Ippudo

Ramen sits very high on the list of foods I was looking forward to eating in Japan.  I requested it for my first night's dinner here, actually.  For those of you who are imagining a package of fried noodles and a packet of MSG, let me enlighten you.  The ramen you have been eating out of a Styrofoam cup is a disgrace.  The real thing is full of complex flavors and textures.  The noodles have bite to them (I might even go as far as to say "al dente").  The broth has layers of soy sauce, miso, salt, pork or seafood, depending on your choice.  And the toppings- the toppings!  Soft-boiled egg, seaweed strips, perfectly cooked slices of pork, mushrooms, bamboo, scallions, bean sprouts- the choices are endless.  You thought pho was the perfect food in a bowl?  You haven't had good ramen.

There are a few places to get ramen in the DC area.  Temari in Rockville has a few kinds- but they are just okay.  There was a place in Bethesda called Ren's, but I think they closed.  I heard there is an even newer more ramen-centered place coming to DC proper soon.  Check it out- it looks like it will be good.

If you want the REAL stuff, you aren't as far away as you think.  A quick visit to the East Village in New York will get you what you crave.  I was fortunate enough to try Ippudo less than a year ago.  I had heard it was a popular Japanese chain.  Normally, I'm turned off by chains, but in Japan they are really common.  They don't have the same feeling as your typical Ruby Tuesday (by the way, nothing wrong with visiting the salad bar at RT from time to time!).  Anyway, Ippudo in New York is amazing.  You know what is even more amazing?  Ippudo in Tokyo.  Behold:

My untouched bowl of ramen awaits.

Maybe to you, this isn't a think of beauty.  But to me, the bits of glistening fat, the darkness of the different flavored sauces, the bright orange of that runny yolk, and the mystery of not seeing my noodles gives me chills.  I have chills right now!  That could be the crappy heater, but still.  You get this huge steaming bowl in front of you, and the smell intoxicates you.  All you need is a quick stir and you can eat it right away.  But at Ippudo in Tokyo, you can customize your ramen even more.  Every table has mills of fresh black and white pepper, jars of garlic with garlic press to mash, tubs of spicy sauce, fresh sesame seeds, you name it and you can add it to your bowl.

The extra toppings in their cute bowls

It was the perfect meal for a cold night.  All around you are the sounds of happy slurping.  This is considered a polite way to say you are enjoying the meal.  You get so full halfway through your bowl, but you don't stop eating.  You slurp and slurp until you are groaning with discomfort.  Why did I eat the whole thing?  Because it's so damn good.  Ippudo is the king of ramens...so far anyway.

My stirred ramen with added black pepper