Sakuramen @ DC

Sakuramen is a Korean owned ramen joint which serves Korean food inspired ramen noodles.  The menu has seven different types of ramen and about half of them are spicy or can be spicy as a choice.  The menu is a little bit more diverse than the authentic ramen joint.

Fried gyoza

Fried gyoza before ramen as an appetizer is almost a must! The menu also offers pork buns and kimchi for appetizer.  The gyoza was decent.   The pork buns also look good, so it's worth a try if you have the stomach space for it.

Shoki Bowl

I got the shoki bowl, which comes with extra chashu and bulgogi with a chicken shoyu soup base.  The soup base is very different than a traditional shoyu soup base, I think the main reason is because of the bulgogi.  The shoki bowl is loaded with meat but the chashu was on the fatty side and the bulgogi were slightly dry.  The noodle was also under cook and a bit crunchy.  Overall, the ramen was mediocre and my least favorite part was the soup base.

Tonkotsu Red

My buddy ordered the tonkotsu red which is a spicy version of the tonkotsu.  You can choose a spicy level from one to five, and my buddy chose three.  To me, level three was pretty spicy already, so  make sure you choose your spicy level appropriately.  I like the tonkotsu soup base more than the shoyu one, but the same downfall with the shoyu ramen applies here as well.


Sakuramen

Daikaya - Ramen @ DC

I missed the pop-up event but finally had a chance to grab a quick lunch at the newly opened Daikaya.  

Daikaya

Daikaya right next to Graffiato, both are very good restaurants.

 Straight up noodle bar design on the lower level, be ready to squeeze.

Gyoza 

I liked the gyoza, they are bigger than the ones from Ren's.

Mugi-miso Ramen

I ordered the mugi-miso ramen and added soft boiled eggs to it since it didn't come with.  Overall, I thought it was pretty good.  The noodles have a good texture and the broth was very flavorful.  The only thing I thought it was off about Daikaya's ramen is their eggs.  For some reason, my eggs are too sweet in the yolk and they are usually salty in ramen.  But other than that, I like Daikaya ramen, and the fact that it's walking distance to my work makes it an ideal lunch place for me.  

Vegetable Shio Ramen

My buddy ordered the vegetable shio ramen and added eggs and pork belly to it.  The vegetable shio is the vegan option on the menu, so the broth is slightly lighter, but yet still very good.  Other than the fact that it doesn't come with meat, I think it has good flavors and good for people who likes a less heavy broth.

Daikaya