EXCELLENT RAMEN WITH JAPANESE FLARE I've visited more than a few Daikokuya locations, and I have to admit that this location is my favorite. The Ramen has never let me down. The service is great. The inside decor is reminiscent to what I have encountered when visiting Japan and is basically how many divey ramen restaurants in Japan look like. Moreover, they serve Orion beer here. Whenever I am in the area and am craving some ramen, this my go-to Daikokuya for ramen. read more

Overall I think this is an okay ramen spot. I tried their regular ramen and it was ok. The broth was flavorful, the bean sprouts and bamboo shoots added a nice crunchy texture that contrasted well with the softer textures of the meat and noodles. The noodles for me were just slightly too overcooked for my taste, but it wasn't a big deal. The tea egg was good with a just above jammy interior texture. The chashu was great though. It was very tender with no strange pork smell to it. It tasted fresh. I got the ramen with small rice bowl and salad combo. The rice bowl was alright as well. I got the pork cutlet and egg. I wanted the pork cutlet to be crispy, but the breading on the outside was soggy. The overall flavor was fine though. It had a braised, sweet soy sauce type of flavor to it. The salad was made of shredded cabbage and carrots with a creamy dressing on top that reminds me a lot of thousand island dressing. The slight bitterness from the raw cabbage paired well with the sweeter flavors of the dressing and the carrots. Service was okay. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Daikoku ramen and small chicken pork cutlet bowl combo - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

We got the Daikokuya ramen and it was really tasty! Our food came out quickly and the servers were friendly. The inside was cute, I really liked the theme that they had. read more

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

A famous Japanese ramen place in SGV! I can't believe we got Daikokuya in SGV. They got their own parking at the back for the reataurant. The food is good. Ramen is yummy. And it's more than a ramen restaurant, it's got a lot of great appetizers and drinks. Check out their happy hour menu with half price beer. We ordered a few combo, with ramen and rice bowl together, great values. The appetizer are good as well. The inside decor look very Japanese and very fun. The booth are comfortable. Servers are great. read more

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This restaurant has very poor service. It was my first time here and it took over 5 minutes to be acknowledged and offered a table. Once we were seated it took 15 minutes for a waiter to come take our order for drinks and/or food. We placed our order and the food came out instantly and never again did the waiter come back to check on us. We sat there waiting once again to get our check for multiple minutes. The restaurant was slow and had multiple open tables and two young ladies working. There was no reason for us having such poor service. The restaurant needs better waiters than these young ladies. If it were up to me I wouldn't even rate this restaurant quality not even 1 star. read more

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

I can't even remember the last time I visited Daikokuya. The first time when I visited their Little Tokyo location (probably more than 15 years ago), the long line/waiting time was something I don't want to experience again. They are one of the pioneers of Japanese ramen in Southern California, and tonkotsu ramen is their best selling item and what they are known for. I stopped by their El Monte location and ordered togo for dinner this time. The Japanese themed decorations transport you to a cozy local spot in Japan, giving off the warm, authentic vibe of a good izakaya (I will likely opt to dine in next time). As expected, the tonkotsu ramen broth was incredibly rich and creamy, packed with strong pork bone flavor. Daikokuya's signature touch, the addition of pork back fat, is really elevated the soup, making the taste even more strong and bold. After a 30 minute drive home, the ramen noodles still had a great texture and hadn't turned soggy. However, the chashu was a bit too fatty for my liking. The spicy tuna roll was not bad with a satisfying kick of heat that didn't overpower. The beef don, while not particularly memorable, came in a generous portion and miso soup. Overall, Daikokuya El Monte holds up to the brand's reputation, especially when it comes to their ramen, which has its own unique characteristic. If you're in the area and looking for a hot bowl of Japanese tonkotsu ramen, this is a great place to go. (Street parking is limited, private parking lot in the back of the building). read more

