Over the last 35 years, we have looked at ramen as a dish that in Japan is great cuisine that is a quick eat in the USA. It was thought for a while that only Japan had great ramen, and that the ramen in America was a noodle square that you boiled in water for ten minutes. In 2018, Japanese quality ramen became a regular in the United States. Foodies are lining up for what the noodle bars popping up everywhere have to offer.
It was thought that Pho was a huge threat to ramen in the food market, and for a little while it was. Pho was a healthy alternative at a fraction at the price of ramen. But, flavor wins all. Ramen eateries started offering Japanese style bowls of ramen such as Shoyu, Tonkotsu, and spicy Miso to much fanfare. These bowls of ramen introduced America to visually appealing naruto-maki or fish cake. American noodle bars started to look like ramen bars in Shinjuku.
Two weeks ago, I took a couple of old high school friends to a ramen eatery that I have reviewed on this blog called NAMA RAMEN located in the Northwest side of San Antonio. They were huge fans of Pho, but had never tried traditional Japanese ramen. I advised them to try the Shoyu ramen which has pork belly and a chicken/soy broth. The bowl also had a soft boiled egg, naruto-maki, seaweed, and green onions. After one try, they fell in love with Shoyu ramen. It was packed with flavor, was filling, and hit the spot. My friend Paul was surprised how good the ajitama or spiced soft boiled egg was. Paul is not a big fan of eggs, and loved how the yolk had the texture of mashed potatoes. Needless to say they want to go back.
Ramen is both great cuisine and a comfort food. It offers alot of flavor for an affordable price. It is my go to food when I can not decide what to have for dinner. It is great for a gathering of friends. It is a food trend that is here to stay. Find your local ramen noodle bar, and order a bowl with extra naruto-maki. Trust me you will love it
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