#1 RAMEN IN THE U.S. – DAIKOKUYA
In my humble opinion, Daikokuya has found the formula to ramen done the right way: the authentic Japanese way. Maybe you find my heading to be offensive because you know of a better place. I’m always open to some guidance. But having lived in Japan for over 7 years, I think I’ve earned my right to rate a bowl of noodles!
The thing I love about the noodles at Daikokuya is the heartiness and the inconsistencies of the kinks in the noodles. Makes it also easier to grab a hold of. Many places in the U.S. offer the thin, straight noodles, which they also offer in Japan, but I’ve found more restaurants to use the thicker egg noodles which they cook al dente. Mmm. It’s a matter of preference, I suppose, and since it’s my blog entry, I’m going with the al dente hearty egg kind!
The second most important component in a bowl of noodles is the broth. At Daikokuya, they make their broth from soy sauce and from boiling pork bones for almost 24 hours. You can imagine the buttery divinity of the flavorful soup. Not to mention, there are toppings you must add for the full effect: grated garlic and hot chili oil. Oh. My. Gosh. Game over. Go heavy on the garlic if you’re not on a first date!
This was my first time to Daikokuya and the reason we ventured downtown was because Rachel’s and my best friend, Meagan, who has decided to move back to Iowa with her boyfriend to start a new life, lives near downtown. We’re really sad, but happy for her, and trying to keep it together. It was her second to last day of working at one of the most fabulously chic fashion houses, and we wanted to celebrate and just cherish the last days we have with her in LA. But…she’s vegetarian. Being the good sport that she is, she trudged over to Daikokuya anyway. Good for her that she’s started incorporating some fish into her life so she ordered the tuna rice bowl. And we, the noodles with all the fixins!
Rachel and the handsome mystery man from Hawaii…must be going well!
Proof that we were here.
TGIF! This was last Friday that we went. Cheers to Meagan and Donovan. We love you and wish you only the best for a beautiful and happy life together in Des Moines!!! But WE WILL MISS YOU…
Edamame goes so well with beer!
Gyoza or Potstickers. You can make them at home following this recipe I blogged about here.
We ordered 2 types of sake. The filtered Ginjo sake (pictured above) and the unfiltered Nigori sake below.
Random naked angel babies to look at while we waited for our noodles…
The noodles, above, with no garlic or chili oil…yet. The toppings pictured are bean sprouts, kurobuta sliced SO thinly, seasoned bamboo shoots, chopped green onion and a whole egg, simmered overnight in a soy sauce.
My favorite noodles…
This is pure perfection. I can actually smell the spicy aromas as I stare at these pictures. And with 2,695 reviews on Yelp, I think a lot of people have gotten excited about Daikokuya. The numbers don’t lie. I suggest you give them a try. Trust me, it’s worth the drive and the line in which you’ll have to wait. But you can duck into the bar a few doors down til they call your name!
M
Rachel & Maya
Love this recommendation! Always looking for new spots to try in LA (and esp downtown). Pics look great! Will def give it a go!! Thanks, Rachel and Maya!
Let’s go together!!! XO M
The food looks delicious!
Oh, it was…we can’t stay away!
I think Jinya in studio city has a better flavor and so does Santoukan in Torrance. Daikokuya isn’t bad but I just dont think it’s #1 in the US. What really make me laugh was trying the Tsukemen there which was basically the soup and noodles separated. That is just about as funny as ordering a hamburger and getting a piece of ham in between a bun.
I’m happy to see a fellow ramen lover scoping out ramen joints! I haven’t tried Santoukan or Jinya, so thanks for directing me there. After I try them out, I will update this entry. I was born and partially raised in Tokyo so I am very confident my ramen noodle palette has been refined over the years, so thus far, I must say that Daikokuya takes the cake. Tsukemen in Japanese means “dipping noodles” and it’s for people who love a bold taste and can’t be bothered with watered down broth! I, personally, think it’s great for in the hot summers, but in winter, people should warm up by drinking the delicious broth. You sound like you know a lot about ramen…have you lived there??
Yes I sure have. I was in tokyo for a few years and luckily lived very close to the Aoba honten in Nakano. Have you been back to tokyo recently and perhaps tried Nidaime Tsujita? Their flavor seems to be very popular these days over there and quite a few of the top ranked ramen joints (Rokurinsha, Fuunji, Apple Basic) are based on tsujitas style and taste.I’m very much looking forward to the day the Tsujita LA store will be serving ramen/tsukemen.
And I, too, look forward to trying Tsujita ramen! In the Mitsuwa Market, right? I haven’t been back to Tokyo for over a year and my favorite ramen joint is on the corner of Roppongi Crossing and there’s another one in Kanda that I love. I CAN’T remember the name of either establishment, can you believe it?? Ugh. I have not been to the places in Tokyo that you mentioned, but my stomach is growling as I think of steaming bowls of decadent broth and al dente noodles with all the fixings!