Came here for a quick lunch with some of my coworkers and was rather surprised that El Monte has such a good spot for ramen. It was rather dead during 12pm but that was fine with us since we only had an hour to eat. I got the lunch special which came with the daikon ramen and a choice or either egg rolls, chicken karaage or california rolls for about $15. I went with the chicken karaage. The ramen was good! I wish the broth was a bit creamier but it was still delicious. For my side i got the chicken karaage and maybe it was that day or something but i did not like it at all. My friend got the special too but he got spicy ramen with egg rolls and I liked the egg rolls better. Definitely want to come back to try the other items they have on the menu! Service was okay, I mean aside from asking us what our order was and dropping off the food and giving us the bill, I didn't see her or anyone else. Parking is okay, but i guess it depends on what day and time you go. They have a small private lot in the back but it doesn't fit that many cars. read more

Ever since college I have fallen in love with Daikokuya's ramen. Back then, the only location was the small little hole-in-wall in Little Tokyo with a queue that flooded from the sidewalks into the street. We loved that place because it was one of the few still open at 1 AM. Of course, the wait was almost never worth it. Lucky for us, this chain has expanded over the years. Even luckier, it's close to where we live. The first few times, I completely missed this restaurant because it is hidden behind a large tree on a wide street. Now we know to slow down when we saw the sign for the market across the street. It's a humble place with the friendliest staff. Usually we go on a weekend and it's fairly empty. Today we went on a week night and it was jam packed. Still no line though. What I love about Daikokuya's ramen is that it's tonkotsu style broth with bouncy noodles. But that's just one of the appeals here. The best part is the salad--not because of the vegetables, but because of that delicious in-house dressing. They sell the dressing in bottles now, by the way. I convince myself that salad is always healthy and always ask for a side salad...for the dressing. The staff are very accommodating. They're quick and always check in on you. We had stamp cards that got us a free karaage appetizer and our server pointed out that we never cashed in our free drink either. Double score! When it came out late, they apologized profusely. Hard to be mad at someone who is so polite and nice. There's also parking in the back so don't drive for blocks looking for street parking. For a less crowded alternative, come to the El Monte location. read more

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This is the first time I have tried Daikokuya. Took a chance since there are other ramen spots and I do not regret this choice! The food was delicious! The ambience was tasteful and the service was nothing short of perfect. If youre in the area, spend your money here. Well worth its affordable cost. read more

I'm a big fan of Daikokuya, I've been visiting their restaurants for 7 years. I never eat ramen from amy other place because IT USED TO have a unique taste when it was located inside the shopping center in Arcadia. Ever since they chaged cooks and other employees El Monte location kind of sucks. Last night, the noodles were hard, the broth had a different flavor and I had to ask for ginger, garlic and other spices. I'm still a big fan of this place, just not this location. For the original flavor of the ramen which is what they are known for, I will be going to the location in Monterrey Park and DTLA. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

This review is for the ramen. I had the miso ramen with extra chasu. Like other ramen places, you have the choice of side add ons for anadditional cost. It didn't have quite the extensive customization options as a shin sen gumi. The ramen was on the decent enough side, yet it was neither terrible, nor exceptional. The food there is a bit on the pricey side. My spicy miso ramen was $13.95 and when you have to pay $3.95 for a few more slices of chasu, it made my bowl almost $20. So for the price that you're paying, I found it to be rather unremarkable. It wouldn't be one of my top go to ramen choices in the SGV. The wait was nonexistent. I did like the interior decor of the restaurant with all the booths. The staff were cordial l. The restaurant is off Garvey blvd and can be easily missed since the signage isn't very obvious. There's plenty of parking in the back. They open until 11 pm which is a good thing if you're hungry for late night ramen. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Spicy ramen with extra chasu. - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

The tsukemen ramen here is terrible and regret to trust the good reviews here. The worst ramen we had at town.

