IT IS SO COLD. Which means it is perfect time for a BYT Ramen / Pho Round Up – now handily updated for our 2017 needs. From pork belly and lobster to pickled vegetables and fresh seasoning, it doesn’t get more delicious than this, D.C., so embrace the cold and slurp it up. It’s time to eat…

Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom to check out some picks from our BYT Instagram and Facebook followers.

Before we start the general guide a few important bullet points:

VEGETARIAN AND A FAN OF RAMEN?: READ THIS.
Can you make a ramen ice-cream sandwich? We tried. We certainly tried.

RAMEN

Bantam King
501 G Street NW
202.733.2612
The ramen mad geniuses behind Daikaya are back at it again, but this time they’re focusing on the light (yet complex) style of chicken ramen. They’re also serving fried chicken. And did I mention they were doing all of this out of a beautifully / weirdly renovated Burger King with a walkup window?
Yo’ Broths: Shoyu, shio, miso, spicy miso, and shoyu chintan.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Mizuna greens, scallion, corn, naruto, chili threads, and nori.
Yo’ Meat: Shredded chicken, roasted chicken, pulled chicken.
Yo’ Money: $12+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can hit them up on Uber Eats, Door Dash and Postmates.

Chaplin’s
1501 9th Street NW
202.664.8806
Yo’ Broths: Veggie shio, tonkatsu, miso, spicy miso, Asian spicy sour, shoyu.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Bok choy, butter corn, scallion, wakame, stamina egg, fried tofu, bamboo shoots, nori.
Yo’ Meat: Pork, pork belly chasu, chicken, bacon.
Yo’ Money: $12+
DELIVERY: Yes!

Daikaya
705 6th Street NW
202.589.1600
Yo’ Broths: Shio (salt), Shoyu (soy sauce), spicy miso, mugi-miso, and vegan.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Nitamago (soy-marinated egg), bean sprouts, nori, sesame, scallions, butter, canned corn, wakame (sea weed), menma (bamboo shoots), and bakudan “spice bomb”.
Yo’ Meat: Chasu (roast pork), ground pork.
Yo’ Money: $13+
DELIVERY: Kind of? Uber Eats will allow you to order their cold ramen and since we’re in the middle of a bomb cyclone, we don’t really recommend it.

Haikan
805 V Street NW
202.299.1000
And just when you thought you couldn’t get enough of the Daikaya team, they gave us a second ramen joint. Haikan is a Sapporo style ramen shop, just like Daikaya, so if you’re still having problems getting a seat over there, make your way on over to Shaw. At Haikan they’ve focused on recreating ramen from the showa period, but if you’re not a history buff, don’t worry about it. All you need to know is that the ramen is GOOD.
Yo’ Broths: Shio, shoyu, spicy shoyu, miso, and vegetable.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Veggie spice bomb, non-veggie spice bomb, wakame, nori, nitamago, menma, and corn.
Yo’ Meats: Chashu.
Yo’ Money: $13+
DELIVERY: YES

Momofuku CCDC
1090 I Street NW
202.602.1832
The pork ramen is now only available at lunch time, so you better get there fast.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Pork ramen (pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg)
Yo’ Money: $14
DELIVERY: Yes! Momofuku recommends you use Caviar, but if you prefer DoorDash or Postmates, that’s also an option.

OKI Bowl DC & Sake
1817 M Street NW
202.750.6703
Yo’ Broths: Tom yum, miso, kimchi, curry, coconut milk.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Nippon tofu, Mushroom, kimchi, seasonal vegetables, soft/hard boiled egg, roasted sweet corn, bamboo shoot, nori, spicy ball, bean sprout, fried wonton.
Yo’ Meat: Fried chicken, soft shell crab, chashu pork, Fried prawn, Pork belly
Yo’ Money: $12+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use DoorDash, Grub Hub or Eat24.

Sakuramen
2441 18th Street NW
202.656.5285
Yo’ Broths: Miso chicken, shoyu chicken, tonkotsu.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Menma, scallions, nori, sprouts, kimchi, corn, mushrooms.
Yo’ Meat: Pork belly, bulgogi, chashu.
Yo’ Money: $12+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use DoorDash or Postmates.

