My first foray into the crowded Seattle ramen scene.
I just moved to the Seattle area, where there’s no shortage of ramen places. My first bowl was at the highly-rated Arashi Ramen in the Ballard neighborhood.
The restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall eclectic spot with seating for about 25 people. Interesting Japanese posters and some unusual kitsch lends a casual, friendly feel. The menu has a good variety of ramen, most based on tonkotsu broth, a few rice bowls and some appetizers. They also seem to have a very respectable selection of Japanese beers and sake.
Arashi Ramen is a cozy, friendly spot in a funky neighborhood.
I ordered the black garlic ramen and my usual starter of gyoza.
The gyoza were excellent. The wrapper was delicate with a nice crisp char. The pork and chicken filling was flavorful and well-spiced; I’d even term it refined. Light yet rich, I could’ve eaten a dozen.
The gyoza and dipping sauce were superb.
The black garlic ramen arrived and I immediately noticed the broth, which was light and almost clear. Not your typical rich and creamy tonkotsu-based broth. I had to ask if indeed it was tonkotsu and the waitperson confirmed this.
Upon first taste, I was pleased to find the broth was delicious and well balanced The garlic oil added a richness, but wasn’t overdone as has been my experience with some past garlic ramen. Overall the broth was enjoyable; not complex but well executed.
The black garlic ramen at Arashi.
The noodles were thin, al dente with a slight chew. They had a nice flavor. Nothing standout, but nice. The good amount of bean sprouts added a welcome crunch. The egg was fine, though slightly over-cooked.
The chashu was tasty but fell apart as my chopsticks grabbed it. I would have liked more integrity there. But it was tasty with just enough fat. Unfortunate it got overwhelmed.
The service was quick and friendly. Prices were reasonable. The street location is slightly grungy and isn’t in a well-trafficked area, so clearly this is a destination ramen spot. Arashi has another location in Tukwila, Washington.
Arashi makes a really good bowl of ramen. I left satisfied and would definitely return to try other bowls.
Tonkotsu simplicity shines at this well-known ramen chain.
In Ramen Club we tend to focus on a broth’s complexity and largely base our ratings on that characteristic. More, deeper and surprise me have been my guiding principles. My bowl at Ippudo shifted my outlook solely based on the broth’s simplicity.
Ippudo, known as Hakata Ippūdō or Ippudo Shiromaru Base in Japan, is a restaurant chain with locations worldwide (Paris, Sydney, London, Beijing, among others). Ippudo is known for its tonkotsu ramen, and has been described as “the most famous tonkotsu ramen shop in the country,” though I can’t seem to source the origin of that description!
Friendly staff!
I visited Ippudo’s Umeda location in Osaka and was seated immediately at the counter. The vibe was friendly and the seats were well-padded for extra comfort (just like in NYC’s Ippudo). I started with their bite-size kyoza. Excellent! Perfect crispness on the skin, delicate wrapper and luscious filling.
A very comfortable counter seat, just like in Ippudo NYC.Light, crispy delicious gyoza. Beer please!
I ordered the tonkotsu ramen. The presentation was simple and, at first glance, unimpressive. My first taste of the broth brought me back to my NYC Ippudo experience: simple, creamy, rich tonkotsu. Not complex, but delicious with good umami mouth feel.
Tonkotsu ramen at Ippudo, Osaka
The noodles were thin, firm and flavorful. Chashu was very good. Onions and burdock root strips were what you’d expect. A no frills, perfect bowl of tonkotsu ramen. The number of condiments that were available caught my attention and I started experimenting to good effect toward the end of the bowl.
I love those condiments!
Sidebar: My fellow Ramen Clubber, Michael, believes a bowl of ramen should be eaten and judged exactly as it came out of the kitchen. He thinks condiments are a crutch. I only partially agree. His is a European perspective that certainly applies to continental cuisine. The more I learn about Asian food, however, the more I realize that condiments can be an integral part of the meal, not a fix.
