Around Los Angeles
Best Japanese food in Los Angeles: Daikokuya
I have a great deal of experience with this truly authentic Japanese restaurant in little Tokyo - the heart of Downtown LA. I find myself frequenting the place quite a bit, because I live downtown, and often crave a nice bit of Japanese.
First off is the Appetizers: Gyoza is what I've always wanted to try in a Japanese restaurant because the ones I've bought from the supermarket never seem to come out right for me. This is absolutely the opposite case for Daikokuya who fry their Gyoza to perfection. It's crisped just right on one side giving it a wonderful outside texture, and of course, taste. On the inside is the surprise delight of minced pork that submerses into your mouth after the outside layer has been devoured. It truly is a delight.
Next up is the Tonkatsu - This has to be one of my favorite dishes of all time. The Japanese take on fried pork. The breading was perfect; down to the way meat was rolled in it - to the amount it was fried, which tends to be very difficult to get right because Katsu burns so easily. So if you want to try breaded cutlet perfection then look no further, Daikokuya is the place.
The shredded pork bowl was truly a treat if you like belly meat. I've never tasted anything quite so unhealthily divine and felt absolutely glowing afterwards! Everything from the scallions to the rice served with it is blended and meshed in such a way you just can't stop shoveling the dish into your mouth. Once its in there, it truly melts away in your mouth being devoid of any grizzle and chewiness. Incredible!
Finally I tried their specialty Daikoku Ramen. Now this was quite a big deal for me because I am a huge fan of ramen. I have trawled through all of Los Angeles County for ramen places, not stopping until I found the ultimate. That in my opinion is Shin Sen Gumi in Monterey Park. Now that isn't to say I don't like Daikoku Ramen, I just find it less authentic and more bland than Shin Sen Gumi's. I did enjoy the soy marinated egg they drop in at Daikokuya, but the broth just seemed too flavorless for my taste.
American Apparel Factory Store
I stumbled upon this amazing outlet near the Downtown LA area because we were driving to the 'bad lands' aka Huntington Park to get to Office Depot. There were signs pointing out this flagship outlet store, and I was intrigued because I knew outlets always have good deals on. I found that this particular store is situated amongst the warehouses that create American Apparel clothes for not just the whole of the states but the whole world. The industrial complex is quite a trip as you can see from the photos. So I got into the store and found that most garments were 50% off the already heavily discounted prices they rocked. Sweet! My brother got some very colorful socks for tennis and whatnot and I was really digging their vintage t-shirt collection, although they were all too small for me. Damn! Still their hoodys are truly the best i've found, which always keeps me coming back. I highly suggest you check out this outlet store near the Downtown area of Los Angeles and Little Tokyo - where funnily enough there�s also a retail American apparel store.
