This tiny place is tucked away in the Little Tokyo district of downtown and does nothing to draw attention to itself other than the yellow awning out front. Sadly I am not the only one who is a diehard fan of this place, because I've never had less than a 35 minute wait to get inside. A note to those who want to visit: groups of 5 or more are not recommended as the seating is limited, unless you can sit at the bar. Despite the long wait outside, rest assured that you will be served quickly once seated.
Walking through the front curtains, the smell of pork and noodles overwhelms one's senses. The decor is very eclectic and Japanese, as to be expected. Red bar stools and booths line the tiny restaurant, with vintage Japanese posters hanging from the walls.The menu is pretty simple and straight forward. Prices are also very reasonable since the portions are large. I've only managed to have two items from their menu, only because they're so good that I can't fathom ordering anything else and missing out on these two gems. The first is their gyoza...
To the regular gyoza consumer, you may notice that these aren't like the kind you would find at most restaurants. Daikokuya's gyoza are made fresh in the store and are rectangular, instead of crescent moon shaped. They're stuffed with pork & vegetables, then topped with green onion slices and served with dipping sauce. I honestly don't know if they put drugs in them or not, but they do amazing things to my tastebuds. It's hard for me to describe just how incredible they are, but to quote a friend-- "Those were the best gyoza I've had in my entire life". The texture is light and crispy, not greasy, and is what happiness would taste like if it had a flavor. I have been known to mentally go to another place while consuming Daikokuya's mind blowing gyoza. All of that for only $5.95. It really should be illegal to sell something that tastes so good.
Next is the ramen. Oh, the ramen. For $8.50 you're served a giant piping hot bowl of chewy noodles that have been simmered in the richest, most delicious broth ever. Daikokuya claims to make their tonkotsu broth the night before, boiling down pork bones, secret recipe soy sauce and other ingredients from heaven. A boiled chijire style egg is dunked in and allowed to swim in pure goodness, hard boiled but yet still soft. Even the flavor of the marinated egg is fantastic. I don't know how they do it, but the chasu (pork belly) that is woven throughout the noodles will absolutely, without a doubt, melt in your mouth like butter. Even picking it up with chopsticks can be quite a challenge because it falls apart from its delicateness. Also thrown into the mix are bamboo shoots, more green onion, bean sprouts and some sesame seeds.
If I had to describe the taste of the combination of gyoza and ramen on a scale of Yuck to Yum, they would rate as Mouthgasm. I actually feel bad for some of the people who have eaten at Daikokuya with me because they've heard me let out moans of enjoyment as I slurped noodles and crunched gyoza. I was even asked if I needed a private room (yes, that would have helped). I truly wonder if they put some kind of happy pill in everything they cook, because I cannot figure out how something can taste so absolutely amazing. Eating at Daikokuya is like dying and going to heaven. Really.
My next review will be of Gardena based Asa Ramen, once I've calmed down my brain from thinking about Daikokuya. :)
Eat Happy!
Next is the ramen. Oh, the ramen. For $8.50 you're served a giant piping hot bowl of chewy noodles that have been simmered in the richest, most delicious broth ever. Daikokuya claims to make their tonkotsu broth the night before, boiling down pork bones, secret recipe soy sauce and other ingredients from heaven. A boiled chijire style egg is dunked in and allowed to swim in pure goodness, hard boiled but yet still soft. Even the flavor of the marinated egg is fantastic. I don't know how they do it, but the chasu (pork belly) that is woven throughout the noodles will absolutely, without a doubt, melt in your mouth like butter. Even picking it up with chopsticks can be quite a challenge because it falls apart from its delicateness. Also thrown into the mix are bamboo shoots, more green onion, bean sprouts and some sesame seeds.
If I had to describe the taste of the combination of gyoza and ramen on a scale of Yuck to Yum, they would rate as Mouthgasm. I actually feel bad for some of the people who have eaten at Daikokuya with me because they've heard me let out moans of enjoyment as I slurped noodles and crunched gyoza. I was even asked if I needed a private room (yes, that would have helped). I truly wonder if they put some kind of happy pill in everything they cook, because I cannot figure out how something can taste so absolutely amazing. Eating at Daikokuya is like dying and going to heaven. Really.
My next review will be of Gardena based Asa Ramen, once I've calmed down my brain from thinking about Daikokuya. :)
Eat Happy!
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