Daikaya Izakaya

I recently had a great dinner at the newer upstairs section of Daikaya - I really liked their ramen, so I was excited to try out the izakaya's selections!

This is what greets you when you walk in the door, heading upstairs to the izakaya. 

The menus are actually old Japanese magazines with the printed menu pages inserted inside - I thought it was a quirky and fun idea, especially since I could actually read the magazine, haha.

Grilled cherry tomatoes with miso-cheddar fondue 

This was on the specials menu and I'm really glad I ordered it.  The blistered cherry tomatoes were delicious, and that miso-cheddar fondue... oh my. I should've asked for a spoon so I could be sure to eat all of that sauce, mmm. 

Wasabi octopus with Granny Smith apple, arbequina olive oil, and wasabi sprouts ($6)

This was a crunchy and super unique dish that I would recommend everyone try at least once. The crunchy apple cubes balanced out the octopus pieces really well. My only complaint would be the incredibly strong wasabi flavor (since I don't really like wasabi, go figure), but clearly that's meant to be a big part of the dish, just not my personal preference.

Grilled avocado with housemade ponzu, fresh wasabi, and nori salt ($6.50)

As soon as I started eating this, my only thought was "I want to try grilling an avocado at home IMMEDIATELY".  Grilling the avocado, plus the ponzu, nori salt, and lemon, added so much depth to a plain avocado. Such a creative and delicious dish!

Chocolate ice cream with miso-banana caramel, chocolate crisps, and crushed banana chips.

Mmm, chocolate + crispy texture, yes please! There wasn't a ton of miso flavor in this ice cream, just enough to enhance the chocolate flavor, in my opinion.  The crunchy chocolate and banana pieces added lots of texture to a smooth and creamy ice cream.

Overall, I thought that Daikaya has a really creative and delicious menu, and it definitely offers a variety of foods that aren't readily found in other DC area restaurants.  Also, the atmosphere is very laid-back and comfortable, and I would definitely recommend it for a unique happy hour option.  I can't wait to try more dishes here soon!

Daikaya Izakaya

705 6th Street NW

Washington, DC

202.589.1600