**** This location of Daikokuya has closed
I've long been a fan of Daikokuya, though not a big enough fan to wait 1-2 hours in line….for me the return on investment was just not there. Well maybe an hour, but no longer…..except when it's kinda cold outside, but only then could I wait maybe an hour-and-a-half…..or if I'm really Jonesing for a bowl of the super rich and fatty Kotteri broth, maybe…..
So when I read that Daikokuya was opening up in the Food Court of Marukai Costa Mesa, I was overjoyed, and quite excited. Until I read Elmomonster's post on his disappointing visit to Daikokuya Costa Mesa. Still, I thought that I needed to find out for myself.
After seeing the "menu"(written on a piece of construction paper) and the "crew", I pretty much knew that this, at the best, would be a stripped down Daikokuya experience.
Being not very hungry, the Missus and I decided to split a bowl of ramen ($8.50). We were handed one of those vibrating coaster like thing-a-majiggies…. And before you knew it, the bugger got all lit up and vibrated its way off the table. I guess my bowl of ramen was ready!
As I moved the bowl from the plastic tray to the table, I noticed that it was not very hot, which for tonkotsu (boiled pork bone) style broth is the kiss of death. It ends up being oily. The first thing the Missus went for was the boiled egg, one of Her favorites, and Daikokuya, as I remembered it was one of the few places that would make their eggs "hanjyuku" style…soft boiled. As I fished the egg out, the Missus let out a gasp:
Talk about lousy quality control; this egg had cracked during the boiling process, causing the albumen to get stiff, and the yolk would obviously be overcooked. The Missus wasn't going to take this sitting down, and marched the bowl back to the counter. What She got from the young lady was a titter, and the statement, "wow, that's an ugly looking egg". You gotta love the attention to detail. After a short discussion, we got a replacement egg. It was not soft-boiled, but acceptable.
The broth itself was a disappointment, bland, somewhat greasy, almost what we would consider "stagnant". I had expected the Chashu to be lousy as well, but it was pretty good, with a nice mildly sweet "porkiness" to it.
The noodles were as good as mass-produced standard ramen noodles could be prepared. It had a nice chew to it, and was not overcooked. The Missus's assessment? "We came all this way for this? You better get some fish from Marukai and make me Karei Karaage when we get home!" Which I did.
I should have known better and taken Elmo's word on Daikokuya….but I had to find out for myself. Still, they seemed to be doing okay business in the Bermuda Triangle that is the Marukai Costa Mesa Food Court. But to me, it is a mere shadow of the Little Tokyo location.
Daikokuya
2975 Harbor Blvd (In the Marukai Food Court)
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
I just realized that I chose what may be one of the hottest days of the year to post about ramen…..maybe I just wanted to share my pain?