Daruma

Went in one day about 6 weeks ago for Ren’s Ramen and found out that Daruma was empty. According to the staff at Ren’s, the owners one day just disappeared with all their merchandise. I guess the economic downturn affected everyone and they had to close.
Only Hinata and Maruichi left…

Nice selection of Japanese items which are hard to find elsewhere. Items not as fresh as I would like them to be. Slightly expensive but not overpriced given the rarity of the items.
Ive been going to this little shop for many years, mostly out of curiosity and sometimes to satisfy the yearning for something truly Japanese.
They have «fresh» sushi grade raw items including tuna (including toro), flounder, octopus, uni, and much more. The tuna and flounder have both been very fresh smelling and tasting every time that I have bought them here. But today I bought the uni for the first time and it was way too fishy smelling for me, and the taste also lingers for a very long time. It was certainly not rotten or anything like that, but I would prefer it to be much more fresh. I guess they just dont sell enough of it to be able to replace the stock more often.
Still, a very nice place to peruse through, and probably the only place close by where you can get authentic Japanese ingredients. They have a nice selection of Japanese alcoholic drinks, and the plum wine is worth trying.

I’ve only bought a few groceries here (selection of dried/​canned goods is good, but I don’t remember seeing any really fresh veggies). I usually go for the lunch counter (open 11am-​3pm every day, closed Mondays). You order at the counter, and they seat you at another tiny counter (in the video section, facing the parking lot, but for this food, I will deal). You can also select packaged food (some veggie sushi, seaweed salad, rice balls, etc) from a little refrigerated section and eat it here. Ditto for the pre-​packaged Japanese snacks (chips, etc).
The eel bowl is delicious ($ 9.75) and huge and very filling. I also get the Japanese mountain veggie soba ($ 6.50) which is authentic, good, and tasty without being a salt bomb. (Which is strange considering that they share a kitchen with Ren’s Ramen = salt bomb next door). Basically, I haven’t had anything here that I didn’t like, and I love authentic Japanese food.
Final endorsement: On several occasions, I was the only person eating here who was not born in Japan.
p. s. — Parking is free on weekends (in the parking structure next door).

This is a review of the attached ramen shop only. The grocery looked good, but I haven’t actually purchased anything there yet.
Very simple menu of Ramen + add-​ons. The Miso-​based ramen that I had was delicious, mostly because of the huge flavor in the broth. It is a bit pricy, but the quality seems very high.
The staff was very friendly.

Maybe my expectation was too high. Ramen place in this market was too small. I visited there for lunch in Hot day, but they did not even thrun on Air Conditioning!!! Ramen itself was not that good. It was bit salty. Considering their Ramen price, chairs and tables are so uncomfortable.

I agree with all the previous reviewers; however, I’m sad to report that Daruma no longer offers meals through the lunch counter. They have replaced it with Ren’s Ramen, which is good, but only serves four or five ramen bowls and some assorted appetizers. The ramen is good — I had Shoyu ramen, but I miss my tonkatsu curry and gyudon. Prices are kind of expensive too. For a bowl of ramen, prices range from $ 9.50 to $ 10, not including tip. Also, the restaurant is now cash only… you used to be able to pay for your lunch and groceries all at once. My three-​star rating reflects more of my sadness that the dishes I liked are no longer available, not really the quality of the food.

Having lived in Japan for two years, I was pretty excited to find a Japanese grocery store in my neighborhood. There were some very familiar items on the shelves that I was happy to find – Japanese mayo and rice ball seasoning for example – but I would have liked to see a little bit more variety. I haven’t tried the restaurant yet, but will soon.

This used to be the store to get Japanese goodies. And over the years, they’ve expanded their offerings. But with a increase of big Asian grocery chain stores, I’m betting they’re having a hard time to competitively price their products.
Great place for those who live nearby. For those who live further out, you, might be a bit disappointed :(

Personally, I love this store.
The location is very convenient, on my edge of Bethesda.
Plus, it’s the only place in Bethesda that sells certain items that I have become addicted to after living with a few Asian kids.
I find the owners very friendly. Today I walked in just to buy some meso paste and pickled gourd. The owner was surprised at the gourd and asked me about it. We spent a good few minutes talking about it and different preparations of the meso. She gave me secret Asian recipes which I can’t repeat on Unilocal,but trust me. They’re good.

The eat in food is so so. My favorite is the tonkatsu kare (pork cutlet and curry) but beware it’s the sweet Japanese style curry. As for the ramen it’s the same stuff they sell in the frozen isle so nothing too special. The tanmen in my opinion is so so. When the stir fry veggies and meat are placed, the broth get all oily.

If you want cheap asian groceries, this is not the place… however, they are the biggest Japanese market in the area. When I can’t find everything I want here, if I’m not feeling lazy, I’ll drive down the street to HINATA however is a much smaller market.
Since it’s far away, I like coming here and having the option of dining. They’ve been doing better business since they opened their kitchen.
I am addicted to their KIMCHI RA-​MEN. During the summer, I like to eat their HIYASHI CHU-​KA (cold noodles). I read the last review about «TAN-​MEN» — I’m Japanese, but I’ve never ate it there… guess I’ll have to try it out, but I don’t think their ramen is bad. I also like to get their maguro rolls that they make fresh every day.
If you want REALLY good ra-​men, drive 240 miles to NYC & go to IPPUDO. I do every now & then to get my fix. Then you’ll know why the Japanese really go crazy for ra-​men…

I believe myself to be ramen connoisseur. scouring the ends of the earth for the perfect bowl of ramen noodles. The hidden secret that I will share with my fellow Unilocalers is this… order the TANMEN not the ramen noodles.
The tanmen is the perfect bowl of noodles and hot broth filled with pork slices sauteed with various vegatables that give it the deep carmelized flavor you craving for. Sprinkle in a little fine ground black pepper and slurp away.
Tanmen is the noodle dish that you see all the Japanese customers ordering NOT ramen.
I only give it four stars because the hours for food service are kind of a pain and sometimes the owners are litttle cold but the tanmen is 5 stars all the way.

Supermarket:
Good selection, albeit overpriced.
Café/​Restaurant:
Nothing I’ve sampled (and believe me, I’ve tried to find a «go to» dish to love at Daruma) tastes good. Nothing.
Staff:
Extremely rude.
Conclusion:
Go to Hinata.

I always go into Daruma hoping to buy something. I usually end up just picking up something for the sake of not leaving the store empty handed.
I love looking at the shelves for new Jap stuff but recently it seems like they dont have alot of inventory and the shelves look sadly empty. They have a small vegetable selection but I suspect the turnover is not great and you often find rotting vegetable in the refrigerators — very sad.
I always end up buying the frozen Aginomoto dumplings and noodles from the freezer section cos I dont really know what else to buy.
There is also a refrigerated small cooked food section with a small selection of fried fish, pickles and snacks.
If you are staying nearby — take a walk and browse. If you have to drive, dont bother.

I would love to come here often as i like… but i like to go there on sundays from fairfax. My favorite thing about this place is ready to eat bento boxes and small restaurant. They even have japanese video rentals like dramas, variety shows, and movies. They even carry items that u needed from Sake to Natto. beware the parking lot of that complex sucks thanks to cvs.
there’s another Japanese grocery store up at Mclean or Tysons area but there that place is too pricy and tiny so i would rather come to daruma. Owner seems to be friendly even though they talk to quickly (in nihongo).nevertheless i hope to see another japanese grocery soon somewhere in VA or Mitsuwa Marketplace to FAirfax.

