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| - I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about authentic ramen. None, actually. However, I do have the good fortune of possessing taste buds, a feature that I would have gladly seen diminished during my trip to Koto Ramen.
Working on campus right across the street, I'm always interested when a new lunch option opens up. After my initial disappointment about the latest offering being yet another noodle & rice type of place, I decided to check it out.
First, owing to my acknowledged ignorance about the menu and genre, I asked the order taker/cashier what he might suggest. "Order whatever you like," was the ever-so-helpful reply. I doubled back with, "What do most people order?" thinking you can't really dodge that one. Miso, he said. So I ordered the pork miso ramen to go.
I nestled up at the counter, overlooking the glass-front prep/kitchen area. Reminded me of Shakey's pizza where you could watch the dough fly and toppings scatter. And then I noticed something that really caught my eye. A woman worker pulled out these little gray strips of meat, laid them out on a baking sheet, then pulled out a blowtorch and started giving them the flame. I've since learned that this is a Japanese technique that calls for searing the fat with high heat. Not sure her technique was, um...valid.
The result was absolutely disgusting. The ramen itself might have at one time been palatable (no better than the $.19 cent County Market variety, though) but instead the entire "dish" was infused with the distinct flavor of propane. I was sick to my stomach for the rest of the day.
Oh, and it was $11 for this disappointment. Don't waste your time or money.
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