M-W,Su 5PM-10PM, Th 5PM-midnight, F-Sa 5PM-2AM. $10-22. Northeast's hottest and arguably hippest restaurant is a Taiwanese-style ramen house, run by (per the We Love DC blog) D.C.'s "culinary ninja," Erik Bruner-Yang. For those uninitiated, Taiwanese-style ramen differs from the Japanese-style in throwing tradition and orthodoxy out the window, and mixing the soup up with eggs, pork belly, curries, and all sorts of other options. (Both these gourmet styles differ greatly from that weird fake microwavable stuff you ate in college for 15¢ a bag by being delicious.) The inventive cocktails are a treat too, but possibly eclipsing even the incredible noodle soups are the cookies—yes the cookies—freshly baked by a friend in the neighborhood, hot and oozing gooeyness, and accompanied with a shot of milk. During peak hours it can be tough to get a seat (all of them at a counter or bar) in this tiny space. The best approach is to give the host your cell number, head out for drinks elsewhere, and he/she will text you when your turn comes up on the list.
Capitol Hill