Reren Lamen n Bar (Georgetown)

I've only been once but I really enjoyed it! It's some of the best authentic Chinese food I've had outside of China haha. My friend got the signature la mian and she really enjoyed it. I got the cumin lamb, Xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and the regular dumplings. I'd like to go back and utilize the bar! The staff were super friendly and helpful, they can give you recommendations which is nice. The atmosphere is cool, there's a bubble tea place downstairs and they don't mind if you bring drinks from down there. The decor is eclectic and u get a nice view of Georgetown out of the windows. All in all a mice vibe and I look fwd to going back

I had the Signature Lamen and it was so bland. The soup had absolutely no flavor and why are there tomatoes in this? I’m more used to typical Japanese ramen so maybe this was outside my realm of knowledge but lamen was lame. No flavor. Bao however were great! I had the Shanghai Bao and great flavor, loved these!

The restaurant is beautiful, but if you’re looking for more of an authentic Asian cuisine experience the Chinatown spot is on a different level. The restaurant is (feels like) it’s designed to cater to college students. I went during the early afternoon, so maybe it’s different during other hours, but there is no host or waiter to take your order. You make an order online (which has an extra minor fee + reduces customization unless you talk to someone). The menu is much smaller and different than the one at Chinatown. I was content with all of the food (though the dishes were copied from the other restaurant, they weren’t as good) and the candy chicken was a miss. I would still recommend getting the ramen, soup dumplings, and the fried chicken rice bowl.

This place is great. The seasoning is authentic and the fried calamari and the popcorn chicken are especially mouth watering. I recommend the bubble tea downstairs too!

Came here to grab food for lunch. Had my order in under 10 minutes. Broth was hearty (signature lamen) not very spicy

Ah Reren....I have so many mixed feelings about this place. It's one of the only Chinese noodle soup spots in Georgetown, so if you're really craving a classic(-ish) bowl of lamen, then Reren is a pretty solid stop. They have a diversity of toppings, including two vegetarian choices -- a buddha-style lamen soup and a spicy sesame cold noodle for the hot summer days. I've tried the buddha style lamen a couple of times and it's honestly just very...average. The shiitake broth isn't doing too much for me, and the carrots, peppers, and brussels sprouts were still crunchy, which is great in a stir fry but less ideal in noodle soups (at least for my taste). The tofu was also quite bland and seemed like it had just been plopped into the soup right before serving. As far as vegetarian noodle soups go, this one is definitely toward the bottom of my list. The green tea vegetable dumplings made a stronger showing, with their cute green dumpling skin and decently flavorful fillings. They seemed to be stuffed with bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and a few other goodies that I couldn't quite identify. They were solid, but still nothing special and about at the level of the frozen vegetarian dumplings that I pick up at the grocery store (and, at $10 for only six dumplings, I'd much rather pick up the ones at the grocery store). I was, however, thoroughly impressed by their Not Your Mama's Tofu. As the name implies, this appetizer truly was nothing like what you would find in a traditional Chinese kitchen, but, wow, it was incredible. After being breaded and fried to perfection, the thick slices of tofu are coated in a sweet, savory, and umami sauce, and then finished with green onion and sesame seeds. I'm not sure if they added tapioca / corn / potato starch to the breading, but it doesn't taste like your standard wheat flour. It has a nice bit of crunch on the outside, but the rest of the breading has a springy, mochi-like texture, both of which contrast the perfectly soft tofu on the inside. It was definitely unlike any other tofu dish that I've tried before, and I would definitely recommend giving it a shot!

Service was quick, the interior is super cute and prices were good!

I don’t get the one star reviews for this place! I got the kung fu lamen and my friend got the dan dan noodles and we both loved our dishes very much. we also got the thai popcorn chicken and cucumber salad and both appetizers were also delicious. They had flavor contrary to many reviews and nothing was “gushy”. Will definitely come back!

Unexpectedly good given the relatively mediocre average rating. We were looking for something simple and familiar during our trip to DC, and this place seemed to fit the bill. There was a big Bruins-Capitals game starting soon down the street so we were concerned about getting a table, but fortunately we were seated soon after arrival. Lots of interesting things to choose from, and we agonized over our decision. Takoyaki - nice chunks of octopus inside a hot center and crispy outside. Nicely done. Kung-fu noodles - just the right amount of heat in a delicious broth with noodles cooked perfectly - just ever so slightly firm to give it that nice texture that all ramen-type dishes should have. Seafood fried rice - plenty of properly cooked shrimp, bits of crab, and scallop. Great flavor without relying on soy sauce, though maybe just a little bit on the salty side. Still well liked. Taiwanese braised pork over rice - probably the favorite of the night, with tender pieces of pork, mushroom, pickled vegetables, bok choy, and half a tea egg. Really excellent, but I would have preferred a jammier yolk. Service was friendly and food came out quickly. Prices were good for DC - the total bill including tip (no drinks tonight) was $80 for our group of three.