Located in an unassuming commercial/industrial area of El Monte, don't let the location fool you! Don't expect a teriyaki bowl here, this is the real deal. We ordered karaage which was lightly battered and crispy to the bite. With a squirt of lemon, and sprinkle of red pepper, the juicy chicken was not greasy at all and simply yum. Next, the mixed poke & salmon salad offered a refreshing balance to the chicken. Super refreshing, the dressing is so good I wish they would offer it in a bottle for sale! Topped with crisp fried noddle garnish, we ate every last bite. Lastly, the fried rice was superb. Up there with the best Canto offerings, and thats saying a lot. If you're in El Monte and feeling Japanese, look no further! read more

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My little brother and I came in for lunch. We did the lunch special which was more than enough! A ramen bowl with your choice of appetizer. It doesn't look much until you enter inside! They really try to make it like a Ramen House. The ambiance is welcoming and relaxing -- so much I started falling sleep The ramen is delicious! The broth is so delicious and comforting that it will relax you. Our waiter was very attentive and very caring! He even offered to give me a to-go cup for my water. I definitely recommend this little gem. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Lunch special with chicken karaage and 4 pc California roll - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

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This is the third Daikokuya I've been to so far, and it's the biggest yet! The food is pretty consistent with the others, but it did not have that old school feel, with the antique signs, or old bar feel, so I was missing that very much. This location feels more like a westernized ramen restaurant, and did not have the vibe that the other two have. I would recommend a little more old school look, and the food a little spicier, to draw the clientele to keep this place moving. The area is not the greatest, but the food is okay. This is the first time I realized that the atmosphere adds a lot to the dining experience. I don't know whether I would come back as it's far from home for average ramen, when I can go to other shops down the street with a more spirited atmosphere. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Spicy Miso - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

Was super excited to see a Daikokuya near my new house--aannnddd that's where the excitement ended as I sat down and ordered my usual combo. I frequent the Sawtelle and MPK locations, so boy was I surprised by the terrible tasting ramen bowl that was served to me... Strike #1) when I asked for garlic press, their staff stared at me like deers caught in headlights. Strike #2) Egg tasted like it's been sitting there all day, waiting to be reheated for the next unsuspecting diner. Strike #3) Char shui pork that disintegrated in my bowl and was never seen again for the duration of eating. Who even manages this location? Sadly, I am going to have to say go to their other locations. Subpar ramen at best at this location. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Egg looks funky... - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

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Great ramen and wonderful service. The place was quite chill during the lunch hour I visited on a weekday. Parking is easy to find and they have their own lot! read more

My go to take out Ramen spot. Always good and fast service. I've never had an issue and orders are always right.

Good food, not the best service, however, amazing food every time I stop by. Can't wait to come back and try more menu items

I came to this location after driving by the Little Toyko location, seeing a line out the door, and checking the reviews. It was a quick lunch after finals (while sick!) with a great friend and it was amazing. No wait. Food came out quick. Service was great. And the food was great! The soft boiled egg was cooked perfectly. The noodles were perfect. Overall, will come back if I'm in the area again. read more

The only issue you'll ever have is not having a bigger stomach to order more I can't get enough of this place , the spicy miso ramen is to die for I've had many different types of ramen around the area and nothing comes close to Daikokuya the squid balls are bomb too read more

I came here with my 2 teenage kids. We eat out quite often and enjoy service, decor, and food! So it saddens me to write a mediocre review for a restaurant with so much potential. PROS: 1. The waitresses were very nice and provided us a real menus even though the wall had barcode for menu (which i hate because if only one person had a cellphone, then we'd have to pass the phone around to everyone). 2. I like the Japanese decor. It gave off an authentic vibe. CONS: 1. I hate to give negative reviews because this location is soooo much closer to my house than the one in Little Tokyo. But....El Monte is soooo salty for the spicy miso ramen. Then my kids complained their poke bowl was salty too. 2. With tax, a bowl of simple ramen with small amount of meat and full of onions and bean sprouts was $20. I eat out a lot and this has got to be the most expensive bowl of noodles I've ever eaten in my life. Only other time I had noodles this expensive was Vietnamese Lobster noodle soup and Thai Lobster Tom Yum. 3. There was a note on each booth " Sorry for the inconvenience but only 2 credit cards per table" and " If ordering under $10, a $1 charge will be added to the bill". I mean....isn't 15% tip and up supposed to cover the inconveniences to the restaurant and waitstaff??? What are we paying tip for if all you're doing is putting the bowl on our table. Tip is supposed to cover service above and beyond placing a bowl on our table. read more

