There’s a new ramen restaurant in downtown Orlando. Not just a ramen, The Ramen. Why do I think of Edgar Allen Poe every time I hear that name?
Quoth The Ramen “Never pho.”
It wasn’t quite a midnight dreary that I walked downtown blocks so dreary.
As we’re seeing with many new restaurants, The Ramen is quick-serve: Place your order and pay for it at the counter then take a number stand to a table of your choice. Someone will bring your food to you when it’s ready.
I selected the Shoyu Ramen, which had Shoyu broth, chashu, aji tamago, naruto, menma, green onions and nori.
Translation:
Shoyu — Soy sauce.
Chashu — Pork belly.
Aji tomago — Soft-boiled egg
Naruto — An illustrated Japanese series about an adolescent ninja. No, that can’t be right. Actually, this should be narutomaki, a cured surimi-like fish.
Menma — Fermented bamboo shoots (also the name of another character in the Naruto series).
Green onions — you can figure out.
Nori — Seaweed sheets.
Missing from the list are the expected noodles that are assumed in every ramen bowl.
The flavors were all good, and I especially liked the pork belly. With the nicely marinated and perfectly cooked egg, this would make a good substitute for a regular bacon-and-eggs breakfast.
The Ramen (the restaurant) is the project of Suichi Tanida, who was formerly a chef at the Japan pavilion at Epcot. There isn’t a lot in the way of decor.
It’s just a place to go and have a good bowl of soup with noodles.
Only this and nothing more.