John H.
Yelp
I had a layover at SLC for about 4 hours, and rather than sit in the airport the whole time I figured I'd get out and get some ramen. Of course, when I get there I have to wait a half hour for it to open. (The hours posted on Yelp were incorrect; I submitted a photo of the hours for an update. In case you're wondering, they close on weekdays at 14:30 and reopen at 17:00.) Once I did finally get in, there was already a small line at the register within a couple minutes after opening. Good sign, right?
They offer a great combo deal of ramen, a side, and regular-sized fountain drink for $16.50. It's a really good deal. So I ordered myself a Black Garlic Pork Ramen, Takoyaki (Fried Octopus Balls), and drink. I also ordered extra Chashu (Roasted Pork) in my ramen for an additional $2.50.
On the surface, all of this seemed good. Looking at the reviews you would think this is the best place in the state to buy ramen, but I'm going to be that asshole and say there is probably better elsewhere. Yes, I was disappointed in my meal. Honestly, I didn't feel bad telling the co-owner that when he walked around the floor asking how everything was. Of course, most people said it's good. Whether they honestly thought it was good or they were being polite, it doesn't matter to me. And I don't mean to sound like a self-entitled douche, but I grew up in Japan and ate ramen at least once a week for over a decade. I'm a snob for the stuff.
So when he asked I told him I thought it'd be better. I asked about what went into the broth and he told me it was the very basic stuff: pork bones, water. I asked about vegetables and fish and he said they did use them. He also said they got advice from a ramen shop owner in Japan. Personally, I think they should either fire the Japanese ramen shop owner, or make sure their recipe is on point before serving any more. I felt cheated and that taxi cost me money!
To start, the broth was bland. I always start by having a spoonful of the broth from about the middle of the bowl and into the top layer. I can't remember the last time I didn't have flavor in that first sip. It tasted very watered down. Fortunately, as I got further into the bowl, the soup thickened (towards the bottom) and there was good flavor down there. But that flavor and consistency should be there from the top layer down. The broth really does make or break a bowl of ramen. Maybe boiling it longer to thicken it, and adding more of whatever they through in the pot will give it better, richer flavor. (I wish I could see what they were doing back there...)
I'm not sure what their thick noodles are but I chose the thin noodles when asked at the register. I don't know if they meant 'udon' for the thick noodles or the ones I actually chose. I had also asked if the thick ones were the egg-based noodles and the cashier said both noodles were egg-based. Either way, the noodles I had were not thin. I guess what I was looking to see was if the thin noodles I chose were the Fukuoka/Hakata, thin and straight-style ramen made of wheat flour or rice flour but no egg. They also offered kale noodles... It might've been worth trying that out.
The 'chashu' (pork) was not chashu; it was bacon. I really hope they're not trying to pass off seasoned and torched bacon as true chashu! It tasted burnt and didn't have much flavor, which is disappointing because it's gat damn bacon! They're better off just cooking it plain in the oven and throwing it into the bowl as a topping NOT called 'chashu'. This wasn't at all worth paying the extra couple dollars.
For the side dish, the 'takoyaki' was tasty. Hot and with a nice chunk of octopus in the middle. The balls were more of a deep-fried type than the kind cooked in the greased skillet molds. Still, not a bad way to start the meal...
This is a nice spot in a good part of town, but they have to step their game up. A broth boiling for 24 hours doesn't mean anything to me if it doesn't taste good, thus ruining the bowl.