What we had was not awful but wasn't great either. The 2 star rating for me signifies that I most likely won't be going to try this place again. The pork belly on the lamen wasn't soft. Flavor wise, the broth seems watered down. The xiao long bao wasn't soupy inside. The bao sandwich was really subpar.

A cute little restaurant with polite staff and quick service. We ordered the ramen, pork belly bao, pork belly stir fry, and the Singapore ribs. Everything was delicious except for the Singapore ribs, which were a bit bland. Otherwise, everything else was great. It took us about an hour to order, receive our food, and eat.

Really enjoyed our lunch here. Took my kids on a school day off. We tried dumplings and soups. Everyone loved their food. It was a perfect, cozy spot for a rainy day!

Saw this place on Yelp and saw the high rating and the amount of reviews too and had to come to this place. And the reviews definitely did not lie, the signature lamen was surprisingly very good. The broth was a nice balanced soup and mixed well with the other ingredients. The mushrooms were amazing, i love mushrooms and they tasted really good, really wished they would put more though. The meat was also just as amazing, tasted super nice and had to stop myself from eating it all once i tried it. The bokchoy was also a good add on, never had it before in ramen but definitely enjoyed it. The egg however was just average. It was an egg. Then the noodles were also average but I could've asked for softer noodles so I wont be too critical about it. Definitely would come back to this place for the lamen though.

Unique style of ramen in Chinatown. Their ramen is Chinese-style rather than Japanese, so it was definitely different than what I am used to. I loved the noodles - they were a nice thickness and chew and the portion size was huge. For the signature lamen, I liked the seasoning of the pork and found it to be nice and tender, but the shitake mushrooms had a bit of a vinegary taste and I didn't like how the bok choy was just an entire head of baby bok choy as it was a bit hard to eat. While the dandan noodles had the same issue with the bok choy, I liked the flavor better - the sauce was peanutty and savory, if a bit on the salty side.

Prefacing this review by saying that DC's Chinatown is not a real Chinatown - it's very gentrified and there are very few ethnic Chinese still left in the area. DC's overall Asian population is only impressive if you have lived in ultra white suburbs growing up. It does not remotely compare to LA/NYC/Chicago - or even Chinese immigrant communities you'll see in college towns. As a result of this lack of Chinese community, the Chinese food here leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered a lamen bowl and it was bland - I've had better in the food area in a Chinese grocery store. It wasn't well seasoned and the noodles were overcooked so the texture was off. The service was quick and the waiters were nice so I did appreciate that element. But overall, like most Chinese food in DC, I was less than impressed. If you've never had Chinese food (beyond the standard takeout lomein and fried rice), the food would probably impress you - but if you're actually Chinese, it's nothing impressive and not worth the cost. It's food I can make at home for cheaper and better taste.

a really cute and friendly spot for well priced ramen and lamen! the inside is really pretty and our server was lovely! the food came out quickly and is well priced for ramen in the city (around $15/$16 for their ramen and the portion sizes are massive. and around $10 or so for dumplings). the pork dumplings and dan dan noodles were our favorites! overall a really cute spot for some quick ramen that won't break the bank.

I heard good reviews from friends and was really excited to try this! I couldn't decide whether I wanted the dumplings or the noodle soup so I decided to get both. I wasn't too impressed with the dumplings and probably won't get them again if I returned. The noodles on the other hand were warm and comforting! It's not too salty so I devoured the bowl. The noodles were a little overcooked which was a bit of a disappointment.

Holy moly this was hands down my favorite restaurant we stumbled upon in DC. Wifey and I just finished touring the Georgetown Waterfront and had a hankering for some good Asian food. We were debating sushi but saw that this place served Chinese and Japanese fusion. Service was quick and their staff was very kind. Their Dan Dan noodle is one of the best I've ever had and the food quality all in all was excellent. So happy we found this gem!!!! Come through if you want to try a modern twist on authentic Asian cuisine.

