Where to Eat? Part 2

I sometimes get a craving for noodles.  Oftentimes, it’s for pho (my favorite kind of comfort food) but there are times when I just want a big bowl of ramen.  I first tried ramen when I was in Japantown in San Francisco on one of my work trips few years ago.  I had never had it other than the dehydrated version so it was quite a learning experience.

Since that first foray, I have been hooked!

In my ‘hood, I have tried Toki Underground, a restaurant on H St. NE.  The decor is hip but it’s the food that really catches people’s attention.  In this intimate setting, you can have Taiwanese style ramen along with dumplings and out of this world specials (think goat confit, taro stuffed squash blossoms – I’m sure I got your attention now, right?!).  Get there early or expect a wait but they will take your number while you cocktail elsewhere, hopefully supporting the local establishments along the H St. corridor.

Toki Underground
1234 H St. NE (above The Pug)
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 388-3086
@tokiunderground

In the past few weeks, I’ve also tried a new place in the Adams Morgan area, Sakuramen.  In what was a former jumbo slice joint, Sakuramen invites community w it’s big table up front and smaller intimate tables to the side.  In fact, the night that I went with my group of 8, I ran into a work colleague sitting at the same community table.

I had the Sakuramen, a ramen great for vegetarians and although I enjoy my share of pork, I decided that I wanted to try the basic just to see how it all shaped up.  My other friends had the spicy miso and some of them decided to incorporate the soft boiled egg as an add on.  Boy – was that a delicious idea!! In the end, we all ended up eating the soft boiled eggs as a side because they were that tasty.  Jonathan, one of the co-owners was kind enough to stop by and say, “hello” as well as tell us the secret behind the yumminess of the eggs.  Go visit and taste it for yourselves.  I’m looking forward to eating the summer specials.

Chashu buns

Sakuramen

Spicy Miso

The magical eggs

Mochi

Sakuramen
2441 18th St. NW
Washington, DC
(202) 656-5285
@sakuramendc

What are your favorite noodle places?

Cheers!

MXM