Kouraku Japanese Ramen & Grill

Best Japanese comfort food in Little Tokyo. The foods still remain the same after all these years. I have always loved their Mapo Ramen and TanTan Men. I have not been here since 2015, the restaurant still remains the same, great services and foods. Now, they even have a robot server, that's cool!!!

Amazing ramen and delicious katsu. Visited on a weekend so there was a line, but it moves pretty quickly, just be sure to add your name to the list inside. It's an unassuming place, and the oldest ramen shop still in operation in the US which is pretty cool! Large portions and fair prices, definitely recommend.

Most authentic Japanese food in Little Tokyo! I went with my friend who lived in Japan for two years and we talked with the waitress and they were so nice and excited someone could speak Japanese. The spicy miso ramen and salmon onigiri were delicious! We’re definitely coming back! おいしい😋！

Been eating here for over 15 years. Normally get the tenshin chahan ankake. Other good dishes to try is the katsudon, ma po tofu don and the curry katsu dishes. It has a throwback vibe and it keeps me returning. Only issue is the parking, can get tricky to find a space.

Hole in the wall for downtown and excellent food with basic decor. Super friendly and attentive staff.

My first visit to an authentic Japanese restaurant. I had the pork fried rice and the pork gyoza. I asked my server for the dipping sauce and she pointed to the bottles on the table. This was an adventure because all the labels were in Japanese. But all worked out well. Great meal.

Really good ramen, and if you will order a Saporo beer, you may ask for the small glass, the mid size was too big 😂

Absolutely loved Kouraku. The katsu curry was great and so was my tanindon. Its open late, and the portions were large. Friendly staff, and a good first impression of little tokyo.

First time trying Ramen and this place did not disappoint! Wonton Ramen was what I got, very flavorful and fulfilling Would definitely eat here again!

This is my go-to restaurant whenever I'm at Little Tokyo. I love the service here Everytime I come visit. Food is so good that I keep coming back. So far my fave was the menchi curry and Hamburg steak curry.

I got the tonkotsu ramen with pork. It was pretty standard as far as ramen goes. The broth was light but had good flavor and wasn't too oily. I personally prefer a more rich and creamy broth. Noodles were cooked well and were nice and firm. The chashu was a bit dry. Definitely not the best chashu I've had. The interior is really cute. I sat at the bar. It's quite easy to forget that you're in LA. They also had one of. Those robot servers and it was fun watching that move around. Not sure if it's particularly necessary though as the place is quite small. I went on Halloween night and it got busy at around 11. The servers got busy attending to the larger parties that came in and forgot about me so one of the cooks had to get their attention for me. They were nice about it though I will definitely come back to try the omurice

really like this place, food is good and the workers are really nice (THE PUDDING IS REALLY GOOD!!! seemed a little expensive at first but i think it's worth it!) I've tried the menchi-katsu curry, onigiri, and the mapo tofu. pretty good (but mapo is like REALLY mild, but they have chili oil: LA YU!!!!!!!) the seats might be a bit uncomfortable for some people but it's pretty nice. (cuz they're hard) (they have a restroom too (in the back) super awesome.!!) (accidentally got rid of the og pic so all i have is this square )

I think since new owner, the quality of food went down and QC is not there anymore. Just sad to see this old institution going down because of new owner.

First Impressions: No wait time at 8:20pm on a Sunday (only a couple of people were dining in), casual cozy ambiance, welcoming staff. Ton-Shio-Tan Men: This ramen style reminded me of a pork veggie ramen I had back in Tokyo. The broth was basically a tonkotsu style broth. They were very generous on the veggies. There were slices of pork and mushrooms too. This would be perfect if you were looking for a healthier ramen but this isn't something I would order again. It was good but nothing too special. Gyoza: It tasted like how standard gyoza tastes. Crispy exterior, not oily at all Nikudango: To me, this tasted like meatballs with a tangy and sweet ketchup based sauce Service: Staff were very courteous. Always greeted when someone walked in and walked out. You don't have to try hard to flag them down, frequent check ups on refilling water. Overall: Good, everything tasted like it should. Service is amazing. Also, they have a robo cat waiter to bring the side orders to your table. She was really cute!

