[MediocreButArrogant]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

How does Tatsu compare to Daikokuya in Los Angeles? That's the standard by which I judge all other US ramen joints.

I can't say because I've never eaten there.

However, my roundabout thinking goes like this:

Ramen Tatsu is slightly better than our usual ramen spot in CA, which is Ogisan Ramen in Saratoga. Ogisan in turn is considered a notch below the best ramen in the area, which is Orenchi Ramen in Santa Clara. People who have dined at both Orenchi and Daikokuya think Orenchi is on par with Daikokuya. A few say it's better, a few say it's not as good, most say it's comparable. So I think it's safe to say it's in the same league, but if forced to choose, most would give the edge to Daikokuya.

That puts Ramen Tatsu a solid notch below Daikokuya, but to my taste that still means they serve an awfully good bowl of ramen. I go to Ogisan instead of Orenchi, even though they aren't that far apart, simply because there's always a long wait at Orenchi, and to me, their ramen isn't that much better that I want to wait 30 minutes to get seated (there's a picture on Yelp of a big crowd lined up 15 minutes before opening).

It might be useful to pull up the Yelp reviews of Orenchi, and then do a search for "Daikokuya". I don't think you would be wasting your time or money by trying Ramen Tatsu. I usually order the "Deluxe" there.

[ScoopLV]

I'll give it a try. Monta is just a complete waste of time. And if you read the Yelp reviews of that place, it's a strong argument why Yelp is also a complete waste of time.

[Merrily Gather]

I usually read more than Yelp to get an idea about a place. Mostly I like to find pictures on all different kinds of platforms that people post. So I know what the place looks like inside and out and what the food I'm ordering is supposed to look like since I generally venture out alone for my culinary adventures.

For example The Flock & Fowl place looks good to me because the portions look proportionate to what I can eat and the price is right. I'm also curious what a Chinese sausage is because I don't see a typical sausage on the plate. Plus I have a birds stomach so I eat several little meals during the day. I also like the aesthetics of the place and the presentation of the plates. I'm not sure about the plastic ware however.

Fat Choy looks like too much food for me and perhaps mostly unhealthy dishes. Also what's with the picture of the sleeping child in several food shots? People are funny. One Yelp review guy likes to take food pictures with his miniature superman in them. I've seen this several times on Yelp when looking up places in Las Vegas. Recently, I like the collage pictures that people make. It's neat and tidy and less photos to click through.

I prefer the menu in both the original language and the English language. I'd be intimidated to go into a place alone if they didn't have an English translation on the menu because I'd feel it wasn't for me to be there. If there's English on the menu and the entire place is filled with Asians and the staff write the ticket in their language that's alright. At least I know from the English I'm welcome at their table even if I'm the only Western person. If I'm in a foreign country that's a different story.

Someone also mentioned that the Korean places are the most expensive out of the Chinatown restaurants.

Going through the Chow Hound thread these are their recommendations over the years. It gets interesting when they start going back and forth discussing whose dim sum is better.

Sam Woo BBQ (It has really low reviews on Yelp, but from the pictures it's filled with Asian folks and the food look yummy)
4215 Spring Mountain Rd # B101
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Cathay House Restaurant (It was a dim sum place. Yelp users report that it's closed. It had average reviews on Yelp.)
5300 Spring Mountain Rd # 107
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Orchids Garden Chinese Restaurant (Has dim sum and very good reviews on Yelp, Trip Advisor, Zomato/Urbanspoon.)
5485 W Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Ping Pang Pong in Gold Coast Hotel & Casino (dim sum contender, also has special entertainment)
4000 W Flamingo Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89103

Chang’s Hong Kong Cuisine (dim sum contender)
4670 S Decatur Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89103

KJ Kitchen Chinese Cuisine (Has consistently good reviews, looks authentic, filled with mostly Asians, food looks good)
5960 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Joyful House Chinese Cuisine (Reviews say they have the best brunch out of the places to eat. The fish is recommend.)
4601 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Chow's Cuisine (Had good reviews but is now closed.)
5485 W. Sahara Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Dong Ting Chun - Hunan restaurant (Has very good reviews on two out of three sites. Spicy, flavorful and fresh.)
4850 W Flamingo Rd
Ste 34-34
Las Vegas, NV 89103

99 Ranch Market (They say try the Diamond Bakery in there.)
4155 W. Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Greenland Supermarket (They say it's a Korean market and they recommend the food court.)
6850 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146

