Ramen on a cold day is a no brainier, and usually this place has a waiting list, because it’s a very small restaurant! But I’ve never waited longer than maybe 10 minutes. I order their spicy ramen that comes with a salad and a teriyaki bowl on the side for like 13 bucks. It’s so much food I always take some home too.
Their ramen is very delicious, the salad is my favorite!!! And the bowl is also delicious I usually order the shredded pork. They also have happy hour that starts at 3 and their beer is half off which is a great deal! I’ve also tried their spicy tuna roll and that was also very fresh and delicious.
Servers are great and service is fast too

Solid Ramen noodles but soup is way too salty.
My spicy miso ramen was luke warm when I received it and way too salty. I had to drink so much water afterwards. I’d recommend coming during non-​rush time, maybe your food will be prepared with more care. I am willing to give it another chance in the future.

Such a solid ramen place :].
First off, this is a really small and cozy place so get here early. But the wait is worth it. The ramen has a great broth that you want to slurp down to the last drop. The ramen itself is a pretty big portion and the noodles are well made, you can tell they hand make it.
This is a place that really emulates what Ramen should be like, simple, soothing, and flavorful.

My friend and I came here for dinner last night around 630pm and we were able to be seated right away. We both ordered the Daikoku Ramen with the Kotteri flavor and shared an order of gyoza. Both of us enjoyed our ramen and it’s a large portion so I couldn’t finish it. Naturally, I’m inclined to compare this location to the Little Tokyo location. Little Tokyo is much better. Granted that you have to wait a long time at Little Tokyo, the quality just is better over there. Our food came out quickly but I feel like the temperature wasn’t as hot. Honestly, I like steaming and scalding temp soups and some parts of my soup were just warm and some parts were hot. The gyoza wasn’t as crispy as a I’ve had it before. Service was fine and had no problems during our visit.
The plaza is a bit difficult to navigate but I would come back here because I really do love the kotteri flavor!

As soon as I got off the plane in LA, I knew the first thing that I wanted to eat after In N Out and that was ramen. Yes, here on the east coast we do have ramen and luckily here in Providence we had Ken’s Ramen open up but it’s the only place in the area! Wanting to relive some of the experiences I recently had in Washington DC I decided that we would go to Daikokuya here in LA to have yet another pleasant experience. We arrived promptly at noon on a Wednesday afternoon and it was surprisingly empty which was great for us. We immediately got a table. I of course saw tsukemen on the menu and new exactly what I wanted to eat! Tsukemen is Japanese dipping ramen meaning that the noodles come on the side of the soup and you have to dip your ramen into the bowl of soup to piece it all together. The broth is also a little different making it by far my favorite ramen
They have all sorts of other goodies as well including another favorite of mine: spicy miso ramen. If you’re not completely set on noodles, you also have the option of getting a combo meal with rice bowls AND noodles. Beware, however that the bowls of noodles are ginormous. Yes, ginormous. You can also add extra stuff including more meat and more noodles if you have a larger gut space ;)
Plenty of parking outside so you need not worry about where to plant yourself. I think the busy-​ness of the place (or lack thereof) was more the exception than the norm. Get there early and you’ll be sure to get a chair right away!

THE. BEST.RAMEN.PERIOD!
No other ramen joint can literally touch it!
When you visit this place, if you haven’t already… here’s what you do, wait in the long a$$ line, (if there’s no line, count your blessings!) when you do finally get in, order THE DAIKOKU RAMEN. Either small or large, & also with sides or without. Done! Enjoy the best ramen in SoCaL! You’re welcome!

I’m so glad that when I’m at my parents house and want ramen, there is one just outside of Alhambra, in MPK! How long has this one been here, and the bigger question, how is it that I discover this just now? a few months back, I must have had some sort of self-​imposed affliction for pain for going to Ajisen *shudders*.
Daikokuya, like the one in little Tokyo but here in the SGV, is legitimate as ever, serving up ramen and broths piping hot and real. The ramen noodles are springy and perfectly textured, has a nice taste to it and can withstand the broth. The broth is rich and acidic and beautifully presented in a black bowl that has the answers to why everything exists the way they do. God, the tonkotsu broth here is amazing in all its salty savory umami glory. I don’t even try to hide my crazy when the ramen comes.
The restaurant, or ramen parlor, is teeny. Maybe 20 people max, so come at odd times like I did (3:30pm early dinner). There wasn’t much people on a Sunday afternoon so I am forever grateful for the gift bestowed upon me.
The one thing I didn’t like about the menu is that there is a small charge for the spicy broth, like .45 cents or something. Why not just price the spicy and non-​spicy 45 cents more? I hate when restaurants nickel and dime you. So juvenile. That’s all.

