Daikokuya

I find it only fair to publish my Daikokuya review after giving it a little ribbing in my Mr. Ramen post. Now, if you live in SoCal and are even just a moderate ramen eater, then chances are you've either been to Daikokuya or heard someone raving about it like it was the second coming of Christ. Mind you, I think the place is decent, but I honestly don't buy into the hype this place garners.

The line here can vary from "wow, it's kind of packed" to "Jesus, that looks like a 2 hour wait." If you do make it in, you have the option of sitting either at a booth or at this pseudo-bar area where you can see the chefs in the back preparing your meal. Granted, I've only sat at the booths, but I do hear that sitting at the bar should be avoided if you can help it, if only to avoid the inevitable barrage of steam coming from the kitchen.

Sitting down you will find a menu with various izakaya-style selections, and only two types of ramen. You have the Daikoku ramen (a pork bone ramen), which is what most people order, or you have the Tsukemen which is the same dish except served with cold noodles on the side and dipped in the pork bone broth. Unfortunately, the only other food I've sampled here was the gyoza and the fried rice. The fried rice was just that: fried rice, nothing too crazy. The gyoza was also alright, nothing standout or mind blowing.

Now, onto the main attraction, the ramen. The Daikoku ramen is decidedly the bowl you will want to order when coming here. The pork bone broth is rich, the pork is fatty and flavorful, and overall it is a very good bowl of ramen. The Tsukemen is perfect for a warm day, as you aren't staring down into a giant bowl of steaming ramen. The cold noodles are decent, but take a turn towards Flavortown once dipped in the pork bone broth. Overall, both bowls are good and definitely worth trying at least once during visits to Little Tokyo.

Sadly, I have quite a few problems with Daikokuya. The number one issue was actually an isolated incident during my last visit, but has unfortunately kept me from coming back: I found a rubber hairband in my bowl of Daikoku ramen. Yes, that's right, those bands that you use to tie your hair back when dealing with food. Repulsive. The other issue I had was disjointed service. Now, I can't shift 100% of the blame to Daikokuya for this because lets face it, this place is the busiest restaurant in Little Tokyo, beating out Shabu Shabu House. But honestly, it stinks having to wave your hands like you're flagging down an airplane on a deserted island. I also hate that rushed feeling you get from eating at places with long waits and little seating; it makes it very hard to relax and enjoy your food.

Daikokuya definitely serves a good bowl of ramen, but unfortunately the long waits, seemingly unclean environment, and awkward service just don't hit home with me. Go at least once to try the Daikoku ramen and see if it was worth the hour+ wait; if it was, then you have your new spot with the other LA hipsters.

Mr. Ramen

I'm always a bit surprised when I read people's impressions of Mr. Ramen down in Little Tokyo on 1st Street. To be fair, it does have the odds stacked against it, being just a few doors down from Daikokuya, which happens to be the "darling" of hipster SoCal ramen eaters. I don't think the often maligned comments are deserved. In fact, I would actually rate Mr. Ramen above Daikokuya.

Upon entering, you'll notice the decor is a little...odd. Random paintings on the wall, autographed pictures of lounge singers, and a collection of small tables and a long bench. Nine times out of ten, reggae can be heard over the speaker system, and to be quite honest, I think all of the above just add to the charm. Not only does Mr. Ramen beat Daikokuya in warmth, but the service is miles better and the selection is outstanding.

Mr. Ramen caters to us savage carnivores, as well as those who stay strictly vegetarian; on the back of their menu, they offer a full selection of vegetarian dishes , including multiple bowls of ramen made with vegetarian broth. Being a ravenous meat-eater, I haven't tried any of these dishes, but the look of satisfaction I saw on my vegetarian cousin's face told me it was probably pretty damn good.

Flipping back to the regular menu, you will find an impressive selection of various bowls of ramen and combos. Their pork bone ramen is a little less flavorful than the one found a hundred feet away at Daikokuya, but it's still an above-average bowl of ramen (especially when dosed with copious amounts of nanami togarashi!) My two personal favorites here are the chicken curry ramen and the spicy chashu ramen. The chicken curry has an amazing broth that isn't too thick or too thin, but just right. Along for the ride are sizable chunks of juicy white meat chicken breast that just suck up the flavor of the broth, resulting in an orgasmic flavor explosion once you bite into it. The spicy chashu doesn't seem like anything special at first; after all, it's regular chashu ramen with an extra kick. But the thing that sets it apart from known heat factories like Orochon is that none of the flavor is lost due to the spiciness. I always dump some more togarashi in it to step it up, but it's also perfect the way it is. The pork is juicy with just the right amount of fat, and the seemingly fresh nori adds in a little more flavor without falling apart.

The waitresses who work here are extremely friendly, and are never seen without a smile. Drinks are usually refilled on time, checks are only brought after the table has been cleared, and the food comes out lightning fast. I'm sure most of this is possible due to the fact that they are rarely super busy (again, due to the cult following of Daikokuya), but you just can't get this friendliness down the street.

Overall, try out Mr. Ramen. If you love chicken and Japanese curry, then I highly recommend the chicken curry ramen. I know it'll be tough to pull yourself away from the entrancing gaze of Daikokuya, but you owe it to yourself to at least visit this little shop at least once.