Daikaya DC - Shoyu Ramen

Last Friday evening O and I checked out the ramen section of Daikaya in DC.  Fun fact - I was born in Hokkaido, Japan, which is where the Sapporo-style ramen that Daikaya serves originates from.  

...Aside from that, I had no idea what Sapporo-style ramen entailed because I don't recall ever having Sapporo ramen in Japan growing up haha. 

I really liked the fun striped walls and minimalist lighting in the space, and it was packed with hungry ramen-lovers.  Luckily we snagged two shared counter stools right before a rush of people that came in after us.  

Aside from the four types of ramen (left side of the photo above), there were a number of additional toppings (red section on the bottom right, upside down), a side of gyoza (pork dumplings), and a few drinks as well.  

Shoyu Ramen ($11.75)

I ordered the Shoyu ramen: Soy sauce ramen: pork, beef, & chicken stock / 1 slice chashu (roast pork), 1/2 nitamago (soy marinated egg), bean sprouts, ground pork, nori, scallions).  I didn't make any additions or changes to the ramen on the menu, and I was really happy with what I got.  The broth was super flavorful and rich without tasting greasy.  Lots of times you'll get a slick of oil pooling on the top of the broth, but this had none of that excess oil at all.  The egg was perfectly cooked, with a custardy yolk in the middle.  Coming from someone that doesn't really love eggs, I can definitely say this one was worth having.  The noodles were springy and chewy, and didn't get mushy like they sometimes can after sitting in the broth for a while.  I loved the addition of ground pork and I will definitely be copying that idea when I make ramen at home, haha.  

I am by no means an expert on Sapporo-style ramen, but as someone that grew up eating LOTS of Japanese ramen, this is a welcome addition to the DC food scene.  I look forward to visiting again soon to try their other flavors, although I will likely keep coming back to this Shoyu version knowing my tastes.  This will also be a great "holdover" for their upstairs section to open, to try out the dishes they will be serving there! 

Daikaya 

705 6th Street NW

Washington, DC