Daikaya - Ramen for Lunch...Finally!

Daikaya

705 6th St., N.W.

Washington, DC 20001

202-589-1600

http://daikaya.com/

@Daikayadc

So this is it.  It's finally open.There has been a lot of buzz about this place, and it is worthy.  

The first thing you notice is there isn't a sign. I stole this picture from some one's posting.  Note the facade is metal and intended to develop a patina. I'm taking a stab at this without research, but the facade appears to be koi scales.

Katsuya Fukushima was the chef on duty when I was there.  He had everyone working hard and slinging noodles.  Speaking of noodles, apparently the noodles they use are made in Sapporo, Japan, and are only sold to one other Ramen joint in the US, Ren's in Wheaton.

The upstairs isn't open yet, so there may be a small wait to get lunch there. 

 This is what the crowd looked like at 1:00 on a Monday.  Not too bad. The servers are still getting their sea legs, so be patient.

 I sat right by the pass so I could watch the action. It's fun to watch the machine crank.

 They've got bases, they've got broths. Each one is measured just so....even if it doesn't look that way to the casual observer.

 Soy Braised Eggs are a nice addition to the dish.

 Noodle storage.

 Some steamy bowls of goodness heading to the hungry.

 Notice that flame! They're not messing around. That wok landed on the fire a few seconds later and exploded in flame, in a good way...I tried to get a shot but it was overexposed. Second thing to notice: The bowls full of steaming water.  They warm the bowls before adding everything else in. Nice touch.

 I ordered mine with egg and pork belly.  The flavors subtle. More like Ren's in Wheaton than Toki. This is a light Ramen. If you were to skip the add-ins you could probably eat here a few times a week and not feel bad about it.

 Kat came out to say hello to me and JohnPaul Damato, who just happened to walk in a few minutes after me. JP said he wasn't feeling the love in the first pic...

How's this grab ya?!?

Kat obviously put a lot of time and thought into what he's doing here and it shows. I wish him and the rest of the crew all the best. If you stop in, tell him you read about it here!