Since I'm from Washington D.C., I decided to try out some of the ramen offered there.
The first place I went was a little shop called Daikaya. It had a two-hour wait! But I'd heard the ramen there is amazing, so I had to try it.
When I was finally seated, I was surprised at how small the dining area was.
Maybe that's part of why the wait was so long.
Looking at the menu, I decided to try the shio ramen. It came with the usual toppings: pork belly, bean sprouts, scallions, garlic, and seaweed. There was some ground pork thrown on there too, but no egg, which was a bummer.
When the ramen came out, I immediately dug in. The broth was fantastic; it was up there with some of the best shio ramen I'd had in Japan.
The vegetables were fresh, and the pork belly was delicious. The noodles were Sapporo-style, which seemed to fit this bowl.
All in all, it was a delicious bowl of ramen. One that stayed true to where it came from!
The only downside was when the bill came. $15.00 for a bowl of ramen? With no added toppings or anything?
"That's America," the waiter said. "You're not in Japan anymore; you can't find a bowl for the equivalent of 600 yen anywhere around here!"
While that really stunk, I was happy to find a good bowl of ramen as good as what I'd had in Japan!
I decided to try out some of the ramen in Washington D.C., my hometown.
The first place I went to was a little shop called Daikaya. It had a two-hour wait! But, since I've heard good things about the ramen there, I wanted to try it.
When I was finally seated, I was surprised at how small the dining area was. Maybe that's part of why the wait was so long.
I looked at the menu and decided to try the shio ramen. It came with the usual toppings - pork, bean sprouts, scallions, garlic, and seaweed.
There was ground pork listed too, but no egg. That was a bummer because the egg is one of my favorite parts of a bowl of ramen.
When the ramen came out, I was hungry and started eating immediately. The broth was fantastic; it tasted like some of the best bowls of shio ramen I'd had in Japan. The vegetables were fresh, and the pork was delicious.
The noodles were thick and wavy (Sapporo-style, I believe?) which seemed to fit this bowl. All things considered, it was a delicious bowl of ramen; a bowl that stayed true to Japan.
The only problem was when the bill came. $15 for a bowl of ramen, with no added toppings or anything?
"That's how it is in America," the waiter said.
It was a bummer to realize I would have a hard time finding a bowl of ramen for the equivalent of 600 Yen in the U.S., but at least it was delicious.
I was very happy to find a good bowl of ramen as good as what I had in Japan!