Pros-The environment inside is great with good service. They made sure I had everything. The noodles are really good also. I had the spicy miso ramen. Cons-The pork in my ramen was served cold. Like ice cold. Also, avoid the lemonade it's terrible. It's that really cheap, and I mean cheap, powder lemonade with no flavor. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

Honestly, I am so happy that this ramen place is so close to where I live! The service is very attentive every time I come. They make sure we like the food and if we need any more water or any additions. I know that it doesn't compare to the original restaurants, but for a ramen place in El Monte it's pretty good. Daikokuya ramen is standard here, heavier soup base and it comes with an egg, 3 or 4 pieces of chasu pork, and bamboo shoots. How the egg is cooked varies every time we come, but for the most part it has a nice gooey center that mixes well with the ramen noodles and soup. Yum! What is 4.9/5 stars for me is the Tomato Vegan ramen! It comes with a tomato soup base, ramen noodles, grilled tomatoes, grilled zucchini slices, and arugula on top. I added a little garlic for more taste and that really helped give it an aromatic flavor (but garlic isn't necessary). The veggies are sitting in the bowl with the hot soup so it does get cooked, but they are fresh! What doesn't get the full 5 stars is the arugula because it has a bitter taste. I don't recommend mixing it in if you don't like arugula, but dip it in as you eat the noodles so that it doesn't obscure the tomato soup. Or just try to eat the arugula as fast as you can haha. Overall good dining experience! If you want to drive farther for the original taste then go for it, but if you live in the area and don't mind/ aren't picky then this place will help fulfill your cravings. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Vegan Tomato Ramen and Daikokuya Ramen in the back - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

My hubby and I had lunch here yesterday after over a year of not visiting and their ramen is STILL SO GOOD!! I had been craving their delicious broth and buttery noodles for awhile and was honestly a tad worried that the quality/taste had changed but I was very pleasantly surprised! They did check our covid immunization card which was not a big deal for us and the service was attentive and fast. We definitely will be back again soon. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - So good! Added an extra egg. - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

This place taste 95% like the one in little tokyo location. It would be even better if the soup was hotter. Ate a couple time dining in and ordered it to go but I had to reboil the soup after I brought it back home and I don't live too far. This location never have a long line compare to the little tokyo or the Monterey park location. Which is a plus if you're craving daikokuya. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Daikokuya ramen with an extra egg - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

Food and service was good. Portions are big and ramen is served hot as it is supposed to be. Ramen is not oily like most restaurant prepares it. My family ordered combination Daikokuya Ramen and I ordered Cold Noodle Salad which was excellent. Will definitely visit this place again! read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Cold Noodle Salad - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

Whichever genius in the Daikokuya company picked this location for their restaurant didn't do their homework. $11 for a bowl of ramen in the crusty side of El Monte?? Your customer base is 20 - 40 years in age who have decent income. Majority of your business should be from lunch. You have none of that in that part of El Monte. It is also far from the freeway and next to a trailer home community. If you're going to open a store in El Monte it should have been San Anita and Garvey where the new Ross and Superior Market is! #626grubs Food: Classic Daikokuya ramen. Heavy broth, good textured noodles, soft pork slice and soft boil egg. I'd prefer the egg to be yolkier, but other than that it was pretty good. I still like the Lil Tokyo location's better. I'm not sure what it is or if I'm just biased but that place seem to be a bit better. Service: Very friendly staff. Probably more wait staff than they need...seeing as how there is not much business. Environment: This use to be Central Cafe which had decent food, but couldn't make it because the location is horrible. Still sketchy. Parking space is plentiful but driving in the lot and out is a pain. Price: $11 for a bowl of ramen is pricey especially since there are like 10 Pho restaurants within that 1 mile radius that serves pho for under $9. Food: 4 Service: 4 Environment: 2 Price: 2 read more