Cool place upstairs. Dumplings were excellent. Atmosphere great. The soup, brings the score down to 3 stars. I've had Pho and ramen all over the world and nobody, I mean nobody, puts tomato slices in their soup. It wasn't really ramen but sort of a Pho that was trying to be hip. Bok choy and noodles were great but egg was cold and more cooked in the middle than standard. They were out of most beers on their list. If you come with friends, stay with multiple orders of dumplings and stay away from their "Lamen" soup.

Food and service here were good - solid 3 stars. Grandma's beef pancake was my favorite. It's thinly sliced beef wrapped in a scallion pancake. The Chengdu chicken was good. It's a plate of small fries chicken pieces - order it to share family style.

Reren lamen n bar is a lowkey small restaurant. It seemed to be family owned. When we first entered we were seated almost immediately. I ordered the reren signature lamen ramen. It was very average ramen. When my dish arrived to the table it was warm but not hot. The egg was also slightly over cooked and not as runny as a ramen egg usually is. The taste was fine as I did not need to add any additional spices to it, but I could tell they utilized MSG as I got a headache soon after finishing my meal. If you go be aware they will urge you to leave your table and move to the bar ASAP. We did not know this and my friends plate/ water were taken when she was not finished. They waitress then stared at us and asked us to move to the bar to sit someone else. While it is understandable that they would like us to move to seat other guests, a heads up would have been nice before starting our meal as some places have a max time of 2 hours. We finished our meal in less than 45 minutes.

Visiting from Florida, I went with a local buddy of mine who hadn't been here yet. We were both pleasantly surprised. She's not really into spicy foods, so she enjoyed the General Tsao's Chicken. It was served piping hot, although the batter was a little too heavy for me. It was tasty. What blew me away was their Reren Signature Lamen. First of all, most ramen places I've been to have been too salty for me. When I asked if I could have a taste of the broth, the waitress was surprised but willingly got me a small bowl -- It was absolutely the best broth I'd ever had at a ramen restaurant, and NOT too salty. The whole dish was fabulous (I almost didn't want to share with my friend!) The noodles were perfectly chewy, the pork belly was delicious, the bok choy fresh. I only wish they'd used fresh mung bean sprouts or none at all (they seemed canned). The next time I'm in DC, I'm definitely going to come back here!

The Kung Fu broth will kick you off to the umami chambers, not 38 but maybe 24 times. That fresh kimchi bits were a bit of push; should went all the way with the preserved mustard greens as fresh kimchi's garlic flavor can cover many good flavors. Spicy wonton itself was a hard okay, but they did a spectacular balancing on the chili oil with a hint of Lao Gan Ma. General Tso was a typical. Keep it up!

Ambiance is an A+, very chill vibes, not too busy, and open late. Service was great. Food was 4/5 stars, but overall tasty. They don't have the vegetarian ramen on their hard copy menu, so make sure to scan the QR code.

This place is a hidden gem, I had fried chicken ramen, taste pretty good Taiwanese style salt & pepper flavor, noodle was thick, broth rich and deep curry flavor, my Mom had pork bowl , and she said it was nice balance of flavor of pork on rice with some pickle vegetables crunch texture , service was attentive, ambiance was modern and play cool music , you will go walking to second floor to find it, and first floor they served Boba tea.

As a vegetarian, the ramen was okay. It wasn't bad at all but it wasn't amazing either. I would have liked more options. I give the veggie ramen 3 stars but the ambiance is nice along with the service. I give the place 4 stars all together.

Signature ramen was surprisingly bland, though not as salty when comparing it to other ramen shops I've tried (which is good thing for me). The pork belly on the ramen was alright, but the veggies were good. Friends I were sitting with got the Kung fu noodles and mapo tofu and said that their dishes were really good, so I would recommend getting those dishes instead.

Flavorless tourist food. Visiting DC. After a long day of walking around the monuments and museums I thought we'd try the ramen in Chinatown. The only thing I liked that we ordered was the seaweed salad. The grilled chicken ramen had excellent chicken and noodles but the corn was old and disgusting and the broth was like chicken broth from a can preserved for future nuclear wars. I was entirely disappointed by the Dan Dan Ramen. The noodles were again great, but it lacked all balance in flavor. The dumpling were bland and the soup dumplings stuck to each other so pulling one out tore the skin and leaked all the soup onto the plate

Ordered the signature reren lamen and was rather disappointed as it was too bland. I spotted the other table for Dan Dan noodles and they look really good though. It is still pretty homely and good for rainy days.

