Chefsgirl has landed in D.C.! “The Chef” and I decided to try to visit the cherry blossoms hoping there would be some sort of bloom. Unfortunately, this cold season has put a hold on that and what could warm us up more than a hot bowl of ramen so we decided to pay a visit to Daikaya Izakaya, one of D.C.’s ramen hot spots. You would never think by the outside and inside decor that the restaurant is Japanese. It’s clean and modern on the inside and uniquely has non-asian servers. Nothing wrong with that! It just goes to show how anyone is welcome to have some ramen! When we arrived, we were immediately seated so there’s not much of a wait time (unlike Daikaya’s competitor: Toki Underground)…
Fresh Ramen noodles.
Pan Fried Dumpling with Pork and Cabbage filling.
Shio Ramen.
Spicy Miso Ramen. Added corn.
Soft Serve. Avocado Yuzu with Toasted Coconut. Calpico Yogurt with Crushed Wasabi Peas and Chocolate Balls.
Our server recommended that we try the Spicy Miso Ramen, “but once you try it, you won’t wanna try anything else!”. I opted for the original Shiso Ramen and “The Chef” ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen. To be honest, I was actually sad when I tried both bowls, because I really wanted the Spicy Miso Ramen to myself! She was right, but there is nothing wrong with the Shio. I’m a spicy kinda girl so the Spicy Miso would have been the perfect choice, but for those who want something more mild, I would go with the Shio or other ramens. The broth is very homey and simple compared to Toki Underground’s rich and intense broth. Don’t forget you can add toppings to your bowl: corn, extra ramen, Chashu, veggies, and more. The potstickers were good, but they came after we almost finished our ramen, which leads into our next topic: service.
When we originally sat down, the server expected us to order right away and considering it was our first time, the menu was confusing so we had to inquire about a breakdown of the menu and special recommendations. Afterwards, everything was okay, but I expected more since we were 1 of 2 tables in house.
Before leaving, something caught our eyes: soft serve! We ordered the Avocado Yuzu with Toasted Coconut and the Calpico Yogurt with Crushed Wasabi Peas + Chocolate Balls. I’m so glad we ordered it! They were so delicious. Now that I’m back in NOLA, I don’t know where else I can get this! My fav was the avocado since the texture of the soft serve was so smooth and airy, almost like whipped marshmallow?? So good! I highly recommend that you leave room for dessert and to get the Avocado Soft Serve if it’s available that day! Although service was a little iffy, the ramen and soft serve is delicious and is definitely worth a shot. How does it compare to other ramen shops in the city? Stay tuned!
Rating: 3.5/5 spoons
