Ramen Wars: Sakuramen in Adams Morgan

Good food is a rarity in Washington. Want Mexican? Here, have some Salvadorean. Want Japanese? Here, have some terrible food court sushi. So imagine my surprise when I get an email from Thrillist saying there is going to be a subterranean ramen joint...IN MY HOOD.

I harrassed my neighbor into coming with me. One of the waiters was from his small hometown in California. How strange.

On to the noms.

"Chosun" Ramen, $13

From Sakuramen.net: A distinctly Korean inspiration with sliced Angus ribeye bulgogi, roasted kimchi, seasoned egg, and nori in shoyu broth Broth: Chicken Stock with Shoyu / Noodles: Thin & Wavy 

Portion size was good, bulgogi was well seasoned and plenty of it. Average amount of noodles, and they seemed homemade. The broth tasted entirely of kimchi (as I expected) so can't really discuss the flavor there. Egg yolk was runny and there was a TON OF GREEN ONION SPRINKLED ON TOP. Every bite was green and oniony. But, it did taste good with the Korean BBQ beef shreds.

My neighbor went with his hometown homie's suggestion:

"Shoki Bowl," $15

From Sakuramen.net: For our meat loving customers, Shoki’s favorite ramen dish, filled with extra chashu, bulgogi, seasoned egg, green onion, sprouts, nori, and ninniku dare Broth: Chicken Stock with Shoyu / Noodles: Thin & Wavy 

I snagged a bit of pork belly and a sip of broth. It was delish and meaty. The broth itself didn't have that six-hour simmered "thickness" to it, but it still tasted good. I'm not a huge fan of pork belly but I did like it in this iteration.

Overall, it is a hip joint, convenient to get to with pretty solid food. The people are nice and it's not too terribly crowded on a weeknight (so far). It's a little pricey compared to what you'd get for a similar price back home, but one cannot be too picky nor choosy on the East Coast. 

Check it out: 2441 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan.