Time for today’s rhetorical question: Who doesn’t love ramen?

Obviously not this girl. The only downside about eating ramen [for me] is my inability to finish an entire bowl. (Damn you, tiny stomach!)

Los Angeles is more or less over-saturated with ramen shops. However, the restaurant that tops the list for me is the Daikokuya branch in Little Tokyo, just east of Downtown Los Angeles. Ever since I first tried a bowl of the extra-fatty broth in April 2009, I have worshiped at its steps. To me, Daikokuya Little Tokyo is the textbook definition of tonkotsu/pork-bone broth ramen. And where the broth is excellent–so goes my allegiance.

Little Tokyo is a bit of a drive from where I live, however, and the constant line in front of its Daikokuya location makes for a very impatient disciple. So for the sake of my own sanity, I usually forego this delectable, artery-clogging treat and reserve it for when visitors arrive.

Then one fateful day…

at a shopping center a mile away from our apartment…

a sign appeared in the window of a ramen shop that had recently closed.

‘Coming soon: DAIKOKUYA’ 

Joy, thy name is Kris! When the Daikokuya on Sawtelle had their soft opening toward the end of July, James and I joyfully (Krisfully? Just kidding, I really need better jokes) made our way to the entrance and strapped ourselves in for a fantastic ride.

So, you ask: how did they do?

Since that first visit, we have been back one other time a few weeks later and my consensus for now is… it’s good, but not great. Since the location is still less than a month old, they do not have the full menu available at the Little Tokyo location yet. The staples of the restaurant are still there, including their flagship item on the menu (ramen) as well as the gyoza, pork belly bowl and fried rice. But they do not currently have an option for ordering the broth kotteri (extra fatty), nor do they have tsukemen or hiyashi chuka. I’m sure that the menu will eventually expand as the store gets its feet wet. Sadly, the main star of the show and the #1 reason I love Daikokuya so much… yes, I’m talking about the broth… it’s missing something. It doesn’t have bite, nor the thick richness that makes the taste so luxurious on the tongue. If anything, the broth at this location tastes faintly of butter. I can’t lie–I was disappointed.

However, due to the proximity of its location and the much shorter wait times (for now), I will happily return to give it a chance in the future. A not-quite-as-good Daikokuya is still better than the rest of the ramen in the area–well, not counting the tsukemen at Tsujita LA, of course. I still think it warrants a try if you haven’t been yet, especially for the creative interior of the restaurant space. They’ve taken the indoor space and renovated it to look and feel like a street corner in Japan, complete with fake signs, a ‘ramen stand’ facade where the kitchen is visible, and a police box where the cash register resides. A mannequin in a police uniform greets you as you first walk into the restaurant–need I say more?

The Bottom Line: a well-known fantastic restaurant offshoot working out its kinks. Still worth a try, especially if you live in West LA like me!

When James and I visited Taiwan together in 2008, we spent nearly every night visiting night markets around Taipei. Endless rows of tents along narrow streets filled with clothes, knick-knacks and various electronic goods were flanked by food carts and vendors. In the more populated areas, the streets were wide enough to accommodate various street performers–singers, breakdancers, and sometimes martial arts demonstrations. And the brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants were always close by, making the night market a one-stop destination for any of your needs. I was hopelessly addicted to the shopping; James pointed out that I barely wore anything that I had packed and doubled my luggage weight in clothes on our return flight. I have to admit–I don’t own most of the clothes I bought in Taipei anymore. But I still carry the memory of the night market street food with me to this day.

626 Night Market began as an attempt to bring the buzz and energy of the Taipei night markets to Southern California in 2012. A group of volunteers gathered interest from nearby restaurants and shops, and the night market was titled ‘626’ to pay homage to the Pasadena area code. When I initially caught wind of the idea, I was surprised at the lack of interest shown online; I, by contrast, was practically glowing with excitement. I told everyone I knew about the event and counted down the days–anxious to relive the fantastic time I had experienced at the night markets in Taipei.

Apparently, everyone else and their mothers AND their fathers AND their second cousin from San Diego that happened to be visiting for the weekend AND… okay, you get the idea. A group of my friends & I got stuck in traffic a mile away from the night market location; when I saw the throngs of Asian-Americans congesting the streets, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. That feeling became full-blown disappointment when we finally made our way to the night market perimeter and saw the crowds. People were so tightly packed that women had to hold their babies’ strollers above their heads to walk. Food stands were overwhelmed–the wait line averaged 30 minutes and most of them ran out of food in the first hour. When we tried to escape the zoning nightmare, it took another hour for the traffic to disperse. To say that I was disappointed would be a gross understatement–and when I checked the community response online, I saw that I was in the vast majority. Marketing Heaven sheds light on how social media reactions can quickly shape public perception, amplifying frustrations or support in real time.

Lucky for me (and the rest of the Southern California community), the organizers didn’t allow the negative press to get them down and instead focused on the staggering amount of traffic they generated. The words ‘night market’ were special to people of all ages and backgrounds; now that interest from the public was obvious, it would be easier to justify the profits to other vendors. The 626 Night Market moved its location from the smaller, restrictive blocks in Old Town Pasadena to the sprawling grounds at Santa Anita Racetrack and never looked back.