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Enjoyed food with friends. We had a very kind server who gave us a lot of answers to her questions about the different dishes. We enjoyed the cozy seating area. We had a group of six and they made room for us. They were able to accommodate larger groups, but be prepared for weeks. We do appreciate the fact that when we needed extra dishes to share with the kids, they were willing. The children's menu was wonderfully made. For the price, it was better than expected. We will definitely be coming back again. read more

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

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Great ramen, went in on a rainy day for lunch with no wait. Staff was pleasant but extremely dry and unpersonable. Portions were large and my friend and I really could have shared but we had some to save for later. Would definitely return another time. read more

Have not been to this particular location! Never realized there's one here in El Monte! Want a good ramen fix without driving out to little Tokyo? Want a good bowl of ramen on a cold winter night? Want no wait? There were only 3 tables including ours on a Friday night. Interior looks outdated, must have been around for years. Very sticky floors throughout. My son felt the sticky floor and noticed it first but dam, I can hear my shoe pull like a semi sticky mouse trap glue on the floor. Hmm service was not good, weren't even busy. We were checked on once the entire time, that's fine. Had to flag down the staff to get forks, in fact I went to the counter , no one was to be found. Then patiently waited for the check.... No one, went back to the counter and the two staff members were talking away. Would come back but don't expect attentive service. read more

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

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Visted this place for the second time. The sign by the door says to wait there to be seated.. So I waited. There were a out 3 tables occupied. The young lady that eventually attended me saw me there standing and kept doing her thing and turning away. I had to approach a little closer to get her attention and ask if I can just sit anywhere, which was clearly the case. But she could have just taken 2 seconds to let me know i can sit anywhere id like. The Ramen was tasty other than that. I would visit again read more

Daikokuya in El Monte? Shock!! But also pleasantly surprised that I don't have to make the trek to Monterey Park or LA for some tasty ramen. The restaurant had their own private lot, but my boyfriend was able to secure street parking in front of the restaurant so that worked out better for us. No wait!! Another pleasant surprise. Normally when I go to Daikokuya in LA, I'm waiting for quite a while. We got seated at a comfortable booth. The table was a little wet, but I guess that's good since they wiped it down. Staff didn't give us a menu immediately so we looked around for a QR code. They came back later after taking the menus back from the table next to us and handed it to us. Funny... are they short on menus? Also, I noticed they had some sections of their menu saying El Monte specials. So it seems like they have some variation from other locations. My boyfriend had their combination meal. These all come with a side salad and price varies depending on which side item you want with your ramen. He had the Daikoku Ramen, no green onions, with the Small Fried Rice ($22.50). I also had the Daikoku Ramen ($17) no bean sprouts and an order of Corn ($1.50). I honestly think the combination meals are a great deal. The side salad was premade and a bit underwhelming but my boyfriend's fried rice was a good portion. Enough for him to share with me and still have some to take home for a subsequent meal. That #1 top seller Daikoku Ramen comes standard with their famous tonkotsu soup base infused with their secret blend of soy sauce, pork belly chashu, marinated boiled egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions and sesame seeds. I enjoyed the broth and the noodles. I bit into the egg right away to assess and it was more of a hard boil than a soft boil. Not the perfect yolk I usually enjoy. My boyfriend had an overcooked egg too. My order of corn came on the side and not directly put into the soup. There was soooo much corn, in a good way, so I shared some with my boyfriend. The meal was good for the most part, but there were definitely areas for improvement. I would consider this location if I'm too lazy to make a drive any further, but not my favorite Daikokuya location. read more

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This will be the last time I ever waste my money at this place. I've eaten here when they first opened in the restaurant in El Monte. I've order food her MANY times both pick up and delivery. But never have i ever been so irritated by any worker. The moment i walked in to pick up an order i made on instacart the lady at the front kept asking me "For who" without ever even checking of my fucking order. And by the fucking time she went and got my order she kept fucking asking "Whats your order?". Lady you got my fucking order in your hands and I told you the name on the fucking order. I've never felt this irritated just picking up my own fucking food. Fuck this place. I'd rather just go down the fucking street and get Ichirakus. By the fucking way this place was fucking Empty with only 1 booth with 2 people without any food just on their phones. read more

