the ramen blog & other goodies!

Despite the fact that it’s not actually on Sawtelle Blvd, Ramenya is a mainstay of the ramenya-filled area of West L.A. known as “Little Osaka”. The numerous ramenya in the area actually made for a tough decision on which one to review next, but the fact that a ramenya was called “Ramenya” tipped the scale in its favor…that, and the fact that this is probably the most times I’ll ever use the word “ramenya” in one paragraph. Known for generous portions, long lines, and a friendly staff, Ramenya seemed like the perfect place to go for lunch on a cold (yes, mid-60’s is cold for Southern California) winter day.
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I seem to be cursed when it comes to Daikokuya. The first time I tried to go, the owner was on vacation, and they were closed. I ended up at Kouraku across the street. Then as I typed up this review and was *almost* finished, my browser decided to crash. So let me try this again…

I’ve been anticipating a visit to Daikokuya for a long time, after reading some rave reviews. As I stepped into the restaurant, I felt like I was transported back in time to a 50’s (or maybe 60’s?) Japanese diner. The restaurant has a great nostalgic atmosphere, from the red diner stools to the vintage signs and props that decorate the place. Since I arrived at an off-hour, the place was empty and the service was fast.

Daikokuya serves only one style of ramen: the Daikoku ramen, with kurobuta pork (”the pork for royalty”) and a tonkotsu soup lovingly cooked for nearly a day. The best value at Daikokuya is the ramen/rice bowl combo, which comes with your choice of 8 different rice bowls or fried rice. I chose to go with the tempura don, which was quite good…nothing spectacular, but good. (more…)

drove all the way up to little tokyo for this. our first choice was daikokuya, which got rave reviews on assorted web sites, but unfortunately it’s closed temporarily on sundays. we ordered the shoyu ramen with a half order of chahan (fried rice), and an order of gyoza. the atmosphere was ok…nothing really special. the ramen was not bad, but not great. not as good as ebisu in huntington beach, that’s for sure. the noodles were decent and chewy, but the soup was flat. not bland, just very one-dimensional. the fried rice was pretty yummy, with tiny pieces of meat. the gyoza was very boring.
the ramen gets a 6. fried rice gets an 8. the gyoza gets a 5.

Kouraku Restaurant
314 E. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA
213-687-4972