Alright Nomsters, lots to talk about today. I finally got to check out Kaiju, the new ramen spot in Capitol Hill, and I’m excited to tell you more about it. To start, I really liked the space. I thought their decor was fun, and I loved that they lined their bar with action figures. It’s very on brand with what they’re going for. Peep their site to see what I mean!
I hit them up for brunch around 11:30 on Saturday with my friend, @charmcityfoodadventures. As per usual, we got a nice spread to share. They were out of sushi from the night before which was a bit of a bummer…but also AWESOME because that means they’re busy on the regular. Love to see it, AND it gives me a reason to go back for round 2.
We started our meal off with their gyoza, shrimp paste tempura and Japanese chicken wings. I really enjoyed all three starters, but the wings and tempura were standouts.
I wasn’t sure what they meant by shrimp paste, but apparently they dice up a bunch of shrimp and piece it all back together before frying it! Reallllly tasty. Fried to crisp perfection, and the shrimp’s so juicy and delicious. They also serve it with matcha salt which was a plus. Big fan, 10/10.
The wings were surprising. They’re tiny, but don’t let that throw you. Our server told us that Japanese wings are like 1/3 of the size of “American” wings so keep that in mind if you get this starter. They coat ’em with this addicting lemon/salt blend, and it’s scrumptious. This was yet another winner in my book so I highly recommend getting an order (maybe 2) for the table.
OK SO RAMEN! They have a $66 (!!!!!!) bowl called Wagyula, and it’s made with – you guessed it – wagyu strip loin, egg, a beef + pork + chicken + scallion clear broth, and gold flakes. Would I get it again? To be honest, probably not. $66 is a lot of money, and I’m happy with my basic bowls, lol. It was definitely an experience though. The meat was really tender, and it was all in all enjoyable…but I would’ve enjoyed a less bougie order just as much.
Our server also recommended their yuzu ramen so we got that as well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the flavor profile, but that’s just my personal preference. I’m more of a tonkotsu kind of gal so I’ll have to go back and try their spicy version ASAP.
They had taiyaki on their dessert menu so I couldn’t resist getting that + their matcha crème brûlée! LOVED the taiyaki – it was stuffed with so much red bean, and the exterior was nice and crispy. It also came with a huge scoop of matcha ice cream so that was a definite plus.
Alright Nomsters, I hope you enjoyed my latest review! Let me know what you thought of today’s post by leaving a comment below, and stay tuned for more content coming your way.
PS. Robby and I are pivoting a bit so we won’t be updating daily, BUT I promise they’ll be new posts at least 2 times a week so make sure to check back. In the meantime, make sure to browse my DC tab and follow @nomtasticdc for more delish recs.
