Toki Undergound – late night Ramen

I was really excited to take Karthik to Toki Underground because of my obvious love for everything Japanese (even though this apparently has more of a Taiwanese influence) . My sister told me about an amazing ramen place in NY called Ippudo so I was thrilled to hear that there was a new place in DC. After reading many Yelp reviews I was convinced that we would have to wait 2+ hours for a table. However, we only had to wait about 30 minutes and they called us when our table was ready so we didn’t have to wait around aimlessly (there is no bar to wait at because the bar is used for seating). This place is easy to miss on the H St. NE strip – you have to look for the logo on the door and head up a narrow flight of stairs. The restaurant itself has a great ambiance – dark, exposed ceilings, skateboards as footstools, and what I am assuming to be Taiwanese cartoon characters as decoration. It definitely gave you a sense of being in another country so that was cool. 

• Menu: Vegetarian items are clearly marked. Dumplings (1 option), Ramen (1 option), Sides (depends), Desserts (all veg)
• Total: 33.20 not including tax and tip

Verdict: Fun experience, mediocre food. Waiters are very friendly and willing to explain dishes and help you decide.

 

Vegetarian Dumplings: The dumplings were not impressive. They were burnt and the filling was boring. The sauce, however, was delicious.

Corn: We ordered the grilled corn with spiced butter and crumbled cheese. It was pretty good but nothing to write home about.

Masumi Vegetarian Ramen: We ordered 1 bowl with extra noodles and we shared it. The broth was pretty bland and the noodles were sticky so it was hard to eat. It was satisfying but honestly nothing stellar.

Dessert: I was really excited about the almond cookies because I had read so much about them on Yelp and our waiter even said they were amazing. We waited 20+ minutes for 3 cookies and by that time I was falling asleep on the table so we asked for it to go. It was supposed to come with a glass of milk but I guess they couldn’t do the milk to go. So, we basically paid $7 for 3 almond cookies which did come out piping hot but honestly not cooked all the way through. Could have been delicious but turned out disappointing.  

But Karthik and I had a great time!

Kushi – Japanese Izakaya

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Karthik and I decided to write our first review on Kushi – a self-proclaimed Japanese izakaya on 4th and K St. NW. I bought a Groupon for this place because I am pretty much instantly attracted to anything Japanese. In … Continue reading →