My first experience at Daikaya followed an epic craft beer fail by a DC “Tap Room” near Logan Circle. I was with The DC Food Czar, Shawn Keeley, and after a horrendous grilled avocado experience he decided that we needed to move to another spot where he heard avocados were also being put to the flame.
Atmosphere:
We arrived at this place in Chinatown with very little signage and an ultra-modern exterior. Climbing the stairs to the restaurants second floor, I suddenly found myself in an ultra-chill place that I can only describe as traditional old school Japanese mixed with super modern swank. It was definitely a cool atmosphere.
We sat at the bar, where I immediately noticed the large selection of sake staring down at me from all sides. Shawn had billed it as an Izakaya place (Japanese drinking establishment), so I expected a pretty good sake selection. A lot of people don’t know this, but sake is actually considered by most to be a type of beer. Like beer, sake is a beverage fermented from grain. There are some subtle and not so subtle differences between the two however. Sake is typically not carbonated, has a taste more characteristic of wine, and in addition to yeast, a mold known as koji is also used in the fermentation process. Anyway, it all makes for a delicious beverage.
Selection:
I was expecting a great sake menu, and Daikaya didn’t disappoint…what I didn’t expect however, was to be handed an incredible beer menu as well. While there were only 8 draft choices, they were pretty unique, except of course for the Sapporo Lager, which is pretty much a requirement at a place like this. I went with a Peppercorn Saison from DC’s very own 3 Stars Brewing. If you haven’t had this beer yet, you should give it a try. 3 Stars Peppercorn Saison isn’t sour like a typical farmhouse Saison. It’s actually more like a triple with a slight sweetness and a heavy spice profile…with pepper leading the way. It’s refreshing and light, with just the right amount of carbonation.
Yoho Porter – Roasty, Chocolaty and Earthy with just a hint of a Ripe Cherry Flavor. Yum!
Diakaya also carries a good selection of cans and bottles, including large format (750ml) bottles from around the country and some bottles and cans from Japan. There were a lot of choices that I’ve never seen, so I asked the bartender for a recommendation. I was handed a can of porter from Yoho Brewery out of Tokyo, and I may be returning to Daikaya soon just to have another one.
Value:
The prices were very reasonable, even for such a trendy and popular new spot in town. Beers ranged from $6-$8 for drafts and up to $26 for the larger 750ml bottles. Most of the bottles however, were under ten bucks.
Overall:
I’ll definitely be going back here. Diakaya has a really cool atmosphere and a great vibe. It would be a great place to take a date, or just to hang out with a couple friends. Oh, and by the way, the grilled avocado was ah-MA-zing… along with the rest of the food. Check out Shawn Keeley’s full review in the Cloture Club food section [insert hyperlink to Shawn’s review] Kanpai everyone! And until next time, stay thirsty DC!
Website http://daikaya.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/daikayadc
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Daikaya?fref=ts
No comments:
Post a Comment