Chalk up another coup for CityEats: the upstart Food Network-backed online reservation site has inked its second exclusive contract with an otherwise hard-to-get-a-seat D.C. eatery. First, it was Mike Isabella‘s uber-trendy Graffiato. Now, it’s Toki Underground, the popular H Street NE ramen shop with the usual hour-long (or even longer) wait. This is the first time chef Erik Bruner-Yang‘s tiny 2.5-starred Taiwanese noodle and dumpling house has partnered with a reservation site. There’s a catch, though. Reservations are only available for a limited time frame—-specifically, Monday through Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. This means your seven o’clock arrival will still set you back about an hour (and a couple of drinks) at The Pug downstairs. But, if the early-bird hour suits your fancy, then by all means book your seats here. Otherwise, take this critic’s advice: go during the week, go late, and go solo—-or, as a party of two, at the most. I’ve rarely had a problem when following these simple rules.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery