Daikokuya [Little Tokyo LA]

Nothing sounded better than a steaming hot bowl of pho after a hilarious performance of Avenue Q at the Ahmanson. Since pho was closed, we visited what some consider the holy grail of ramen in Los Angeles, Little Tokyo's Daikokuya.

The JPop-vintage paraphenilia was complemented by a spattering of alternative LA hipsters and normal people keeping their cool. A refreshing departure from the traditional and a little raw on the edges.

I was surprised that there were only two ramens offered amongst a menu mostly of rice dishes, so of course we opted for the Daikoku Ramen combo with chicken-egg rice.

The broth was salty, mellow, and cloudy in appearance--exactly what I was looking for in a late-night snack. The noodles were thick and chewy and of course, you can never go wrong with an egg. Overall, the ramen was very satisfying and though I wouldn't be that quick to call it the best, it sure was damn good. The chicken-egg bowl didn't fare too poorly either.

Daikokuya
327 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680

My Vi Mi Gia #2 [Garden Grove]

As the name would suggest, My Vi Mi Gia specialized in mi, or Chinese-style egg noodle soup. While it is owned and operated by Vietnamese people out of Little Saigon, it is no less authentic or lip-smacking good.

My Vi Mi Gia's Mi Hoanh Thanh (Wonton Noodle Soup) comes piled with meats, fish balls, and wontons for your enjoyment. The soup is a straightforward brew of chicken broth, green onions, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil and is well balanced without being greasy. Mi nuoc (soup noodles) is often eaten with dau chao quay, which are deep-fried breads that are similar to croissants on the inside without the flaky exterior. They are also known as Chinese doughnuts.

Who in their right minds would want noodle soup in the sweltering heat, you ask? The solution lies in mi kho, which literally translates to "dry noodles" and includes everything you'd get in your mi nuoc with the nuoc leo (soup) brought on the side. The other distinguishing mark is that the noodles are mixed with dau hao (oyster sauce) for flavor.

My Vi Mi Gia #2 serves nothing out of the ordinary and though the food may not blow your mind, it is a solid choice for mi noodles. Oh yeah, and it's pretty clean to boot.

My Vi Mi Gia #2
10141 Westminster Ave, Ste J
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 537-3386