Truly an OG spot. If you don't sit facing the street you can just imagine that you're no longer in Los Angeles. Billed as one of the first (if not the first) ramen spots in America. You have a full menu of Japanese comfort. From Eggs to Curry to the Ramen. It's all good and cozy and as authentic as it gets.

Busy location but for a good reason. Good food, reasonable wait, good and polite service.

Located in Little Tokyo, Kouraku is a casual Japanese restaurant offering a wide variety of dishes from ramen to curry and donburi, making it good for hanging out with friends who may all want something different. What I love about this place is its cute and retro atmosphere and you know a Japanese place is gonna be good when they have the plastic food examples in a case outside. I tried one of their curry mixes, which came with pork katsu, fried shrimp, and menchi katsu. The portion size was generous and I made it into two meals!

We love it here. Too bad I don't have any pictures to show today. We both had the chicken katsu curry and it was very good. Missing Curry House, but this was a great meal here. We ordered it spicy too. As a side dish we also got the fried rice. It was too much to eat, but I have never had a better Japanese style fried rice anywhere else. I'm not sad that I get to take it home and have leftovers later. The server was very attentive. I live the little robot here that comes to deliver the food which makes the ambiance so cute. It is always crowded here, but the food comes out quick and hot. I had to use the ladies room and it was clean. These pictures must be from the last time we were here

I've always been meaning to try this restaurant as it caught my attention a couple years back while I was visiting the LA area. Luckily, I was finally able to as a last minute decision after a disappointing sushi dinner at another location on a Sunday night around 9:30pm. I was so happy to try this place and THIS place did NOT disappoint. Inside is very homely and welcoming to anyone that enters, decorated with flyers advertising a few specialities they had. Immediately when you enter, you see the kitchen to your immediate right and tables spread all across the room in front. I really appreciated they supported their wood seats with comfortable cushions! As for the food, my partner and I ordered only a little just to tide us over for the night and everything was really good. The salad dressing was my favorite type of Japanese dressing and the tonkatsu was deliciously crunchy and I love that they had bulldog sauce available on the table by default. I would have appreciated if the pork pieces weren't so fatty though but some people love that stuff. Their curry was pretty good, definitely more on the lighter side texture-wise but still a good amount of flavor. Their melon soda was my favorite. I always love melon sodas in general, but specifically their ice cream really complimented their melon soda, where some places tend to just combine whatever is cheapest or easiest. My least favorite, unfortunately, was the gyoza as I felt like it was a bit too oily for even gyoza but my partner liked them. The service was super nice and polite. They greeted us when we entered and were always nearby if we needed something. To deliver the food, they put the items on one of those big cat robots that played music and delivered it to our table. It was very entertaining to see it coming down the aisle and hear its little comments. I'd love to come back to this restaurant any time I'm in Little Tokyo as their menu seems vast with many different options. Bathroom was relatively clean too!

The oyakodon was very good and flavorful! The service was fast and i got my food delivered from a robot car, which was so cute!

Shrimp omelette on fried rice with gravy had a lot of great reviews so I tried it. It's was freaking amazing!!!

We literally used to come here after Raves/clubs late night. Have some curry hang with all of my friends . Just take over the whole restaurant . Today we got to Little Tokyo, pretty late . Almost all the restaurants were close, except for our good and faithful Kouraku ! It was fun. I love the robot that dropped your food off very meet the Jetsons vibe.

TLDR: The curry is phenomenal. My partner ate a katsu before I could take a photo. Feels like a homey diner in Japan, but they have modern robot servers. Must visit in Little Tokyo. We came here thinking there was still omurice, but their Tenshin Chahan Annkake is a close second. The gravy is delicious and the rice was light and fluffy. But the one that surprised us was the curry. The chicken katsu was perfectly paired with the curry. We were scooping every last drop of the curry by the end of the meal. The novelty is the robot servers, but the overall service here is warm and polite. I really appreciate the arsthetic that reminds me of Japan. I wish I knew about this spot earlier because this is now my new staple in Little Tokyo/DTLA!!!

