Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas

Popped in for a quick weekend lunch after being out in the cold rain all morning. Parking is available on the street or the parking garage. The restaurant is small and intimate but still very lively. I was greeted immediately and there was no wait, which was w plus! The staff was friendly and very attentive during my visit. I ordered the Tan Tan Men Ramen, a Roasted Pork Bao Bun, and the Tuna Crispy Rice from the Special menu. The crispy rice was very delicious and filling! I could have ate another plate of that alone! Hopefully, it stays in rotation! I wasn't a fan of the bao bun. It was pretty sweet because of the sauce. I ended up just eating most of the filling instead. The watermelon radish wasnt bad. It was different. The ramen I chose was tasty. It wasn't too spicy but I do appreciate them recommending that I put the chili oil on the side so that I could control the spice level. I ended up putting it all in there anyways. The bamboo stood out the most to me! It was delish! I would have liked a bit more meat but that's fine. Maybe I will order extra meat the next time, esp for $18. All in all, this will still be my new local ramen spot. Definitely is worth a visit when in the area, esp on a cold day!

We stopped in for the last day of Restaurant Week ($30) and had a fantastic experience. We started with the appetizer sampler (gyoza, takoyaki, and shumai)--all were delicious, but the octopus with the flakes was my favorite. For our entrées, we both chose the Karaage Ramen, and the fried chicken was perfectly crispy and flavorful. Dessert was a great finish, we tried the croissant pudding and key lime pie, both excellent choices.The restaurant had a nice vibe with current Japanese music and great service. We loved the experience and the Restaurant Week deal!

We were craving for some ramen on a cold evening, and found this place on Yelp. Def one of the better places to get ramen around Alexandria. Everything was very delicious and flavorful. My favorite dish was probably the Bang Bang Shrimp. Keep in mind, the restaurant is a bit small. So be prepared to wait if it gets busy.

I was looking for a restaurant to have lunch at after a workout class and this was in the area. The restaurant is quite small so I sat at the bar to order to-go. After browsing the menu, I decided to try the spicy tuna bites and spicy miso raman (I love spicy foods). The ramen was delivered is a timely manner however, the tuna bites took a little while. The server did tell me that it takes a while to prepare. Once everything was given to me, I went home to eat my meal. I really enjoyed the spicy raman with the thick slices of pork. It was not spicy enough for me, so I'll ask for extra chilli oil next time. The tuna bites disappointed me since there was little tuna and alot of rice. Also the rice seemed over done/ chewy. Unfortunately, I will not be ordering it again. I am looking forward to returning again and trying other items on the menu in the future.

Having just landed in DC a few hours earlier, we Yelped and chose this place. We were greeted promptly and seated right away. There were probably four other parties eating there. The service was friendly and relaxed. Hostess cheerfully directed us to the nearby Whole Foods after dinner, even! Nice, quiet ambience.Food wise, the pictures tell the story. We wisely chose the spicy karaage chicken with its rich, sticky, fire hot and sweet flavors. Quite complex and unique. Highly recommended!Our mains were tonkatsu and shoyu ramens, fantastic! Loaded with goodies, tasty broth. I love lots of veggies in my ramen so I ordered the shoyu, yumbers!If you are in Alexandria, give Gin Ramen a try! Among many excellent restaurants in the DC area, it is a definite standout.

Gin is located next to 7-eleven in the Carlyle neighborhood with plenty of street parking, easily accessible via ride share, and for us this evening, just a quick 8 minute walk from where we were staying. This place is, what we heard from multiple patrons, "happenin'". From the time we put our name in, until we were just about finished, there was not a table empty (including the bar seating) and people waiting outside to be seated.The host apologized for our long wait and offered a beverage as we waited but we respectfully declined. There are approximately 3 chairs as you wait but the restaurant itself is rather small and compressed so at times it's best to wait outside. When the host sat us, he took it upon himself to offer to keep my walker at the front and even rolled it so my wife didn't need to. As a gentle reminder, while it may seem as if people are being seated before you, even though you think you were there first, it's likely they returned to the restaurant after being notified their table was ready. A perturbed patron curtly asked why another party was seated before them, turns out, the party seated had been waiting off-site. We are not local to the area but make it a point to stop by. The service is friendly and swift, proving to be a bit of a challenge at times to get the attention of the wait staff. I couldn't remember what I had the last time and showed our waitress photos and she immediately knew what they were! While the staff moves swiftly, when they are with you, are very attentive. I never felt rushed, even as they were clearing our empty dishes, I got the feel they were wanting us to be comfortable and have an enjoyable experience. The broth was piping hot with nice depth to it. If you order appetizers the amount of noodles is probably just right. If the ramen is all you get, you may be left feeling like you could use more. We weren't disappointed with the alcoholic beverages either.There was only one thing we wouldn't get again, the shishito peppers. They were really peppering! Good but hard for a two person party to enjoy a platter full.We make it a point to come here and don't plan on changing that anytime soon! Keep up the great work.

Gin ramen is such a gem! Located in the Carlyle neighborhood near the US Trade and Patent Office, Gin is dishing out amazing ramen and izakaya staples like fried squid and chicken.This small, intimate space is well lit, beautifully decorated, and very cozy. Gin is usually busy, but not to the point that you've got to wait for a table or a seat at the bar. The staff is very friendly and attentive, and the food and drinks are consistently good. In addition to some of their menu staples such as spicy miso ramen and chashu donburi, they have a small specials menu that rotates rather often. The specials typically include a donburi, a ramen, an appetizer, and two cocktails. I have yet to see any of the specials repeated, so if you see one you're interested in you should try it! I'm a big fan of their veggie ramen and subbing the egg noodles in for the kale noodles, spicy miso ramen, and gyoza.

Had the spicy miso ramen. Broth had good depth of flavor in it and a small kick in spice. Toppings were delicious, although I wish the chashu was a little larger in size. Food came out quick and staff was friendly and efficient. Would recommend to try.

Really liked this place, and their service -- their were friendly. Ambience during our time was somewhat busy dinner time. I can see the place a bit loud when busy/full. Even though we only had tonkatsu & gin ramen, it was delicious. I really had no complaint, even my partner none. The noodles were good enough for us, because we personally do not like the maruchan like noodles that are thick and wavy. We prefer the thinner noodles and none wavy.

Such a great casual spot! Walked by it with my husband on a hot summer day and said we'd have to come back when it's cold and warm up with some ramen. Well that really cold day came this winter and we got our delicious meal! Although the ramen was great, I REALLY loved the one ube cheesecake. That was AMAZING! They serve a lot more than ramen too so we'll definitely be back. Oh and don't forget to grab a cocktail!