Rice Alley

Low-key Ramen shop that deserves to be famous.
Came in during lunch hours, and it wasn't very busy at all.
We picked the tuna and salmon rolls to start and went with the house Signature Ramen for our main.
Our food came out almost as fast as we asked for it.
The sushi rolls were delicious; incredibly fresh and flavorful.
The real star of the meal was the ramen.
Each ingredient brings its own unique flavor without overpowering one over the other.
The pork was remarkably tender and brought an overall smoky flavor to the noodles and broth.
I highly recommend this shop, and will definitely be coming back.

Owner response

Hidden in a nondescript strip mall-esque building in a nondescript DC suburb is this gem of a mom and pop restaurant.
So mom and pop, in fact, that one of the tables was reserved for the toys of a small child who was clearly growing up in the restaurant.
The child was friendly and well-behaved, and probably could provide better service than a lot of servers at other places I’ve been. Anyway, this is a no-frills kind of place, but that doesn’t matter.
The food was delicious and the service (by a legal working age adult) was super friendly.
The spicy yellowtail roll was excellent.
My karaage chicken curry was a heaping portion of awesomeness - with a curry sauce that was tasty and light, not overpowering as some curries can be.
My wife’s hibachi chicken was exactly what it should be. The prices were very reasonable, especially for the portion sizes. If you happen to find yourself in Gainesville, VA, make a point to stop in and try this place out.
Be sure to say “hi” and “bye” to the friendly child living her best life at table 1.

Owner response

An excellent place for authentic ramen and hibachi! I liked that this was a family-run business.
Everything was seasoned well and the food was all fresh.
Our server was nice and checked up on us often.
They answered all our questions and provided good recommendations on what to eat.
The environment is on the quieter and peaceful side.
Price is good especially with the amount of food you get.
I will definitely be stopping by when I'm in the area again!

Owner response