Daruma is another one of those nostalgic little grocery stores that transports you to another country. The owners know just enough English to conduct transactions with you. There’s usually some Japanese television program broadcasted in the corner. And there’s also a Japanese video rental service (all with VHS tapes) as well. Here, you can find Asian produce, frozen goods, sake, pantry items, as well as snack food. At the front of the store, there are ready-​to-​eat food items like sushi, seaweed, tofu, and sashimi-​grade fish. Prices are comparable with identical items found further away at Chinese and Korean grocery stores at Rockville, MD or Annadale, VA.
Daruma is probably the closest places around the Bethesda /​Upper-​northwest DC quadrant for street vendor-​style Japanese food. Sadly, it’s only good enough to satisfy a quick fix. You’ll have to travel elsewhere for a better meal. Everything tastes as if it came straight out of a box. This includes the miso soup, the curry mix, and the beef broth. The pork cutlets are poorly battered and overcooked. Service is often very stingy about offering you extra utensils or napkins. Moreover, prices have increased a dollar or two since 2007. It may not mean much to you, but it certainly moves Daruma from «really cheap eats» to «cheap eats.» Lastly, Daruma’s hours vary — so be careful. Nonetheless, Daruma’s shortcomings do not prevent me from occasionally dropping by for a bowl of ramen.
Given its size, Daruma’s selection of grocery items is certainly limited. You can a greater selection at nearby Chinese and Korean grocery stores. Although, by «nearby,» I really mean to say an extra 20 minutes away from DC.
3 Stars — If you’re short on time, Daruma’s the best place to pick up those hard to find Japanese groceries. While you’re here, you might as well drop by for a bowl of noodles. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way just for the food.

I really like this place, despite the fact that I have no idea what anything is.
I’m currently learning Japanese. I don’t know, its been a passion of mine for years and I thought, what the heck, I’m not getting any younger. And maybe I can make some money off of it in a few years! But, I digress…
I’m into cooking Japanese food so I figured that I would get some of the real stuff. I bought a bunch of noodles, some mirin, curry and a bunch things that i can’t remember the names of. And of course almond Pocky — which is soooo good!
The two women behind the counter were friendly and helped me find the items on my list even though I know I was probably annoying. To the novice chef, the selection seems good and overwhelming. But, once I learn more about the food and language, I’m guess it would appear less and less so over time.
All and all, its a great place. I didn’t get a chance to taste the food or sample any of their frozen or fresh sushi grade fish. I really wanted to so I’m going to make sure I get something next time I visit. This leads me to my only con about the place: It’s too freakin’ far! I live in Temple Hills and I have to go literally to the exact opposite side of the beltway to get there. But, that’s nothing I can fault them for.

Did you know that Pocky does a «Men’s Pocky»?
I’ve not figured out what the hidden Engrish meaning of this snack’s name is, but that didn’t stop me buying a pack today at Daruma. It’s bittersweet chocolate on a stick, how bad could it be?
Japanophiles, take note of Daruma. In this small shop you’ll find a fairly good variety of Japanese foodstuffs — from prepared sushi, seaweed salad and fried tofu to frozen items, vinegars and candy.
A surprising item — kimchee! As a person who is ordinarily very skeptical of Japanese pickled items (I prefer Korean) I must say this kimchee was super fresh and tasty.
Daruma was an especially ironic find for me today considering that yesterday in Atlanta a friend from Oakland brought me a bag of Japanese snacks and such. She told me she’d had trouble finding these things in DC. If only she’d known about Daruma!

I’d give Daruma 3 ½ stars, if I could. Decent selection of udon, ramen and don (rice) dishes. A bit on the high side for takeout ($ 6-​$ 8) everyday, but I came here at least 3X a week. My favorite is the spicy eggplant dish. Daruma has California, spicy tuna, and salmon rolls for sale, as well as Bento boxes (the best deal, about $ 6.50). This is also a market, so come here for those hard-​to-​find Japanese food items, candy (e.g. Pocky, Konyakku), and 20-​lb. bags of rice, just like Grandma used to buy.

2.5 stars
RAMEN IN BETHESDA!!!
I walked into this Japanese market and there were all kinds of promising signs that it was worth the walk. Lots of Japanse customers, lack of signage in english, etc.
As planned, I ordered ramen — it came with pork, bamboo shoot and spinach — the broth was pretty good very rich, almost too rich and quite salty. The pork was rather dry and tough. Certainly not the best ramen I have had, but fed my craving and I guess it is the best option in the area so far given the lack of any alternatives.
Also had the tempura which was too greasy and not so good.
Time to try Ramen luch and Sushi Taro…