Brussels were hittin. Entrees not so much. Was Iike chicken with spicy Mayo on it. I'm not. A huge fan of mayo so I wasn't a fan. The food wasn't terrible tho. Worth a try. And good location.

Great little restaurant with delicious food. Also a great place to go if you are dining alone, you'll feel totally comfortable. I got the Dan Dan noodles and coconut bubble tea. Both were very good. Super fast service and nice wait staff. Nice ambience. Easy access and in and out. Prices were good.

They have great service. I would go back simply because everyone who works there is nice and their prices are fair. I got the vegetarian ramen and it was a bit bland despite how good it looked. The pork dumplings were good though. Maybe I'm spoiled by Chinatowns in other cities, but I thought the food was just ok. I wish they had chili flakes at the table for topping.

dissapointed!!! When i first came to eat this cumin lamb . It was good anh then after a month i decided to eat again. But it was the worst cumin lamb ever. I know how does uyghur cumin lam tastes like! But services keep defending themself. You guys gotta better to change your chef!! And the tall you g guy was very rude. He just ignored us a lot.

I got the dandan noodles and it was subpar. There was a hint of authentic flavor in the dish but not enough. It felt like a watered down version of what it's supposed to actually taste like.

The fried chicken lamen was delicious, the portion size is HUGE! I couldn't finish it, and you do have the option to take it home. My hubby had the kung Fu noodle and that was fire! I tasted his ramen, and it made me wished I had ordered the same. It is a little bit spicy, but really good.

Great food so delicious. Great service we ordered the dumplings and the soup with noodles. It was so. Good

I almost missed this place when we were walking around deciding where to eat. It's a cute restaurant, nicely decorated, with super diverse clientele. Our server was attentive and polite. The food was okay though, not anything that really stood out. The ramen and broth were warm and they got my order slightly wrong but nothing I couldn't pick out myself (asked for no bean sprouts in my ramen). My friend and I took our time eating and enjoying the evening; we weren't rushed to leave or anything so I appreciated that. Some DC restaurants shoo you away once they've seen you stopped eating but that wasn't the case here. Overall it was a pleasant meal and time.

it was so good everything was so good. we had the chili dumplings (?? i forgot what theyre called) and the xiao long bao AND the fried chicken curry lamen which was so so so yummy

This place serve more authentic Taiwanese than your regular Americanized Asian restaurants. The popcorn chicken is to die for. The wonton soup and grandma style pancake were really good. Cute decor, and great location. Great portions. Will definitely come back again.

For this review, the food by itself was worth 2 stars, but the experience brought the rating down to 1. To start with, the food. I don't think I have had a negative experience with any ramen place in DC, but I guess there is a first time for everything. All the marketing states something to the effect of "it's not just ramen, its lamen!". Well maybe that just stands for lame ramen as cheap microwave noodles are better. I ordered the "signature" and the broth had no flavor, the noodles were way too soft, and the ingredients list was inaccurate on the menu. I have no idea why they would put SO MUCH GINGER in the food. I struggled to finish the noodles and only did so because I has starving. Now, onto the experience. First, they had no service to speak of and just used some app/QR ordering service. This would not have been a problem, but the service they used had service charges in addition to a default tip - an ordering system should complement your service not replace it and still charge more money. DC has a vaccination mandate for dining in, which had been in effect for about a week when I went. No one checked vaccine cards or even asked about it. Not only that, but a staff member in a red shirt did not have a mask in any capacity. I thought she had one off to grab a drink of water, but no, I never saw her put one on at any point when she was handling or preparing food or walking through the restaurant floor.

The slychi martini was amazing. I wanted something sweet and hard. Amy knew exactly what to make me.

Hole in the wall place right in Chinatown offers such great Chinese cuisine! Must get soup dumplings, bourbon chicken, Dan Dan noodles were a favorite!

Got the Beauty Tofu and it was so good !! Also really recommend getting their tote, was only $10!

The food was amazing and the view from our table was nice (we had a little nook looking over the street. We had 30 minutes to eat before leaving D.C. for our flight, the food was made fast and came out efficiently. When sitting down i looked at the food on Yelp and was shocked to see the other reviews. The lamen was amazing and the dumplings were delicious. The noodles were extremely fresh, like the freshest noodles I have had.