Hidden Underground.

Since moving to the D.C. area in 2009, I've been trying to find a new ramen spot. I suppose the saga should really be introduced properly: my love affair with ramen began back in early childhood with the satisfying saltiness of the orange Maruchan packages, but I was introduced to the "real stuff" in college.

My favorite stand-by while in school was Sapporo Ramen, oddly enough nestled in the student union of Lesley University in Porter Square (Cambridge, MA). It's this tiny shop with long plastic tables and folding chairs (whose four legs never seem to be level, only adding the restaurant's charm), plastic cups, and a bossy waitress who always gives me a judgmental look when I order extra noodles. My friend and I would take the hike to the next Square over before our Japanese culture class and indulge in a bowl of "premium wave noodles" in a broth that had allegedly been boiled for 10 hours. Naturally we would be asleep within the first five minutes of lecture, tummies full of hot, noodly goodness. But did we ever learn about Japanese culture.... Ever since discovering Sapporo, I've had an insatiable appetite for ramen, and I take all my loved ones to this beloved hole-in-the wall in Porter Square (I credit the shop with a good amount of the chopsticks practice my boyfriend has had).

When I moved to D.C., I had to find a new spot. For a while Ren's was perfectly serviceable (though a bit of a hike, in Bethesda, MD) -- high-quality noodles and a similarly sketchy-yet-familiar, plastic-cup sort of feel, located behind a CVS -- until it closed indefinitely. Since then, I was on the prowl for Premium Wave Noodles when my prayers were answered: Toki Underground opened on H St. (NE). A coworker had gone and reported back "even better than Ren's." Of course, that "better" experience came with a wait time of two hours if you arrived after 5:30pm.

I finally roped some friends into braving the line with me on Friday night. It was a little hard to find, between 12th and 13th streets on that Metro-inaccessible corridor that is H St. NE -- neither underground nor with any recognizable signage, Toki Underground is literally a bit of a hidden gem (though gaining popularity fast). To my surprise and delight, we didn't have to wait at all -- the friendly hostess assured us that seating anytime before 7pm should be fine (we arrived at 6:50, just ahead of a big crowd). I ordered the Toki Hakata Classic: rich sesame flavor with a perfectly soft-boiled egg, vegetables, pickled ginger, and two generous slices of char siu. Great food, fast service, a noisy, friendly atmosphere that reminded me of my most recent ramen adventure at Ippudo in New York (where they shout a traditional Japanese greeting every time someone comes in), and interesting décor that fell somewhere between a comic store, bamboo garden, and skateboard chop shop. All in all, $12 ($10 for the bowl, $2 for the extra noodles) well spent.