The Rage of Ramen

Chuko Ramen with butternut squash

Sakuraramen Adams Morgan

“Tea” cocktail

Slurping Turtle Chicago

Slurp shot: Cousin Sara

My Subaru buried in a foot of snow in the D.C. area has me craving ramen. For those who know me, I’m slightly obsessed. I admit my addiction to carbs, and a nostalgia that began with snow days home from school, my mother serving my brother and I the classic Oodles of Noodles to warm up after playing in the snow. Ramen is an American comfort food. While I have not had a bowl of Oodles of Noodles in years, it has regained high status and a popularity bordering on culinary obsession.

We are in a ramen Renaissance, thanks to the hype around David Chang and Momofuku in NYC, which opened in 2004. Chang’s Momofuku restaurant group now includes a noodle bar, milk bar (desserts), Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche and Momofuku Ko. Needless to say, if I had money to burn I would try them all. Listen to this interview from 2009 on NPR’s “All Things Considered” to hear more from Chang.

I was reawakened to ramen after watching the show “Mind of a Chef” on PBS. The show, whose executive producer and narrator is Anthony Bourdain, featured David Chang in its first season. Now in its second season, “Mind of a Chef” follows a chef’s passion within their culinary world, and we experience what makes them excited. In the first season, Chang was fun to follow. (The second season features chef Sean Brock. He takes it up a notch, discussing his interest in food history, seed saving and authentic low-country flavors.)

While I still have not yet gotten to try Chang’s famous alkaline noodles in the Big Apple, I recommend J. Kenji López-Alt’s Serious Eats write-up about all things ramen and why ramen noodles should be cooked in alkaline water. In addition, check out this  beautiful article from Eater.com that discuss the noodle purveyor Sun Noodles used by Chang at Momofuku and what restaurants, like Slurping Turtle mentioned below, are making their own and why.  There is also an interview with Chang on his reasons for working with Sun Noodle, and great videos of the history of Ramen and its production.

In the meantime, I have been doing my own search and comparison of ramen noodles in the D.C. area and, frankly, wherever I can.

For my thirty-fourth birthday dinner, budget being of critical importance this year, it was fun to find a reasonable eat that was still an experience. So, ramen it was, at Slurping Turtle in Chicago. This was a great spot for a birthday dinner, as we got to sit at a communal high table at the center of the restaurant and take it all in. The menu was not only ramen, but appetizers, sushi, cocktails, teas and desserts, so plenty to choose from, with a stylish/hip atmosphere.

Moving on to the D.C. area, I had to try the trendy ramen spots, so I hit Sakuramen in Adams Morgan and Daikaya on 6th Street. Both stick authentically to ramen, with Sakuramen offering only buns as an accompaniment, and Daikaya offering beer and gyoza as their only other options. Frankly, you do not need anything more than one of the ramen bowls, as they are wonderfully filling. I have yet to try Toki Underground, which also seems popular.

But the best of my limited tastings of ramen so far was at Chuko in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. I ordered a miso broth with butternut squash, soft-boiled egg, chicken and wonderfully wavy noodles (you can choose your noodles here). The venue, which calls itself an izakaya, features other delicious offerings, including kale salad with crispy sweet potato, raisins and miso, pork buns, crispy Brussels sprouts and various Japanese pickles. Perhaps it’s not the most authentic of ramen joints, but the flavor is amazing – worth the first-come, first-serve policy, one-hour wait time and cash only policy. What we didn’t realize is you can come ahead and put your phone number on the list. I would recommend that you put your phone number down, walk across the street and have a drink at the cozy, candlelit Weather Up bar (go through the unmarked white door) while waiting for your call.

Part of the fun of this ramen craze is hopping from ramen spot to ramen spot to try different bowls. Please comment to recommend where I should go next!