Dining Guide

In the tradition of under-the-radar Japanese ramenyas comes this basement noodle shop from Kru chef-owner Billy Ngo and ramen ace Takumi Abe. An illuminated neon sign of a steaming ramen bowl is your signal to descend into the historic brick-lined K Street space, updated with faux-concrete floors and glittery indigo walls featuring gold bolts of kintsugi. (If you prefer to slurp above ground, Kodaiko recently added ground-floor patio dining.) The soup options are slim by design and minimally adorned. The tonkotsu gyokai features a rich, flavorful pork-and-fish broth, and the vegan mushroom paitan, a favorite of all dietary persuasions, has a luxurious finish, thanks to house-made cashew cream—adding a slice of the pork chashu is a popular meat hack for carnivores. Other toppings, such as a soft-boiled ajitama egg, are also optional. Additional snacking, however, is required: Don’t miss the plate of house-made pickles (think salt-cured kohlrabi and kimchi) and the golden-fried chicken karaage—an izakaya staple—lifted by a zingy Tajín mayo in true fusion flair.