One of my favorite late night spots if you wanna go back in time to retro Japan. This place has a lot of history and reminds me of my time in Japan with how everything is set up like you're in Japan in the 1980's. My table got a chicken Katsu with curry, bbq beef rice plate and a pork oyakodon with a side of dumplings. Everything was flavorful and the curry seemed to be very fragrant with sweet undertones. The dumplings were a good addition to everything. Would reccomend coming here after an event or in the evening to get the aesthetic of being in Tokyo.

Friend and I came here a quick lunch and it was delightful! It's located down the street from the plaza so it wasn't as bustling. The employees were very nice and checked on us often. I love their food display outside! We ordered: Melon soda - suuuuuuper refreshing and came with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream and cherry. This was my first time having it so I can't compare it to anything, but I enjoyed it! It's pretty pricey though at $9. Chashu ramen - came quickly! The five pieces of chashu were super thick and tender. Yum! The soup wasn't as salty as I had anticipated which was awesome and the noodles were nice and chewy. Friend ordered the curry ramen and said it was good, not too heavy on the curry flavor. Definitely has a cozy and homey vibe. Would definitely be back to try other options! They have a qr code at each table where you can order and pay on your own. But if a server takes your order, you have to pay with the server and not with the qr code. I found that to be a little confusing.

Came here on a Sunday evening and the wait for a group of 6 was around 30-45 mins. The place isn't huge so that makes sense but I'm sure the wait for a small party isn't that long. You order by scanning the barcode at the table and you pay there itself, convenient if you want to be in and out. I liked the Shumai, gyoza and Takoyaki - I usually don't like those but these were good. Loved the Tan Tan Men too, the portion size is huge! Street parking can be hard because of how busy the area gets. I'll definitely go back if I'm around.

I've known about Kouraku for a while. I love Japanese-style Chinese cuisine, also known as 中華料理. I saw that this restaurant served chuuka cuisine and I had to give it a shot. Being in Little Tokyo, the restaurant is quite busy. We sat in the far back of the restaurant. It definitely had a hole-in-the-wall type of vibe, similar to a small mom-and-pop restaurant in Japan. I ended up getting tenshin chahan ankake, which is a shrimp omelette on top of rice with gravy on top of the omelette. My wife ordered the pork tripe ramen with spicy miso. The tenshin chahan was pretty good! The gravy was sweet and flavorful, and the omelette was tasty. The fried rice was good too. I did not try the other dishes. Being in Little Tokyo, it was definitely a bit pricey. But overall the flavors were solid.

A friend took me to dinner at Kouraku in Little Tokyo. I had the katsu donburi, very traditional sweet/savory comfort dish with fried chicken katsu, eggs, onions over rice. It was good and hearty 8/10, I prefer a bit more flavor on the sauce. The chicken karaage appetizer was crispy and good garlic and ginger flavor profile. Not the best I've had, but I did enjoy it, 8/10. The service was great, a robot will deliver your good to your table. This place has lots of history, it opened in the 60s.

As Kouraku serves up Japanese comfort food, I've loved my meals here for over 10 years. Kouraku, if you've never been is an old style family restaurant in Little Tokyo. The food is authentically home style and very very good. Depending on your mood, you can enjoy a curry, ramen (and they have a solid variety), Don, and you can even order a side of chahan (I have no issues or problems with carbs) with your ramen, just like you would in Japan when you're super hungry. Service is always promptly polite and love love the robo- busser that shuttles your orders if you select a table in the back. There aren't many restaurants in the downtown area that hits the home-style-cooking spot and am very grateful Kouraku does .....and still stands. My favorite Japanese home-style resto is down the street so I'll give that 5 stars. End of Yelp

Enjoyable spot in the heart of little Tokyo, didn't have to wait too long to be seated but went in on a busy Sunday, enjoyed the setting and ambiance it's a Japanese cafe style quaint restaurant, Great service, and everything we ordered was delicious !!

They're fast and affordable. I have gone for lunch to have the monthly lunch special, which is just a discounted dish, and I have visited for late-night eats. This is the go-to spot for my friend's husband, who is Japanese. He's always fun to go with and talks to the servers in Japanese. They use a robot to bring some stuff out, which is helpful so the servers aren't constantly carrying things back and forth. I most enjoyed the Pork Mixed Fries Curry Rice since it had fried shrimp, pork cutlet, and a minced cutlet. I've had ramen, rice, omurice, and many of their sides. It feels warm, cozy, and welcoming in there. They're usually busy, especially with locals.