Tonkotsu is arguably the most popular style of ramen, so I can understand why Ichiran and Ippudo, both of which hail from Fukuoka (the originator of tonkotsu) are so well-known. My prior review assessed Ichiran’s tonkotsu as respectable, but not great. I’d give the clear edge to Ippudo, which takes this basic dish to a much higher level.
A good bowl of ramen in a comfortable, well-designed setting. Order the upgrade!
The first thing I noticed upon entering Waraku is the decor. This is a real restaurant, where the owner put some thought into its look and feel, distinct from the spartan or cool design of many U.S. ramen places, where slurp-and-run is the implied message to customers. There are wood beams and panels that create architectural interest and appear authentic. The waitress confirmed they originated from a building in Japan.
The place was full, but no line. We waited just a few minutes for a table on a weekday evening. Noise level: blessedly, not too loud. And so we settled into a cozy booth.
The menu leads with two tonkotsu ramen choices (regular and roasted garlic), and also offers shoyu, veggie, spicy tan-tan and tsukemen.
David and I went for the tonkotsu, and Michael, for the shoyu. We all “upgraded” to the deluxe version with extra chashu and other ingredients.
Waraku’s menu.
Of course, we always start with gyoza. These were lackluster, primarily because the wrapper was thick and doughy – what you’d expect at a lesser Chinese restaurant. The filling was nice; well balanced and tasty, but could have been more flavorful.
Waraku’s gyoza.
Before I critique the ramen, I must note the condiments. In addition to the traditional chili oil and ubiquitous-in-Japan togarashi (blend of pepper flakes used like salt and pepper), there was a bowl of whole garlic cloves and a handy garlic crusher. I’ve seen raw pre-crushed garlic before, but never whole cloves.
Whole garlic cloves among the condiments!
The ramen arrived and the bowl certainly looked abundant with the upgrade to “deluxe.” I’d call the broth a standard tonkotsu: flavorful, a bit creamy, but – for me – in need of some condiments to boost the flavor. By itself, the broth wasn’t particularly complex. If you’ve had Ippudo’s tonkotsu broth before, Waraku’s will be familiar.
The noodles were good quality and sufficiently firm. The ingredients were fresh. The highlight of the bowl for me was the chashu and the braised pork belly (kakuni) that came with the upgrade. They were both tender and flavorful, with a nice char and just enough fat content.
Waraku tonkotsu ramen, upgraded to “deluxe.”
As I neared the bottom of the bowl, I started adding condiments (I passed on the whole garlic cloves), which elevated the broth. I’m still figuring out my relationship with ramen condiments; do I always use them? At the start? Towards the end? Is my assumption that “the bowl” should stand on its own?
Though our socks remained on during the meal (😉), I’d say this is a really good bowl of ramen with high quality ingredients. And extra points for the comfort, decor and good service.
All in all, we enjoyed our meal and our time at Waraku. We will definitely go back, though with Hinodeya just around the corner, we will more consistently choose the latter.
Michael’s take on Waraku:
I went with the shoyu ramen, and actually got extra noodles – thinking they might not have enough in the standard bowl, and because I was hungry. I didn’t need them, as Waruku fills their bowls with just the right amount.
I need to take a tangent here, as it’s critical to my review. There are countless ways to make ramen, but for me, what separates the truly great Japanese style ramen from others is their attention to ingredients, and the time they put into making their base broth.
For the broth, bones are boiled for a very, very long time in water, with vegetables and spices. There simply is no sidestepping this process – although many ramen shops do so by adding flavorings after a simpler broth has been prepared. When they do this, they sacrifice depth and breadth of flavor. Waraku’s ramen is flavored by adding sauces to each bowl as they prepare it. Some people love this style of ramen – just look at the long lines at Mensho Tokyo in San Francisco. So far, I’m not a huge fan.
All that said, Waraku’s ramen is good. The noodles were a good quality, but needed to be much more al dente. They were too soft by the end of the meal. The special pork pieces they added were absolutely delicious.
As for condiments and spices at the table, when I go out to eat, I don’t want to have to spend time adding things to my meal so that it tastes right. That’s the restaurant’s job.
I’d give the food closer to 3 stars, and only that many because the special pork was really good.