Toki Underground
1234 H Street NE (above The Pug)
202.388.3086
A classic cold-weather standby for any day of the week, Toki’s broth is hearty and rich (and their potstickers with endorphin sauce are to die for). Get your noodle on, D.C.
Yo’ Broths: Red miso infusion, kimchi infusion, curry infusion.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Scallions, beni shoga, sesame seeds and nori.
Yo’ Meat: Braised pork, fried chicken.
Yo’ Money: $14+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use DoorDash or Caviar.

Yona
4000 Wilson Blvd (entrance on N. Quincy Street) Arlington, VA 22203
703.465.1100
Yo’ Broths: Pork, white miso, coconut curry
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Mushrooms, nitamago egg, fried tofu, shishito peppers, enoki mushroom, snow peas.
Yo’ Meat: Pork belly, chicken chashu.
Yo’ Money: $12+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use Grub Hub or Caviar.

#BYTHINGS RECOMMENDS:

Uzu
1309 5th St NE (located inside Union Market)
Unfortunately their menu seems to get changed up pretty often and there’s not a whole lot of information on the website, but our Instagram followers have nothing but good things to say about this place. And considering how popular their pop-up (Conbini by Uzu) was, it has got to be good.
DELIVERY: Nah.

Jinya Ramen Bar
1336 14th Street NW, 2911 District Ave. (Suite 140) Fairfax, VA
One of D.C. / VA’s newest ramen spots, Jinya has locations across the nation and even some spots in Canada. They’re (kind of sort of?) a big boy chain, so you should alter your expectations. Jinya’s ramen shines when it comes to their weirder options. We loved their ramen with brussels sprouts as well as their creamy vegan ramen. Don’t be afraid to walk off the beaten path. Or eat off the beaten path. Whichever works best.
Yo’ Broths: Chicken clear broth, pork and chicken broth, tonkotsu, miso, pork and fish broth, chicken broth, vegetable broth.
Yo’ Meat: Chicken chashu, pork chashu, ground pork soboro, beef sukiyaki, shrimp & lobster, chicken wonton.
Yo’ Money: $13+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use DoorDoor, Uber Eats, Caviar, Eat 24.

Umaya Izakaya
733 10th St NW
202.290.3443
Yo’ Broths: Tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, curry.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Soft boiled seasoned egg, bamboo shoots, enoki mushrooms, spinach, scallions, beni shoga and corn.
Yo’ Meat: Pork belly, fried chicken
Yo’ Money: $12+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use Caviar, Grub Hub, Postmates and Eat 24.

Boru Ramen
2915 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA
703.521.2811
Yo’ Broths: Shoyu, shio, miso.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Depends on the ramen!
Yo’ Meat: Braised pork shoulder, pork belly, confit chicken, stewed ground pork.
Yo’ Money: $9+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use Uber Eats or Postmates.

Absolute Noodle
772 5th St NW
202.789.0022
Yo’ Broths: Spicy miso! It’s the only option.
Yo’ Stand-Bys: Beansprout, bamboo shoot, scallion, seaweed, hot sesame oil.
Yo’ Meat: Roasted pork! It’s the only option.
Yo’ Money: $12
DELIVERY: Yes!

PHO

Pho 14
1436 Park Rd NW, 1769 Columbia Rd NW, 420 Connecticut Av NW
202.986.2326
Forever Sides: Basil, limes, jalapenos and bean sprouts.
Meat in Your Mouth: Well-done brisket, well-done flank, soft tendon, fat brisket, bible tripe, chicken (white or dark), tofu (fried, steamed, or dried), round beef, skirt flank, soft tendon, meatballs.
Mind on Your Money: $9+
DELIVERY: Yes!

Pho Viet
3513 14th St NW
202.629.2839
Forever Sides: Fresh bean sprouts, jalapenos, lemon & Asian basil, hành giám.
Meat in Your Mouth: Beef eye round, soft tendon, well-done brisket, flank, meatballs, chicken, shrimp,
Mind on Your Money: $8+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use Uber Eats or Postmates.