I'm so glad we have one in El Monte because it's much closer to me! It's never crowded, which I actually like, though it does worry me a little because I really hope this location doesn't close down. The service can be a hit or miss -- sometimes they're very attentive, and other times not as much -- but overall, the experience has been good. When we go, it's usually just us or one or two other tables. We always get the Original with the Chashu pork over rice on the side -- it's our favorite! That meal usually feeds both me and my husband, and if my son comes with us, we just order an extra bowl of noodles. They're always happy to accommodate that. I also like that there are booths, which give you a nice bit of privacy while you eat. Parking is easy -- there's a big lot in the back and usually spots in the front as well. It's conveniently located right in front of Superior, so we often stop by after grocery shopping for fruits and vegetables. We recently tried their Super Bowl, which came with more fat, meat, and vegetables. It was good but a little too much for us, so we'll probably stick to our usual Original next time instead of the new special. I really hope this place stays open -- the food quality is great, and honestly, it's just as good (if not better) than the one in Little Tokyo. We definitely recommend it and will keep coming back! read more

Don't come right now (11/23/2025) Closed because of a health code violation. Just so everyone is aware. I hope they do better for us customers because I am usually a recurring customer. read more

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

Whats there to not like?! Food and price is always good! Hits the spot for good Ramen. Probably top 5.

The place does not disappoint. The portions are massive and well worth the price. The waitress is courteous and keeps a check on you, and the seating is arranged in such a way that it is private and roomy. read more

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

We came in yesterday 8/29 around 2:10pm. It's a famous brand for sure. The taste level of the ramen has been the same , slightly worse than the other one at little Tokyo. The noodle itself has a weird not yeast but like disinfectant liquid back taste . I would not give a bad review just because of the taste since it does depend on individual preferences. The reason for this two stars are because of the terrible service. Since we walked in, made eye contact with the girl standing behind the register table I assume, she said absolutely nothing but have us just weirdly waiting for 2 or 3 minutes while she was doing nothing there. We don't want to be rude so we waited patiently. Until we Hello her to remind our existence again, she just said ' sit wherever you want' Yes, they only had one or two tables of customers. So we sat in one then noticed the table was sticky, ramen noodle from last customers stuck to the table side. Ok, so we switched to another table ourselves . We waited for over 10 minutes to get water even there's no else customer in the restaurant needed to be served at that time. She never offers to add water. Even when we wanted to ask for more napkins we couldn't even get a chance, because for over 15 minutes she's not even present in the room. However, later on there's another group of people maybe 3 or 4, when they walked in they were seated by a guy servant who may look like the manager or something . Surprisingly she immediately cleaned up the table , brought out the water, welcomed them and take their orders. I can't think of any reason to be treated differently besides maybe because we weren't taken in by the manager, or maybe she just didn't like us from the first glance. Maybe when the restaurant is doing the training, they can actually emphasize a little bit more like , not treating customers differently based on your personal preference? Terrible attitude, terrible service, terrible experience. read more

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

The noodles are very rich and eggy! The broth is very rich as well, and pretty salty. The chashu was not my favorite type. It was thin, fatty, and a little sweet. It wasn't bad, I just probably wouldn't get it again. We got our orders within about 10 minutes of ordering. It was quick to be seated as well as check out. To be honest, there's not a lot to look at in this shop-it's very small! There's some bar seating and table seating, but I definitely wouldn't come here with a group of more than 4 people total. It's too small! read more

So disappointed today. Passed by and have never been to this location, I usually go to the MP location. First red flag , heath grade is a C!!! Should skipped. Then the my dad and wife got the Ramen lunch special, way too salty, not sure if the locals in elmonte like it that way but it's too salty. My dad even complained about how salty it is and my wife didnt even finish hers. We didn't even ask about the ramen but only ask to take off the $2 karaagi chicken which was over cooked and really tough , there was 3 pieces and we ate half of one piece and left the rest and ask for it to be removed from our bill, the guy said no. California roll was nothing noteworthy, just a mushy riceball So after $60 , we left almost a full bowl and the chicken on the table and walked out. ***********++ Thanks for the response Takaaki, can you reach out to me in private to resolve this? read more

