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| - I had to rate this five stars to bring up the average based solely upon two smug Nipponophiles who rated Noodlecat based upon how closely its ramen dishes mirror Japan's. I too lived in Japan, and grew to adore all things ramen. The other two reviewers have forgotten a singularly important fact about ramen: each city, community, and even neighborhood has its own version of this dish.
Here is why Noodlecat should have a revered place in Yokohama's Ramen museum:
They are not trying to duplicate Japan Ramen. They have created their own variety. The American culture clearly comes through in the flavor of their broth, which others have panned here as lackluster. In fact, it is full of goodness, if you know why it's there. When I saw them using shredded pork and greens, I immediately remembered growing up in the South. I at pork and greens enough to know what the pot liquor tastes like, and that is what the broth at NoodleCat seems to have as its base. It pays great homage to Japanese Ramen by doing exactly what the Japanese have honed to perfection:borrowing things from other cultures and making them uniquely their own. The perfect example of this is Ramen itself, borrowed from the Chinese and modified, the dish is now so indelibly Japanese that to spell Ramen with katakana is almost silly. Noodlecat turns that tradition right around. It's not Japanese Ramen. It's American Ramen, and I'm a fan.
I am still looking for a place stateside that serves Japan Ramen even half as well as some of the track-side vendors in Japan, but this place has won my heart by doing their thing their own way. Stop hatin', and enjoy the noodles!
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