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After years and years of refusing to stand in line for Daikokuya, even when I lived in Little Tokyo a block away, I finally tried it after they opened a location [kind of the middle of nowhere] in El Monte. In the meantime, I've tried lots of other good ramen places, so maybe that colored my opinion a bit. But I was really underwhelmed. The Daikoku Ramen was decent, with a flavorful tonkatsu soup base (and you can add the free "kotteri" back fat-extracted soup to make it richer, although in my opinion not necessarily better). The noodles were also fine. There was a little less pork belly than I would've liked. But overall, it just didn't really wow me. Admittedly I am not an expert on ramen, so I can't really say authenticity factors too heavily into this review. The thought that I might like a hipster Korean ramen with black garlic oil or wood mushrooms more than a more purist take on ramen horrifies me. Maybe the hype and perpetually long lines built my expectations up unrealistically high. Or maybe I'm just not into Daikokuya. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Daikokuya Ramen - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

Service was excellent. Very personable and attentive. Food was good. I wouldn't say amazing, but some good ramen! The chicken egg bowl was okay. Not bad, but wouldn't order that again. Overall decent experience. read more

This is a top ramen spot. It was delicious. Our server was funny and quick. He knew the menu and unfortunately they are not allowed to serve ice cream due to Covid read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Inside - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

First time coming to Daikokuya I really enjoyed the ramen it was really delicious I love that they have vegan friendly choices too! The staff is also very friendly , would definitely come back ! read more

Food was delicious! I always come here, have been coming since the place opened first in El Monte. Today was my first time trying the mochi, so yummy! I recommend ordering the sausage! read more

Food was amazing and the staff was attentive and charming. Restaurant was cozy and had a great atmosphere. We sat at the "bar" with a group of 7 and had a blast, which I don't think I've ever experienced before at any other restaurant (i typically don't enjoy sitting to my party in a line, but this was great!) As a non native to CA, I was skeptical of the nearly $20 ramen, but the price point is great for the quality AND quantity of food you get. The pork melts in your mouth, but still has an amazing crunchy exterior. The egg was perfectly jammy, and the broth and noodles were amazing! I got the top selling ramen. Me and all my friends left happy as could be, with full tummies. I could rave on about this restaurant forever. All my friends were happy to have agreed on this restaurant we found on our Google search. I really wish we had one of these where I'm from!! You will not regret eating here! read more

Such an amazing spot! The customer service is A1! I took my wife and kid here for the first time and they loved it! The servers were very attentive regarding the dietary restrictions my family has and ensured the food catered to their needs. Did I mention the food was delicious? The food complimented the ambiance which added flare to the place. Give the place a try. You won't regret it read more

After coming home from a long day of work, my sister and I enjoyed the food and the Jpop music in the background . Will be coming soon :) and thank you for being open late :) read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Spicy Tuna Roll - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

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We've been going to this location for years. Of all the Daikokuya locations, this is is our favorite. From the ambience to the food and people, it's one of the best read more

This place keeps disappointing me. I don't think the people that work here, like working. Tonight, at 830pm, I called to place a carry out order, and the person that answered the phone tried so hard to talk me out of ordering. 1st he tells me, they close at 9pm then immediately tells me, last call is in 15mins. After I placed the order, he tells me they only take cash. When I come to pick up, they refused to give me chili powder seasoning and tell me they are out of the seasoning. I'm just soooo disappointed in this establishment. From now on, I will just be going to Monterey park location. read more

Original wavy noodles, extra flavoring, extra egg. fast service, great wsitstaff. Better than going to Little Tokyo!

