We tend to think of ramen as a swine lover’s treat, with pork
and noodles set in rich broth. A surprising—and welcome—new trend:
vegetarian versions that pack just as much flavor.
The trick is brewing a soup that mimics traditional styles
enriched with meat or seafood. We love perching on a stool at
Daikaya (705 Sixth St., NW; 202-589-1600), where delicate
vegetable stock is swirled in a hot wok for added smokiness, resulting in
a soulful bowl heaped with seared Brussels and bean sprouts and
soy-simmered shiitakes.
At Adams Morgan’s Sakuramen (2441 18th St.,
NW; 202-656-5285), mushrooms flavor the kombu broth, a seaweed
elixir that arrives crowned with thick-sliced portobellos cooked in a
sweet, bulgogi-style sauce. The nearby ramen joint
Taan (1817 Columbia Rd., NW; 202-450-2416) goes even
heartier, creating an almost chowder-like dish with chili-spiked soy milk
and toasted garlic.
Even Toki Underground (1234 H St., NE;
202-388-3086), which draws hours-long waits for its tonkatsu
(translation: very porky) ramen, has won converts to its vegan version.
Charred vegetables, lemongrass, and dried mushrooms stew overnight for a
deeply flavored soup packed with shiitakes, daikon, and seasonal
farmers-market produce.
Not a strict vegan? Opt for add-ons such as nitamago,
a soft-boiled egg—and of course, there’s always roast pork.
This article appears in the August 2013 issue of The Washingtonian.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
