They say good things come to those who wait.
In the case of Toki Underground, that wait could be two or three hours. Between the hype, funky interior and promise of ramen that doesn’t come in a styrofoam cup, the tiny H Street noodle bar has been swamped with opening week crowds. And while I don’t believe any meal in D.C. is worth a three-hour wait, it’s obviously that there’s something special about Toki Underground.
Situated above The Pug, Toki Underground is a little jewel box of a restaurant. A lot of thought has been put into the interior, which is a funky mash-up of skateboards, colorful graffiti and cutely subversive Japanese toys. The narrow space is ringed with approximately two dozen counter seats, an open kitchen in the back and a shared bathroom sink so small you might miss it if you’re not paying attention. Clever details — like the blinking pachinko games embedded into the bar and dessert served in panda-shaped bento boxes — add a twist of whimsy to the otherwise edgy atmosphere.
As for the food, Toki Underground definitely hits more than it misses. The menu is short and sweet, focusing on a selection of ramen and dumplings. Toki Underground doesn’t exactly serve traditional Japanese ramen, but Chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s renditions are enjoyable nonetheless. The menu features five different kinds of ramen ($10 for a bowl), four made with a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth and one vegetarian broth made with shitake mushrooms and kombu (seaweed).
The Toki Hakata Classic has a smooth, almost creamy broth, and flavorful, moist slices of pork loin. Chopped mustard greens and pickled ginger add a pungent, spicy note to the the meaty broth. However, the highlight was the soft-boiled egg, which is cooked just long enough for the the yolk to take on a pudding-like consistency. While all the players in the Classic were tasty in their own right, the broth was just a hair too salty, overpowering some of the more delicate flavors.
The Kimchi Hakata ramen, on the other hand, was a tongue-puckering explosion of spicy and sour. And while I didn’t try it on this visit, the Curry Chicken Hakata, topped with Five Spice fried chicken, sounds like it might be the dark horse of the menu. Good broth is arguably the heart of good ramen, but the noodles are almost as important. The kitchen hasn’t quite perfected them — made of flour and water (no egg), the noodles were on the chewier side and tended to clump together in the broth.
Unfortunately, Toki Underground’s dumplings don’t fare quite as well as the ramen. The restaurant serves pork, beef, chicken, veggie and seafood dumplings ($5 for half a dozen), which can either be steamed or fried. In both preparations, the dough was simply too thick and came out slightly undercooked along the folds. For dessert, Toki offers a rotating selection of little cookies and truffles, including warm chocolate chip cookies baked to order.
Toki Underground has also given careful consideration to the drink selection. Patrons can choose from seven different Japanese or Korean imported beers, a variety of sake and signature cocktails flavored with the likes of caramelized pineapple, cucumber foam, or pork belly. Quirky non-alcoholic drinks are also on the menu, including Ramune soda, which is sealed with a glass marble and tastes something like liquid bubble gum.
Perhaps both the best and worst thing about Toki Underground is that there’s nothing else quite like it in D.C. All the different elements — from skateboards and graffiti to noodles and sake — work together, evoking a bit of Tokyo and New York City rolled into one. Throw in reasonable prices and a prime location on H Street, and, like its counterpart Sticky Rice, Toki Underground will be beating back the crowds for a while.
Toki Underground
1234 H Street NE
Washington, DC
(202) 388-3086
Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday: 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