Enjoyed my both visits here, I live close by and I'm glad they have kept the same prices and atmosphere. The food is a solid 8/10 and I enjoy having some sake here as well, just wish they were open a bit later read more

Came here for lunch and there was no wait! The broth was delicious and the pork belly melted in my mouth! I also got a california roll and that was surprisingly good as well! The only thing I didn't really enjoy was the green tea, it was very watered down and not worth it, even though it is unlimited. read more

The decor is nice and the service as great. Some peoples do not make the pork in the ramen right but the pork here is pretty tender. I'm not a fan of the noodles. I guess I just don't like that particular style of noodles. The salad was pretty good too. I love the dressing. read more

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

This place has totally fallen off. The shredded pork bowl is always dry, low meat portion, and rice stale. I got the salmon sashimi bowl and it seems rancid to me. Couldn't eat it. And their salad.. what was once a best part of the restaurant is always dry and stale/oxidized/brown. read more

very good ! Haven't had it in years but still has the same great flavor. Must try ! Come hungry ! Friendly staff, very nice people. Quiet and spacious restaurant and bar. read more

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

Restaurant was decorated in Japanese style. Ramen is so good; tasty soup and perfect cooked for noodle. We recommend fried rice too. Service is so good. We went around 11:15 am and not busy . read more

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TLDR: Nothing like the original... would highly recommend eating the commute and visiting the Daikokuya in Sawtelle rather than here. While the staff are friendly, the taste of their traditional Tonkotsu Ramen is not. - - - - - - Daikokuya (in Sawtelle) had been a cherished college memory of mine, and I was ecstatic to discover Daikokuya in El Monte... so much closer! Unfortunately, the tastes here are nothing of nostalgia. I was torn between a simple salmon / tuna salad or the go-to Tonkotsu ramen. I went with the Tonkotsu ramen, kotteri style because I loved having a thicker, tastier broth. The wait time was fair, and I was ready to answer my stomach's call to satisfy its hunger. From the moment the my spoon hit the broth, I knew something felt off. The broth was incredibly thin for the kotteri - to be honest the broth was so watery I wasn't sure what to think... The broth was mostly salty or tasted like it were flavored by powder. I'm not sure what it was, but it was not the normal kotteri I've tasted at Daikokuya. Next was the pork chashu... was it pork? It looked like it, but it was so mushy and soggy... not the melt in your mouth kind either! Imagine eating wet tissue paper or soggy bread. If I closed my eyes, I wasn't sure what I was eating. If you told me it was soggy fish filets in soup, I'd probably believe you. Saving the best for last has always been a tactic of mine when enjoying meals. For ramen, this is usually the egg. Imagine the disappoint when I realized that the eggs were more cooked than softboiled. It was an awkward consistency that wasn't very smooth and a bit chunky. The service was okay, and the parking was difficult even for a weekday night. Overall for nearly $20, I'd say stay away from this Daikokuya location. It is most definitely not comparable to the one in Sawtelle or Little Tokyo, and this is one of those locations where you're probably better off eating the commute to taste the real deal. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Tonkotsu - Looks Aite - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

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Wanted to try a new spot out in El Monte honestly was not impressed the tonkatsu ramen had more of a chicken flavor then a pork bone flavor idk I wasn't into it and I'm a ramen connoisseur so I was disappointed The service was below bad even tho it's a small quiet place . I wouldn't go back the only thing that was decent here was the dynamite roll but that was 15$ read more

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

A small restaurant that serves ramen. Not much to say about this place. The noodles were good They need to clean their walls. Had to request a seat change as it also smelled on the right side of the restaurant ( might have been because of the walls or seats) The staff here were friendly. read more