Nam-Viet
3419 Connecticut Ave NW
202.237.1015
Forever Sides: varies by dish.
Meat in Your Mouth: chicken, crab, beef eye round, barbecue pork, shrimp, scallops, pork, calamari, salmon.
Mind on Your Money: $5.50 – $13.50
Nam Viet offers a large array of Pho, like a Vietnamese take on chicken noodle soup or Spicy Sweet and Sour Salmon Soup. They have a wide array of broths to choose from, so the standard single-broth-but-many-meat option doesn’t really apply here (but you can and should check out their menu right over here). They also house an impressive vegetarian pho with bok choy, napa cabbage, shitake mushrooms, sugar peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, vegetables, tofu, and either steamed or fried tofu.
DELIVERY: No, but they do offer carry-out

Sprig and Sprout
2317 Wisconsin Ave NW
(202) 333-2569
Forever Sides: hot peppers, lime wedges, fresh bean sprouts and basil sprigs.
Meat in Your Mouth: eye of round (medium rare), lean brisket, flank, skirt flank, tripe, chicken, Viet Meatball.
Mind on Your Money: $10+
DELIVERY: Yes!

Miss Saigon Restaurant
3057 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-5545
Forever Sides: Fresh bean sprouts & basil.
Meat in Your Mouth: Thinly-sliced beef.
Mind on Your Money: $11+
While Miss Saigon only offers one type of Pho (their beef broth with thinly sliced beef and rice noodles), they also offer multiple egg noodle soups like roast quail and spicy lemongrass shrimp.
DELIVERY: Maybe? The button on their website doesn’t seem to be working.

#BYTHINGS RECOMMENDS:

Pho 75
1721 Wilson Blvd
703.525.7355
Forever Sides: Bean sprouts, hot peppers, lemon, mint leaves.
Meat in Your Mouth: Eye-0f-round steak, well-done brisket, fat brisket, well-done flank, skirt flank, soft tendon, bible tripe.
Mind on Your Money: $7+
DELIVERY: No.

Kien Giang Quan
6795 Wilson Blvd., #19 & 21, Falls Church, VA 22044
703.538.2800
Located right in the Eden Center (which is always a good place to check out when you’re hungry) Kien Giang Quan has a smaller pho menu than most, but people really recommend their bun bo hue… and almost everything else on the menu.
Forever Sides: bean sprouts, hot peppers, lemon, mint leaves.
Meat in Your Mouth: Beef ball, eye-of-round steak, chicken
Mind on Your Money: $9+
DELIVERY: No.

Pho Real
13876 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904
301.879.9700
Forever Sides: Onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, lime, thai basil.
Meat in Your Mouth: Steak, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe.
Mind on Your Money: $7+
DELIVERY: No.

Lotus Cafe
8077 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910
301.588.8888
Forever Sides: Scallions, white onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil leaf, lime, and jalapenos.
Meat in Your Mouth: Steak, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, chicken, meatballs, shrimp.
Mind on Your Money: $6+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use Grub Hub.

Caphe Banh Mi
407 Cameron Street, Alexandria VA 22314
703.549.0800
Forever Sides: Shaved onion, scallion, lime, basil, bean sprout and jalapeno.
Meat in Your Mouth: Flank, brisket, meatballs, filet mignon, tripe, tendon.
Mind on Your Money: $10+
DELIVERY: Yes! You can use Postmates.

***BONUS FOOD TRUCK OPTIONS***

Pho Junkies
Forever Sides: Fresh basil, white onion, green onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapeño and lime.
Meat in Your Mouth: Steak, brisket, fatty brisket, flank, skirt flank, tendon, tripe and meatball.
Mind on Your Money: $10 – $11

What the Pho
From our very own review:
“Pho’s not the only thing available at What the Pho. You can also feast on Bahn mi sammies or bowls. If you’re really feeling frisky, try the summer rolls. I had the beef Pho and was stuffed by the time I slurped my last noodle. The cilantro bean sprouts, jalapeños and basil toppers are a great addition that will add a fresh kick. And go ahead and be that guy who drowns his Pho in siracha. I won’t tell anyone.”
Forever Sides: fresh basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, fresh jalapeños & lime wedge.
Meat in Your Mouth: Beef or chicken.
Mind on Your Money: $9

PhoWheels
Forever Sides: basil, cilantro, red onions, scallions, lime, jalapenos, rice noodles.
Meat in Your Mouth: eye-round steak, meatballs, chicken.
Mind on Your Money: $9