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!

Range in Chevy Chase...Home cooking made extraordinary.

Range

5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20015

Valet on Military Road just past the hotel entrance.

Yes, I was busy over the holidays, and to tell you the truth I haven't really had any great meals in places that had good enough lighting for me to take pictures. Sorry to disappoint. I made up for it last night though. Six friends/family members and I went to Range, Bryan Voltaggio's new restaurant in Chevy Chase.

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Here's a shot of one of the barmen creating a pair of fabulous cocktails. Note the huge cubes.  They are not only fun to look at, but functional as well.

Back to the story line though...Bryan was previously with Charlie Palmer and won some accolades there, but really came into his own with the restaurant Volt in Frederick.  I reviewed the restaurant a few years back when I had dinner at Table 21, which at the time was a four-seater with 21 courses.  You can read about that here - Table 21 at Volt Restaurant

 Range is NOT a trip down molecular gastronomy lane.  It is a place where you can take your family, or have a business meal, or just stop in for some chocolates and a coffee. It is accessible. It is, and this is going to be a shocker, a tremendous value.  More on that later.

 Here is a pic of the menu. 

 This is another of their tasty cocktails.

 And another.  All of the cocktails are priced less than you would expect for such well thought-out and executed drinks. If you were to hit a bar downtown that had this kind of talent behind it (Owen Thomson) you'd be hitting $15.00-$20.00 per drink easily.

Some of my intrepid eaters: Shawn, Cheryl and Amelia.

Kathy Morgan, MS. She chose our wines for the evening. She rocked them out, each one was something unique with memorable characteristics. Nothing middle of the road here, and nothing more than $60.00/bottle if I remember correctly.  It takes a master to give you an experience like that without breaking the bank in the process.

 Perfectly cooked 1/2 Raw Bar Tower. Fresh, briny, served with several accompanying sauces which I didn't try. Everything was so fresh and succulent that I didn't want to sully the flavors.  I did, however, keep their fresh horseradish to nibble on after the tower was removed.

Kampachi with pine nuts, lemon and coriander.

 Goat Cheese Ravioli with a braised meat ragu.

 This one was not on the menu, but it was some beautiful fish.

 The pork cheeks with moustarda.

 The Kampachi with hazelnuts. Perfectly crisp on top, flaky/tender inside.

 Wonders abound on the charcuterie plate. I was particularly fond of the pork rillettes and the duck galantine.

 This was the kale Caesar.

 That is one fancy spork. I think it was meant for the marrow bones.

 This is the lobster with garlic and chilies. The bread that came with it was soaked in the jus. This was one of my favorite dishes.

 Not everyone is a fan of bone marrow, but I sure am. One had the raisin topping and one didn't. I liked them both, but the pristine version with the just-crisped top was worth the trip by itself.  Mmmmm.

 This is the rib eye with mushrooms. Very nice.

 The Border Springs lamb. Very nicely done. Tender.

 Of the two steaks this was my favorite.  The Roseda Hanging Tender. I managed to bring some home and my son had it for lunch. He closed his eyes and chewed....going MMmmmm.

 This is Kampachi with forbidden grains and coconut. Once again, perfectly crisped with a tender inside.

 This is the whole stuffed rabbit. Very earthy. Takes you right to the woods.

 This came to the table last.  It's the  merguez stuffed lamb breast. Very well-spiced sausage cooked to perfection. I was able to bring some of this home as well and it was a great addition to lunch today.

 This was the favorite wine of the night...or at least for half of us.  The rest were enthralled by the Muscato that came with desert. I didn't get a picture of that bottle...8(

 There were various sorbets and tastings of things for dessert.

More desserts!

In these pix you don't see the various side dishes including sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, and other things. There wasn't a poor recipe or execution among them. 

What you also don't see is the level of service we received. It was very gracious and fun. Never overbearing or pretentious. I asked our server, Nema, to order for us and keep the food coming until we cried Uncle. She did that in spectacular form, incorporating the dishes that we specifically asked for.

There were a few hiccups with timing, but that is to be expected as this is a very new place and everyone is still getting their sea-legs.

Just a mention of the Home Cooking in the title? These recipes and preparations are classic with a little updating in some cases. Whole-animal usage is the order of the day here, and hopefully it will catch on in more venues. It is what it's supposed to be, and it's awesome.

Regarding my earlier comment about value? We spent about $130 per person including tip. I've had meals that cost twice that and delivered less than half the satisfaction. This is the new Must Try DC Restaurant.

Congratulations team Range.