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Pretty sure they didn't store their ingredients at the proper temperature. The chashu and egg was soggy and tasted rotten. I'm not a picky eater and I normally can eat almost anything but when I took a bite out of the meat I nearly threw up. read more

This was my daughter's choice for her birthday. We arrived early for lunch and it wasn't very busy. We both ordered the El Monte lunch special which is the ramen and one side. We had the daikoku ramen and chicken karaage, and a side of takoyaki. Everything was delicious. The ramen had great chew with flavorful broth, the karaage was prepared perfectly( I love how light the coating is) and of course the Takoyaki was perfect as well. Always enjoy a visit to Daikokuya. read more

Horrible customer service I had called to place a order over phone and waiter, Told me to hurry up so I took my business somewhere else read more

Service was good, not much wait, specials are great, food, amazing. Highly recommend for vegans as well

Stopped by Daikokuya after returning from the airport on a trip back home. It was a pretty warm day so I ordered the Tsukemen, which is their cold dipping ramen that comes with chashu, and all their other fixings. Ramen noodles had a really nice texture to them, and the pork broth had a nice flavor and richness to it, without being too salty. The portions sizes are decent, and they have the option to order extra noodles as well. The restaurant itself is pretty small, but we went at an off hour, so we had no trouble getting a seat. Will definitely try their hot broth ramen next time I visit! read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Cold dipping ramen - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

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I stumbled across this location near me as I was driving by and wanted to give it a try. I did online ordering which was pretty quick and seamless. I got the daikoku ramen. Overall it was pretty standard in terms of quality and taste. I like that they gave a lot of toppings. The soft boiled egg looked like I peeled it myself but it was surprisingly delicious and cooked (marinated?) well. Parking is adequate, but it can be tricky to enter/exit. read more

Terrible Service - Avoid if You Expect Basic Hospitality We had dinner here today (receipt attached for reference), and the service was absolutely unacceptable. If you plan to visit around 3:30 PM, be warned: the sushi chef apparently takes a 20-minute break, and the entire restaurant seems to come to a standstill because of it. My meal was served first, and about 10 minutes later, a server came over to inform us--only then--that the sushi chef was on break and would return soon. We then had to wait an additional 15 minutes for the rest of our order to arrive. By that point, my food had gone cold, and the experience was already ruined. What made it even worse was the complete lack of accountability from the staff. No one returned to check on us, apologize, or offer any kind of compensation for the unacceptable delay. It felt as if they simply didn't care. Essentially, if the sushi chef is on break, it seems like no one eats. This level of disorganization and disregard for customers is beyond frustrating. I would not recommend this place to anyone expecting even the bare minimum of decent service. read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Terrible Service - Avoid This Place - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

Came here for lunch on Friday. There was only one other table in use. The Ramen broth was great but the portion seemed smaller than usual. The pork was tender and the noodles nicely cooked. The service was definitely off. I waited almost ten minutes for our server to come around so we could ask for chili oil. She was not very attentive despite the restaurant being empty. The garage chicken was good just a little too fatty and the pieces were huge. read more

I was craving Daikokuya but didn't want to drive out to Little Tokyo & deal with parking/traffic, so I gave this location a try. Long story short, I shoulda just made the drive. The whole bowl of ramen just didn't taste the same to me. read more

Nice place, good food, good prices. Attentive staff. Clean. Would come back. We had the spicy ramen. Not too spicy.

This is a great spot. I decided to catch some lunch while in town and the Spicy Miso Ramen HIT. It was one of those "drink the whole soup" type things. They added some new items as well, including the Crispy spicy tuna and I had to make the move. It was so good that I wish they put a little more tuna on them, but regardless they were great. Service is always super friendly here and they check on you pretty often which is appreciated. The ambiance is nice too, they decorate it so it really feels like a ramen joint. Can't go wrong with this spot! read more

Daikokuya - El Monte - Spicy Miso Ramen and Crispy spicy tuna - Ramen Near Me - El Monte, California

I've always gone to the location in Little Tokyo but decided to try this one since it was closer. Food was great, service was great, and felt just like the one in LA. read more

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