As a visitor to both the initial attempt at the night market last year and the most recent event on Sunday, I am truly amazed at how successful the night market has become in so short a time span. This is in no small part due to the extensive Chinese/Taiwanese-American community out here in SoCal–and true to the demographic, the majority of the food offered was Chinese/Taiwanese. The distinct (and delicious?) smell of stinky tofu greeted our nostrils as soon as we parked; my brother recoiled in disgust, but I was awash in nostalgia for Taipei. Scallion pancakes topped with egg, lamb skewers, grilled squid peppered with five-spice, milk tea, egg waffles…

Other Asian street food was represented as well, including Japanese okonomiyaki, Korean pancakes, Indonesian skewers, and Filipino balut. (Gross.) Very popular food trucks also made an appearance–LudoBites, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Kogi and BellyBombz are just a few of the trucks I remember off the top of my head.

The smells in the air were amazing, and despite being full we kept eating–kept being lured into the promise of another tasty bite by the smoke wafting in the air and through the tents. The lines were long at the time we arrived (7:30pm) but petered out after 9pm; probably the only benefit of going on Sunday since the market closed at 11pm. And it was crowded, but not to the point where I felt my movement was restricted. It was evident that everyone there, young and old, were just as excited at the prospect of a night market here in the States–as well as happy at the overabundance of good food in the immediate area.

A few artists and other areas of curio were spattered amongst the food stands, but the market was primarily geared towards eating–which made walking around a little less fun after stuffing myself on food. I would recommend going more than once in order to try a larger amount of the food offered; the entry fee is only $3, which is well worth the well-maintained grounds and variety of cuisine. The main issue that James and I had with the night market was that all of the food stands were representations of restaurants in the area that we have access to at any time–and because of that, I think that the night market might be more fun for people visiting from a different city or area. But that fact would never prevent me from going in the future with friends, because we still had a blast.

The real question, however, is this: how true is this American version of a night market to the original markets I experienced and cherished in Taipei? I don’t think I could fairly compare the two; night markets are a daily fixture of life in Taipei whereas the 626 Night Market is a monthly festival held over the summer in Arcadia. I’m excited to see how 626 Night Market will grow in the coming years, and hoping that it inspires other metro cities around the country to follow suit–maybe one day night markets will no longer be a novelty, but just another aspect of daily life…? (A little far-fetched, but I can dream!)

One of my favorite aspects of living in Los Angeles (well, possibly the BEST aspect, if we’re going to be completely honest with each other) is the abundance of street food. Many countries around the world are defined by their street food–the United States is hardly an exception to this rule (see: hot dogs). I can hardly claim that Los Angeles has the most unique street food, as San Francisco and New York City can certainly give LA a run for its money nowadays. But in my mind, Los Angeles is the mecca of the modern movement–food trucks. When Kogi became enormously popular due to its unique twist on a standard taco truck in 2009, the idea took the country by storm. Imitators were quick to follow; but the novel idea of a ‘restaurant on wheels’, which had been overlooked in the past, jump-started the imagination of many creative chefs. Suddenly, people with great restaurant concepts but without the resources to afford a brick & mortar establishment could follow the ‘Kogi formula’ and achieve popularity. Trucks specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches, waffles, sushi and more were popping up all over the city–and like that, a city-wide (and eventually nation-wide) trend was born.

Even before we moved away from Denver in 2011, food trucks were already permeating the Mile High culture and becoming a familiar part of the cityscape. I remember chasing trucks by following Twitter on the Denver streets, trying to drum up excitement in my group of friends and squealing at each new food truck. Nowadays, food trucks are so ubiquitous around LA that they are a given: food trucks line up in front of LACMA, Mid-Wilshire, on weekdays; the Kogi Roja truck parks in Little Osaka on Sawtelle during Thursday nights. First Fridays on Abbot-Kinney in Venice, the ArtWalk in downtown LA, outdoor cinemas during the summer… where there is an open-air event, food trucks are expected and planned upon.

“Not so excited about food trucks around LA anymore, huh?” my friends ask with a smile.

I think this city has spoiled me rotten with its abundance of fantastic food trucks.

But this isn’t just about the trucks; the excellent quality of the food trucks here became a gateway ‘drug’ of sorts that hooked me into trying other types of street food. I used to be mildly fond of tacos before I moved here… now I’m an addict that considers the after-2 a.m. taco truck trip (say that five times fast!) an integral part of any night out in LA. I eat bacon-wrapped hot dogs off of questionable metal trays cooked on a cart without a permit in sight. Regardless of your financial situation–even if you’re down to the last $5 in your wallet–you can eat a damn good meal almost anywhere in Los Angeles thanks to street food.

Whether it’s a $12 gourmet lobster roll or a $1 beef tongue (lengua) taco, I can always satiate any craving I have on the streets of LA. And so, if you ever stop by–I highly encourage you to check out the Find LA Food Trucks website and try a truck or two nearby. Or if you’re open to becoming as addicted to street tacos as I am, The Great Taco Hunt is a great place to start (the blogger stopped updating in March of 2013, but it’s still a monster resource on taco trucks in the SoCal area). Even if you don’t live in LA or won’t be visiting in the foreseeable future, seek out food truck events in your local area. Support the culture so that new chefs with kick-ass ideas will continue to see the profit in starting trucks of their own, even after the trend has faded. Stuffing your face with tasty food on a street corner is probably one of the best ways to sacrifice your time while helping a creative entrepreneur, wouldn’t you agree?