Daikaya - Washington, D.C.

From Joseph, the skilled bartender, to the amazing dishes we ate, it was everything I could have wanted in an Izakaya experience. This is not a sushi place. This is a small, intimate, Upscale bar, with Drinks prices to match. The yakitori tasted so good. We were lucky enough that torikawa, grilled chicken skins, were on the specials. Why don't more places sell chicken skin? The chilled Cucumber was my unexpected favorite. Crunchy garlic and chilli threads with crunchy Japanese cucumber is something I want more of now. The smashed pee-wee potatoes had a wonderful beefy flavor. My one downside is the portion size of the chicken kara-age was a bit disappointing for the price; the small bowl was mostly tasty bits of deep fried skin, with about two chunks of actual chicken meat . It tasted great but was not what I expected for the price. Over all, I had such a great meal here I want to go back and try lunch or brunch.

The vegetarian ramen bowl was perfect. Daikaya is a small space. I loved the people; the hostess, waiter and cooks! I was sitting at the lunch counter and in the middle of all the action. The scraping of the steel pan on the grill over huge open flames, loud rap music and orders shouted by the waiters transported me to somewhere else. As I was leaving, the waiter told me in half English and half some other language (but I understood him), he said 'remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. ' He was delightful. Wish I had had more time, but I was rushing. I 'll definitely be back.

Daikaya is one of my favorite ramen spots in the country! Hands down the best in DC! It's must try for anyone that loves ramen!

Friendly service. Bustling atmosphere. Fun tunes. Most importantly, the best vegan ramen I’ve tried. Back soon!

I get the vegetarian ramen everytime and it's always amazing, with extra seaweed and the vegan spice bomb