Bantam King
Chicken restaurant · Downtown
501 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Highlights
Chicken ramen & Japanese fried chicken with unique sauces and spices
Chicken ramen & Japanese fried chicken with unique sauces and spices
"Bantam King keeps things simple by focusing on just two things: ramen and fried chicken. The latter is the draw. Their curry snow fried chicken will linger in your mind long past lunch, with a tangy-sweet onion sauce, Japanese curry powder, and crisp slices of sweet vidalia onions. If you must do ramen, the spicy miso is a winner, delivering a silky rich broth with just the right amount of heat to wake you up from a midday slump." - allison robicelli, madeline weinfield
"All of Bantam King’s ramens are spritzed with a wine spray, giving them a rich flavor you aren’t going to find elsewhere. It’s a bit of a schtick, yes, but we’re into it. Besides the wine spray, Bantam King is all about their broths, and you should choose your ramen based on that—salt, soy sauce, miso, and sesame—rather than the toppings. Real ones know the move here is to take your ramen down the street to Free State, a favorite local bar that allows you to bring in outside food, and enjoy it with a juicy IPA." - madeline weinfield
"Chicken ramen is the specialty of this destination ramen shop in D.C. (the owners also are behind nearby Daikaya ramen shop and izakaya) — note that if the spicy tantanmen is on the menu, it’s worth a try. Fried chicken is an additional offering here." - Tierney Plumb
"Located in a former Burger King location, this ramen joint from the Daikaya team is explicitly focused on chicken ramen (not to mention Japanese fried chicken). Don’t miss out on the (vegetarian) tantanmen, which packs an appealing heat." - Eater Staff
"Chicken gyoza with chile oil are a great way to start the meal at this chicken-centric ramen restaurant." - Vinciane Ngomsi
