I've heard a lot about this place, Toki Underground. If you know the DC/MD/VA area, you know we do not have a lot of options for good ramen, or ramen in general. There are only two places that I know of, Ren's Ramen and this one, which just opened up a few months ago. Located in the H corridor of DC, a 'up-and-coming' neighborhood, Toki Underground is hidden upstairs above a pub. Seating is limited, so there is almost always a wait.
After waiting for about 30 minutes, while being eaten alive by mosquitoes, we were seated at the kitchen bar. The space, though small, was cozy and lit like a wooded cabin, with a logger who loves shopping at Kid Robot.
We ordered drinks off the menu and suggestions on Foursquare. The drinks took a while to arrive as one of them required a bit of work on behalf of the bartender. The ramen arrived and it was a-ok. I say this because I've had spectacular ramen before, the kind that makes you weep a little at Ippudo in New York. The flavors stand on their own, and the noodles are produced in-house. But we're not here to tout Ippudo. Back to Toki Underground; The flavor of my pork ramen was as expected; enough salty, enough porky, but nothing mind-blowing. This tastes like good ole comfort food. The kind you crave when you want to be a glutton on Sundays, or after an evening of heavy drinks. Though, I don't know how convenient this would be because the wait for seats would pretty much kill any hankering I would have for ramen, and I'd most likely hit up the Popeyes two doors down.
Dessert; We got the bento box. There was a concoction of something potently chocolately, something caramel and some sort of exotic sorbet, all in teeny tiny portions. It was cute in terms of presentation, but can come across as trying too hard to be special, for the flavor variety did not meld together harmoniously, nor did it raise an eyebrow or taste bud. The cookies and milk were another earnest attempt at comfort food. The cookies came out fresh and warm, and the milk was a nice touch. I liked this dessert a lot, but again, it's not like I can't pop a few cookies in the over and pour myself a glass of milk.
Toki Underground
1234 H St NE
2nd Fl
(between N 12th St & N 13th St)
Washington, DC 20002
Neighborhood: H Street Corridor/Atlas District/Near Northeast
(202) 388-3086
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