Daikokuya - Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

One of my favorite places to eat in J-town is Daikokuya. they are open until at least midnight so it totally fits into our weeknight schedule. there is almost always a wait, which i dont mind cause its just so yummy.  sitting at the bar at Daikokuya reminds me so much of the time when jason and i were lost in tokyo so we ended up at a ramen joint and had the best ramen of our lives.  we might never get the chance to go back partly because we are both so busy, but mostly because we dont remember what that place was called, or even which part of tokyo it was located at.  boo, but at least we will always have Daikokuya ...

i order tuna rolls ($4) almost everytime i see them on a menu cause they are my fave. 

i drench them in lo-so soy and some wasabi, yummmmy.

these gyoza (5.95) pork & veg dumplings, are the best things ever!

they are shaped differently than normal gyoza because they are made in-house fresh everyday, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. perfecto.

aah, the long awaited Daikokuya Ramen (8.50).  A tonkotsu soup base made of boiling pork bones, fat and joints it is super flavorful and soothing.  Combined with the special ramen egg noodles, pork belly, bamboo shoots and my favorite part: the perfectly marinated hard boiled egg, this bowl of goodness truly hits the spot.

(i usually dont like photos of half eaten food, but i just had to show how perfectly boiled this egg is ... )

Go get some Daikokuya!

Review: Katsuya - Glendale

love love LOVE sushi. its absolutely my faaaave food and i would eat it three times a day, seven times a week for a whole month if i had the chance (or the funds).  and the funny thing is im not even a sushi snob.  i'll eat those assorted ones in a box that you can get at Mitsuwa, i'll try out a 4-5 star place that people love on Yelp and i'll even get takeout from Kabuki to savor all by myself for lunch (not something im proud of, but it makes me happy).  

When Jase and i feel like classying it up, we head to Katsuya. i know there are many people that dont really like Katsuya, but for some weird reason their Special Katsuya Roll ($15) has got me hooked. I really really love cucumber and this one has it all over my fave cuts of fish. i poke out the avocado cause i. hate. it. dont ask me why, and no im not weird.

Jason usually orders Shishito Peppers ($7) as an appetizer and he says Katsuya has the best ones. Im not much or a pepper fan but these are good compared to all the other places we've had them at, so yay for the peppers. i have no idea how they prepare them, to me it looks like someone went a little crazy with the torch that is used for creme brulee. but i could be wrong, they're probably just roasted.

MMmmm, the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice ($13). Yum. Love. but 4 is not enough ...

this is the Sushi Lunch ($22) which comes with a green salad and miso soup. i think its a good idea cause you never know what youre gonna get its just random pieces of sushi and its a good add on cause you dont have to keep on ordering roll after roll.  this time we got cali rolls (which i poked the avocado out of) and last time we got tuna cut rolls which were awesome.

So it was a great sunday lunch. I just feel like i have to spread a lil love to Katsuya cause it gets such a bad rap and sometimes i feel like the people judging it so much and so hard aren't really enjoying the experience.  I mean, it is a designer restaurant - the decor, the ambiance, the location all come into play.  We all know that the sushi is never going to be as good as Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo or everyone's best kept secret sushi place, but it is what it is: LA Style. and Katsuya does LA style well.