Background: The Arcadia location just relocated to it's new home in El Monte. Stage Of Operation: Soft Opening. There are no specials going on so don't ask! :) Credit Cards: Not Accepted. Cash is KING! Location/Parking: This place might be hard to fine. It's between Seamans Ave and Merced Ave. Hint: Just remember that it's across the street from CVS. Parking can be had in their small parking lot in the back or along Garvey Ave. Ambiance/Decor: Nice ambiance. Place was quiet, but I think it would be louder when it's gets busier. Service: Service was good. Staffers were friendly, attentive, and informative about their products. Food came out fast. Menu: Limited amount of items are offered for now. I only saw three types of ramen (Daikoku, Spicy Miso, and Cold Soup ramen) offered. Ramen Of Choice: I got the Daikoku Combination which came with a bowl of Daikoku ramen, side salad, and your choice of small rice bowl (shredded pork, fried rice, pork cutlet, chicken teri, beef, chicken egg, or teriyaki eel bowl). I chose the chicken egg bowl. I thought the ramen was decent. Broth wasn't salty, flavorful and the ingredients were all fresh. Loved the dressing on the side salad. The chicken egg bowl was great! Tip: Add some salad to the chicken egg bowl, mix everything up, and proceed to nom... nom... nom! read more

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Woohoo! So happy to have heard that they opened a Daikokuya in El Monte. Currently in their soft opening so not that many people know about it ;). Came here on a rainy Sunday after church with a group of about 8 of us and was happy to see that there was lot of seating. Definitely way bigger than the Monterey Park and Little Tokyo location. We were seated right away and the servers were quick to take our orders and bring out our drinks and sides. Food came out not too long after as well. I usually order the same items from different Daikokuyas and this one tasted pretty similar to the other ones. read more

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So went for the first time- the food is good, like really good- I love ramen and theirs " the house ramen" was everything I needed it to be. I was feeling under the weather and I swear it helped. Lol. Give them a try- they didn't get 5 stars - but they are def worth a try. read more

The OG Little Tokyo location is way better, but this is probably the best ramen in El Monte. I can't exactly put my finger on the issues, but the Little Tokyo location is just always delicious. The pork belly bowl was dry and lower quality compared to the Little Tokyo location but other reviewers are saying it's great, so maybe I'll try again since it's been over a year by now. The regular ramen comes with a lot of noodles! I wanted to finish because they were so good (great al dente texture), but I was getting uncomfortably full. I didn't find the broth overly salty as others have commented. Hopefully this location has worked out it's inconsistency issues since it's much more convenient than going to Downtown LA. My dining mate got the koteri (extra fat) version which did not cost extra. Although the ramen was quite expensive to begin with, I think $14 a bowl. Easy parking in the lot in back or plenty of free street parking. It's not overly crowded for weekday lunch. read more

Big portions low prices not much complaints Overall nice environment only complaint is that the parking entrance kinda sucks read more

I've had ramen before in Albany, however this ramen knocks it out of the park. We ordered gyoza - hand made every day. It was absolutely a dream. I ordered the miso ramen - a warm spicy ramen with delicious pork. I also had wakame (wet seaweed) on top. It filled me and the wakame added a sweetness to the dish My friend had the Daikoku bowl and loved it as well. Overall great atmosphere and great meal read more

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Came here at night during the soft opening, so they don't have the full menu out yet. Parking lot is super small and the entrance is easy to miss. They have the sign over the old Grand Central Cafe sign right now. Decor of the place is nice. The booth seating is super tight and hard to get in and out of. The seating can stick to your clothing making it even harder to maneuver. Now for the food we started with the Takoyaki. 5 individual Takoyaki per order. Overall tastes pretty standard, not bad at all. The Daikoku Ramen, tastes good the soup base flavorful and ramen noodle tastes good. The egg was the highlight of this dish. The Spicy Miso Ramen was super bland. Didn't have enough flavor at all and we ended up adding more spicy and other items to it. To comment they now take credit card. So that is a bonus. Overall thought the experience was pretty standard, until the morning after when we both felt super dehydrated and uncomfortable. Feel this place uses way too much MSG. Considering all the wonderful ramen shops around the area, I can't recommend thus place. read more

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