The food is absolutely perfect here, their service is fast and reliable and the ambiance is very lively. This place definitely has the best ramen in Little Tokyo!

Less than mid would not come again unless I am really drunk. Most would say this is a disgrace.

Haven't been here in a very long time and the interior is everything I remember. What is great still is the service, cleanliness and one of the coolest waiters I've seen. Take a look at the video. As far as the food, still as delicious and affordable as I remember it being. Will be back again soon!

Wow, this was the first time that I've tried Japanese-style Chinese cuisine, and I have to say that it's not too bad. It's an interesting fusion twist between two different cuisines. At first, my partner and I were hesitant on dining in because of the subpar ratings on Yelp. But, we decided to give it a shot. We were seated promptly and placed our orders through their QR code. The convenient thing is that you order and pay first before you get your meal. I ordered the spicy Tan Tan Men, and my partner ordered the Tenshin Chahan Annkake, an omelet dish. Overall, we quite enjoyed our dining experience, and we may return back again to dine in. You'll never know until you try something out, right?

I love this place, I've been coming here for years. If you're in the mood for a more authentic ramen vs modern style, this is the place. -The Food I ordered the Mabo Ramen extra spicy and it was just as I remember, delicious! If you order extra spicy, they dose it with habanero sauce so cautious if you don't handle heat well. I haven't been here in a couple years, but I did notice the portions are less. The style bowl most definitely has something to do with it. -The Service Staff was friendly and they took my order right away. They also now have this robot taking meals to the tables, pretty cool. -The Ambiance Same as before, the place is most definitely old school vibes. I like it, it goes with the style of ramen, old scho

Still one of the best in lil Tokyo for decades. All the favorites here. Ramen, champon, fried rice, curries and plenty of stir fry and traditional favorites counter and table services. Super casual!

I have been coming here for year and decided to leave a review finally, I love coming here because staff is so nice and the food is solid! I also love the way this restaurant looks inside the booths are cute and you can see the cooks as you walk in who also greet you!

Kouraku is one of my go-to spot in Little Tokyo, especially when I want great Japanese food late at night. It's not just about ramen here - they have lots of special Japanese dishes too. Every time I visit, the service is super friendly and fast. Plus, the food is delicious! If you're in Little Tokyo and looking for a late-night bite, you've got to try Kouraku. You won't be disappointed!

Delicious well rounded food here in j town, rice w egg gravy was like Omu rice, and the meat balls are really good. Big portions and shareable. Friendly service, and average decor and ambiance

Walked in on a very busy Saturday evening. But that still didn't stop their fast service. I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen with chicken. I purposely didn't eat earlier in the day so I can enjoy most of it but I still couldn't finish it. The serving was huge! It was good but it tasted like it was missing just a little more flavor. I asked for some chili sauce or preferably a chili paste but all they had was some knock off sriracha sauce that was kinda disappointing. I'll definitely give it another try sometime soon.

This is probably my favorite Japanese restaurant in LA. No frills- just great home cooked Japanese food. It reminds me of what my Japanese mom used to cook for us growing up, and makes me feel at home. Love their katsudon and curry katsu. Really love this place a lot. There are a lot of good Japanese places with a flavor of the month dish, a fancy sushi roll you like, and exciting fusion options like spicy tuna crispy rice, but not a lot of straight up homey Japanese restaurants like this that serve traditional comfort food. It's no wonder it's been around since 1976. I'm always happy to give this place my business and support an LA institution that does it right. Five stars!

This is a small quaint resturaunt across the street from Japanese village plaza in little Tokyo dtla. Parking is a little tough here it's either street parking or there are paid surface parking lots. There's typically no wait here and the service is fast and efficient. You can either order from the server or you can also order online after scanning the QR code. I come here a lot for lunch when I'm in the office because I love their lunch specials ! It changes often but it's discounted and comes with a miso soup and side salad. With inflation these days it's hard to even grab lunch in dtla for under $20 ! I got the beef curry lunch special today and it was only $14 after tax and tip. I would definitely recommend this place.