This was my first real bowl of ramen a few years back… and it left an impression. I still compare every bowl of ramen I have in New York and everywhere else to this place. And I’ll admit, not many have lived up to it. In quality, flavor, or price. Granted it was my first bowl of ramen and it has a special place in my heart. But still, this place was in fact special. It was hidden in a small strip mall, the food was legit, and I didn’t spend more than $ 11.
I really hope this place is still living up to expectations.

Daikoku ramen was a bit bland for my taste; I had to add quite a bit of the seasoning spice. There wasn’t much pork belly, but what I did have was good lol. Most of my ramen was just noodles; very few pork belly, bamboo and bean sprouts. After my lunch meal, I got really tired… too much MSG?
I’m a huge fan of Gyoza. Although I prefer Gyoza to be a bit more crispy, the Gyoza topped with onions was great. It may be the sauce I dipped it in, but I sure did like it.
The salad that comes with the combo meals was overdressed, but it has potential. Reduce the dressing and it will be good.
I probably will go again, if my friend craves it like this time, but I prefer other ramen spots.

Native MPK gal, so it pains me to be hard on a business near and dear to my community. So, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way: Ramen broth was really heavy, got bored after a while, and felt like I was wasting food when I tapped out ¹⁄₃ of the way. As a lover of all things salty and food-​related, I hated feeling that way.
On the awesome side, the chicken karaage appetizer and great happy hour specials made this very worthwhile. The pickled ginger is particularly neat. This place gets crazy crowded, so get here right before 5 or 6pm. If you don’t you’ll find yourself waiting for about 30+minutes.

Awesome food, AWFUL wait time.
Came here on a Sunday (party of 5). Yea. I know having a party of 5 makes for an awkward seating arrangement since they have to move around chairs, but being told an approximately 20 minute wait time and ending up waiting 50 minutes is absolutely ludicrous. Anyways onto the food…
I was feeling pretty hungry so I ordered the Daikoku ramen + shredded pork bowl combination. Friends got the Daikoku ramen, unagi bowl, shredded pork bowl (regular size). The ramen is awesome, savory and hearty. They gave me a generous portion of chashu pork so I was quite content. My favorite was the shredded pork bowl, OMG it was freakin delicious, generous portions of pork mixed together with teriyaki sauce, rice, and green onions. I could make a meal out of just the pork bowl and I just might do that next time. Friend said pass on the unagi.
Decently sized parking structure shared with a bunch of other restaurants

Their beef bowl here was SO yum! It comes with coleslaw and miso soup on the side.
Their beef was just like eating the most tender and soft brisket at a korean BBQ place with rice and ginger (lightly sprinkled).
Their miso soup was to die for — enough tofu and enough seaweed. I could have just kept eating/​drinking that all evening.
The salad dressing they put on their coleslaw is pretty good, not amazing, but they sell a bottle of it for six bucks if you would like to take some home. It lasts about a week based on freshness.
They have a parking lot, and street parking as well.
Service was quick and friendly! I even left my sweater at the booth, and the waitress ran out to give it to me after I left. Sweetheart!

I’ve always thought there were better ramen places than Daikokuya, especially with all its hype. My friend from NorCal came and wanted this place, so we came. This location is rather small and the seating opened to the outside, so it was not air conditioned.
I wasn’t feeling like ramen, so I ordered the salmon sashimi bowl ($ 14). It came in a mountain of rice topped with 8 slices of salmon. Although it didn’t seem like a lot of salmon, it went very well with the vinegar sushi rice inside sprinkled with green onions and furikake. And adding the pickled ginger with the rice was a nice touch. The bowl also came with miso soup and salad. I have to admit that their sliced cabbages covered in their house salad dressing was delicious. You can even buy the dressing to take home! I was surprised to try something that wasn’t ramen, but so glad I did.