168 Market (The deli)
3459 S Jones Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Diho Supermarket (reported closed)
3459 S Jones Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Food Express Chinese Restaurant (Cantonese style) (They recommend to always order live fish steamed instead of frozen)
2003 S Decatur Blvd
Ste B
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Jasmine at Bellagio (omg so fancy!) (The portions look proportionate though.)
Bellagio Hotel and Casino
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Diamond Chinese Restaurant at Sonny’s Saloon & Casino (Good reviews and several articles done on it.)
3449 Industrial Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Champion Gourmet Products/Restaurant (Good reviews, interesting looking food, reported as closed)
5115 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Cafe Noodle & Chinese Barbeque (cheap brunch, good reviews but it seems hit or miss lately)
4355 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Yunnan Garden (Best Szechuan)
3934 Schiff Dr
Las Vegas, NV 89103

China Mama (Chinese, Taiwanese, good reviews, looks delicious, filled with Asians)
3420 S Jones Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146

Ichiza Japanese Cuisine
4355 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(Supposedly below Ichiza's is a Hong Kong Noodle House that is very good but I can't find it online. There are several other Asian food places at that location. I think it's a type of mall.)


Noodles at the Bellagio (Gets average reviews on Yelp but good reviews on other sites. Also Strip prices.)
Bellagio Las Vegas
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

They mention some place in Caesars Palace but I'm not sure which one they're talking about. Also that happened with some Korean places in Chinatown. They didn't know the name but said the location and I couldn't tell which one. They also mention Zine Noodles Dim Sum in The Palazzo/The Venetian but their website says it closed and will reopen as Hong Kong Cafe sometime this month. There's some back and forth about getting dim sum on the strip and paying more for it and paying the price of a cab to get dim sum in Chinatown for less. They even go into where to catch the cabs on the Strip for the shortest distance and lowest price to Chinatown and how to get to that spot.

The most recent update in 2011 lists these places:

Pho Kim Long (Vietnamese, Chinese, I think I'm getting hungry looking at all their pictures)
4029 W Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Las Vegas Superstore Inc (They don't say what in there they like and there aren't any reviews on it.)
4801 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Pho So 1 (Local Vietnamese chain serving pho soup, vermicelli, rice & tea in a low-key setting)
4745 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant (Very good to excellent reviews on all the sites.)
3505 S Valley View Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89103

And again:

Monta Japanese Noodle House aka Monta Ramen
5030 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146

That took me way longer than I thought it would to read through it all again and type it out. I'm still going to have to look into Korean places in Las Vegas more because I didn't get much out of the thread for that.

[jjameson922]

I'm, surprised no one prior has mentioned Golden Dragon, Tropicana and Jones. Many people from my area of Summerlin drive over there. At dinner, you order anything and as much of anything off the menu for $11.50. It is not to go though.
It's a very extensive menu and the food is quite good. Love their Walnut Fried Shimp, fried rice, cashew chicken, chicken with asian greenbeans. I guess you would say it was rather Americanized but it is also quite good and more than reasonable. Always busy.............

[Erratikmind]

Most of the Chinese food, which I have eaten and seen, is Americanized to a certain extent. I guess that is to be expected in Vegas for the lack of a large Chinese community.

I actually miss all of the fresh caught fish, which is readily available in the Bay Area, as I eat fish 3 to 4 times weekly. Fresh fish is a staple in Chinese cooking. Nonetheless, I have adapted and enjoy what is available.

[winter-rabbit]

Jinya on Flamingo is pretty good on taste and price.

[Erratikmind]

Originally Posted by winter-rabbit

Jinya on Flamingo is pretty good on taste and price.

Nice . . . I just viewed their menu. Notes of the SF Japantown. I'll drop by there on one of my shopping trips to Chinatown.

[Merrily Gather]

Originally Posted by winter-rabbit

Jinya on Flamingo is pretty good on taste and price.

That does look good! It has a nice atmosphere. Lots of ramen options that I think my friend will like. The food look proportionate. Plus their Happy Hour has several vegetable dishes and really great prices! I think I'll probably take her here as one of our places to try when she comes to Las Vegas. Thanks!

[AA702]

Anyone know of a good place that serves a good Onchoy dish with fermented shrimp paste? Its really a Malay/Filipino Dish and there was a place on spring mountain that served Malay food but they closed.

[mojavedxer]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

How does Tatsu compare to Daikokuya in Los Angeles? That's the standard by which I judge all other US ramen joints.

I'll go one step further on Chinese menus. The best places DON'T HAVE an English translation. You either muddle through the language barrier, speak Cantonese, or have a translator handy (I'm married to one). The best Chinese restaurants I've visited don't even TRY to catch the English-speaking market. Because the English-speaking market wants egg rolls and crab rangoon.

You have to travel north to Portland if you want to get the best ramen on the West Coast. This place should be your first stop if you go Shigezo Izakaya