Found Kouraku tucked away a little from the main Little Tokyo Plaza. We came in before the rush and loved the small, family restaurant vibe. This place has been in Little Tokyo since 1976 and is considered as America's first ramen restaurant. Years later, I'd say that aside from the cute robot server, it still retains the same vibe as it probably did in 1976. A mixture of nostalgia for Japanese comfort food. While I haven't had the chance to try the ramen, the dish my friend and I always migrate to is their Tenshin Chahan. The fried rice and egg isn't actually the main attraction for this dish. It's the gravy. Together, it blends amazing sweet, salty, savory and umami in each bite. For more comfort, I suggest ordering a melon soda float. If you can't afford a trip to Japan, a visit to Kouraku is what you need.

The food here was absolutely delicious! I ordered the Pork Katsu and the Croquette and both were soooo good. The Pork Katsu was so crispy and delicious that I wish I bought a second order to take home and the Croquette was equally as crunchy and satisfying to eat. The service here is wonderful with our waiters making sure that we were doing alright and being overall attentive with everyone in the restaurant. The ambience was very easy going it was noticeable that everyone there was having a good time. I'd definitely recommend this place if you're looking for somewhere to eat lunch or dinner!

This place is pretty classic and I've eaten here a few times in the past couple of years. I haven't been back in a while, but I noticed they now have a QR code that you can scan to look at the menu and order your food. It's somewhat tricky to use as my friend accidentally ordered the food for takeout, but he alerted the server and they changed that for him. The portions are always generous and I usually have to take some of it home after. I feel like this place is solid and never misses. There's usually never a long wait either (though I've only gone for lunch).

The shrimp omelette over fried rice was good, I was impressed with the amount of beef they put in. The omelet over white rice tasted funky and sour - not a fan of this one. The service was slow, I had to get up to grab my own utensils even after my food arrived.

Ramen and curry are delicious here! Service is fast and friendly - you order online at the table and the food gets delivered to your table. Cozy little spot in little Tokyo

Kouraku is a MUST-have when stopping in Little Tokyo for a traditional ramen shop. Had the miso ramen and fried rice with a bonus happy hour special - no complaints here! The noodles were the perfect texture, and the broth was very solid. We waited a little bit due to coming at peak dinner hours but the food came fast (some dishes even were delivered on a robot)! Looking forward to coming back!

When we arrived there was a crowd waiting to be seated, but the quick/efficient service and the delicious curry made it worth the wait. Will definitely be back.

This place is always busy when I pass by, so I wanted to try it. The service is very friendly, and attentive. The food was mediocre. The curry katsu and yakisoba was okay. The curry ramen, however, lacked flavor and substance. Would not come back. The inside had a lot of tables and had a family vibe.

Delicious food and amazing atmosphere. Both comforting. I love being able to speak Japanese with the people who work here! Very much gives me feelings of home as I don't live in a Japanese populated area. Sweet spot in Little Tokyo! #korokkeforlife

Excellent service , from the humans to the robot! I love everything on their menu , if you love authentic Japanese flavors without a doubt you are missing out !

Essentially, this restaurant is a Japanese style Chinese food. As far as I know, this is the only Japanese style Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. It's also one my favorite restaurants of all time. The Tenshinhan is my favorite dish here. It's an omlete with fried rice with sweet & sour gravy on top.

This was the best ramen I have ever had. The miso ramen was so flavorful and hit the spot. The fried rice is off the chain. They added pickled ginger which was the ultimate detail that set it off. The tan tan (?) is super spicy! It will make you sweat. It gets very busy here. They also have a little cute robot and that sings and delivers food. I will come back for sure.

Really nice spot for some food. The service here was welcoming. The options are good. Had me the Miso yasai ramen. It had plenty of ingredients in it! Really nice flavor. I will have to try their spicier ramen which I did not go for this time around. Worth trying and giving it a go.

The spot for local, home cooked food. Traditional Japanese food is not spicy or trendy or fancy. One of my fave spots to take my family in Jtown.