Daikaya Reviews

Eating creative, neo-japanese cuisine in space that's part Blade Runner, part ancient Kyoto, and part Manga makes the Daikaiya experience a memorable one. Some of my favs off the menu include the chicken and waffles dish which combines lightly fried but still flavorful karaage chicken and an azuki bean waffle, the nori salted, ponzu sauce filled grilled avocado, and chilled cucumber salad topped with razor thin slices of chili, fried garlic, and covered in ground sesame seeds.

RAMEN at it's best. Delicious and warm with flavors to soothe the soul. Go and see for yourself.

Fun environment and decent ramen. Food won t stand out much but it s a great spot if you re around the stadium.

Definitely go here if you live in or are visiting DC unless you don t like having a good time in which case don t go here. The ramen is very good and is reasonably priced too. Hard to find more bang for your buck in DC.

Small, loud, quick paced and authentic... Ramen for those that really want the good stuff.

I come here for special occasions because the Ramen is $13 per bowl. Worth it, the broth is incredible! Sometimes it s a 1hr wait, but you can check out ItsSugar or other places that are around until your table is ready.

Broth was very well done, flavors really exude great taste. Every bite feels like the first. Will definitely be back!

Fantastic. So glad we had reservations for a Sat night. Had 8-10 small plates between 4 of us and was so full. Great sake recommendation from our waitperson too. Fun cocktail list!

I've eaten here before but really did not want to leave a review until I stepped heavy into the ramen world. As most people know not all ramen shops are the same. Every shop is unique to the process they create their ramen. My personal favorite in the D.C. Area was Jinya based out of California and expanded their shop to Northern Virginia.

After trying so many places I am now becoming very picky with how I like my Ramen. Not a fan of the corn. Love naruto. Love pork belly. Love chasu. Love green onions. Bean sprouts. Onions. The list really goes on. I loved their vegetable mix! I thought it was going to be soggy. They were still crunchy. I believe they are quickly thrown on the wok then dumped into dishes. The broth is core of the dish. The broth here has such perfect notes of flavors. They have broth from light to earthy to explosive in flavor. Their soy egg is prepared perfectly! I added the spice Bomb to mine. It just elevated all of the flavors in the dish and didn't over take it with spice. Enough of the ramen!

This place is small but their turn over time is fast. Within three minutes my bowl was out. So if you're looking for a fast paced place that will blow your palette away. This is it.

The server was very knowledgeable. It's hard to find servers who have actually tried the food and multiple ways and can spring up the best recommendations. This gentlemen knew the menu in and out.

Great spot. I prefer the ambiance and food at Haikan, but Daikaya is a solid choice, centrally located.

Food was excellent, and the service was great, even during the busiest part of the evening. I'd definitely eat here again.

Great izakaya, very inventive with a good cocktail selection. Bring some friends and share, it's perfect food, and a good deal for the sheer variety of dishes.

Daikaya Izakaya is stupendous. Everything we had was mind blowing and delicious. Rice balls are out of this world so much so that we ordered three more after our first. Pork and brussel sprouts on a stick are like adult kebabs. Fried garlic is irresistible. Fish dishes are all excellent, particularly the swordfish. Desserts are tops; don't miss the green tea panna cotta. Sakes are varied and bright. Service is knowledgable and gracious and accommodating. As for the ramen shop downstairs, go early and get right in. Ramens are toothsome and filling but not over the top. Service is lightening fast and accommodating. The upstairs izakaya has the edge, but downstairs is nice too.

Best "non-fusion" ramen in DC proper, but the line makes it not worth the wait (depending on when you go). I would say, it is worth 30 minutes to an hour -- enough time to stop by the German-American Museum -- but not worth more than that.

Also as a reminder to myself: usually they come with half an egg, and ordering extra equals 2x half eggs.

Excellent ramen all around. Highly recommend an egg on any dish

One of DCs hidden treasures. With a unique menu of asian fusion, the chef never is forever inventing new creations that will entice and surprise. If available, always always order the dessert special.

Excellent food for an amazing price in DC. I'd come back here any day.

Amazing food, fantastic atmosphere. They did small plates during Restaurant Week, it was such a great meal! I visit Daikaya every time I'm in DC.

My go-to spot for ramen in this city. If you go during off-hours, the wait isn't as long.

One of our favorites, worth it even when busy. Put your name in downstairs, head upstairs for drinks, head back down when your seat is ready. The mugi-miso is a consistent winner.

Okay it is pretty good but not the best Ramen that I have had. The gyoza is really good but the shoyu ramen is not as good as people make it out to be. Maybe I'll try the spicy miso ramen next time to be a fair judge of this place.

