Bantam King!
I love DC because there are always interesting food combinations to try around the city. One of my co workers, who also happens to be a high school friend, was telling me about a new spot that opened up close to the office. He has an affinity for Asian inspired cuisine and I will try anything that is delicious. We ventured to Bantam Kin off of G St. NW. The menu offers ramen and fried chicken. Sound weird…keep reading.
The décor of Bantam King is bright and wild. I love the seating because it reminded me of a school cafeteria with plastic chairs and lunch trays on the walls. The place was packed on a weekday, so I knew it had to be good. We both ordered the fried chicken dinner. It came with a quarter of fried chicken and a side of rice. The chicken is crispy and is Japanese style. It is a little spicy and reminds me of Nashville hot chicken. It is even served with pickle chips on top and cilantro. The rice is simple with some butter. You can be fancy and add chicken drippings (which we did) for a few extra cents. I also ordered their house made ice tea that was flavored with citrus. The food arrived and looked beautiful. We both dug in and the flavors paired together well. Adding the drippings to the rice is definitely the way to go. The chicken was crispy, but still juicy inside.
They also offer an extensive chicken ramen menu. There are several toppings included such as shredded chicken, scallions, mizuna greens, corn, Naruto, chili threads and nori. I will try the ramen during my next visit to see what it is all about. Our only suggestion was to offer a combo plate of ramen and fried chicken. Mind blown!
If you are brave enough and am looking for a cool funky joint to try, venture over to Bantum King for some ramen and fried chicken!
Bantum King
501 G St. NW Washington, DC 20001