Ramen was pretty good. It was hyped up a little too much though. I had better in New York. The one I got had a bit too much bean sprouts. The egg was very good. Service was pretty quick. Nice decor as well.

Great ramen joint. Expect long waits. We have been here numerous times over the years and we average a 45 minute wait each time for 2 to 3 people. They have an upstairs bar you can grab drinks and appetizers after you put your name in. Once seated, service is great. Food comes out fast. We typically are in and out in half an hour once seated.

very interesting (if a bit kitschy) modern izakaya in the Metrotech area

Amazing Ramen, couldn't tell the difference from what I had in Japan, and lots of flavors to choose from

Not the best ramen I've had but still really good. Kind of high priced but what do you expect in DC?

Best ramen in DC, and I've been to 4 or 5 different places. My Asian friend thinks it's too salty, but that's false. Always an hour wait, and reservations in person only.

Good noodles, fast service, but the mugi-miso ramen was way too salty. The shoyu was great though

The atmosphere is great and the drinks are solid. The food is overpriced and extremely small. Expect to want to eat a full meal after you're done here.

Delicious flavors and unique sake offerings! They make being packed into a tight space feel cozy rather than crowded. Interesting ice cream flavors too!

The noodles are delicious, the eggs must be ordered, it is better to add pork belly

Perfect spot to quickly fix a delicious ramen craving.

Great addition to the Ramen House experience in DC. Think toki underground, but right in chinatown.

The izakaya (tavern) upstairs serves Japanese traditional pub food that is so unusual to Western palates that it's like you've just been given new taste buds! (I'm almost afraid to rate this gem so highly, as I don't really want it to get more busy than it already is! ;-))

MUST HAVES: Grilled avocado (with sooo yummy sea salt and housemade ponzu!); Enoki mushrooms; Miso Salmon w/ carrot puree; Crab Croquettes; any of the Onigiri rice balls.

Good and flavourful choices of broths. Would have preferred fresh house-made noodles though.

And please tell the chef that everything is way too salty.

PS: Loved the Japanese variety of whiskies at Izakaya, upstairs.

Closest thing to authentic Japanese Ramen that we have found in the DC area, although, small and usually busy - it is worth the wait.

Delicious izakaya and ramen. Separate restaurants, easier to get into the izakaya.

Fake ramen not authentic with A LOT of MSG and sodium !!!! super rude service. Can t even enjoy eating time. As soon as you stop eating to talk here they come trying to rush you out even you still had a bowl full of food. You told them you were still eating and then they sent another staff to ask you to pay! Seriously? If you cannot effort to pay rent and need to turn tables after people sit down 10 minutes don t open restaurant in DC! NEVER go back again. I wish google has minus instead of one star

The wait was super long, but the ramen was not matchable. Would definitely go again!

Pretty tasty. Authentic flavors and high quality ingredients. Very cool space.

Come before your hungry we had to wait for almost and hour to get a seat the ramen was good but doesn't make up for the wait

Over priced. They charge you close to $20 a bowl with no meat. Not worth it for a bowl of ramen and a few pieces of vegetables. Seating is tight so can't say it is good for intimate meal. Super loud and super tight.

They have one vegetarian option here and it was decent. The place is small. There was a line when we got there (early Friday night) but it moved quickly. The hostess estimated 30 minutes but our wait was around 15 minutes. Be ready to share table with others.

No matter how many times I come here, I always end up loving this place. My sis and my mom also share the same sentiments. must try !!!!

This place delicious. The broth was rich and savory. The pork belly extra was just divine. The wait was a bit long, but you can go upstairs and grab a drink at the bar while you wait. I would recommend this place to everyone!

Out. There are no rock bridges or beginners. Also gyoza.

Pros: very modern, great place for drinks

Cons: izakaya food is not authentic and too American

The food was exceptional, the service was even better

Good ramen. Guess for DC. A bit over hyped. It was good but had better at many other places. I would not wait for more than 15min next time.

Holy great ramen bar! The spicy shoyu will be waiting for me at the pearly gates!

I was longing to find a good ramen place and I m glad I found Daikaya. Their ramen tastes just like back in Japan. I order spicy miso ramen and it was superb. Will definitely come back for the Shoyu Ramen.

Delicious Ramen and amazing service! One time I left my phone and when I came back to find it they had charged up the battery for me.

The Ramen noodle was excellent. The employee provided excellent service. She helped us on the ordering our Ramen noodle. I enjoy eating lunch there with my daughter. Definitely coming back for lunch.

Wonderful izakaya that sits above the Ramen place below. The food is creative, straying just far enough from traditional izakaya food to be interesting. Meats coming off the grill are amazingly smoking. Especially the very think sliced beef tongue.
Highly recommended.