For how lazy my cooking tendencies are, you’d reasonably believe that ramen would be something I’d consume almost every day.
To be honest, I have never had Top Ramen in my life and Cup Noodles only once.
When it comes down to noodle endeavours, I enjoy mine covered in a nice marinara sauce and that’s about it.
Spaghetti is basically ramen’s Italian cousin. I genuinely feel disrespectful that I never gave it the same chance considering all you need for both meals is hot water.
To make up for years spent not eating ramen, I decided to go one step further than just heating up packaged Top Ramen.
Instead, I chose to try the gourmet equivalent, which is still just called ramen.
It seems basic to try warm water with noodles, but if it has taken you three of my food articles to find out that basic is exactly what I am, then I don’t know what to tell you.
My noodle quest began at JINYA Ramen Bar in the Westfield Oakridge mall in San Jose.
And as everyone knows, the best food is made in malls: Red Robin, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Hot Dog on a Stick. You just can’t beat a lineup like that.
Needless to say, I had high hopes.
JINYA in itself was impressive.
Black glimmering tiles plated the eatery, making me feel as if I had entered the Batcave. As soon as I opened the door, vines perfectly cut into a rectangle greeted me. The contrast was edgy and made me feel at home.
When it came down to ordering, I was a bit overwhelmed. Not in a The Cheesecake Factory type of way, but in a “I don’t know what any of this food is” type of way.
Despite my lack of knowledge of the menu, I ordered the JINYA Chicken Ramen, Sprouting Up Ramen and takoyaki.
If you are like me, you might not know what takoyaki is.
It’s simply slaughtered octopus condensed into a battered ball fried, served with egg and onions, giving it the appearance of a tropical caterpillar.
A confession is in order, I have in fact tried octopus. I know – shocking.
However, I’ve never had it in a spherical manner and I can’t say that I would ever again.
I really don’t know exactly what it was – the chewiness of the meat, the stench of the egg or maybe the fact that my mouth is too small to eat it all in one bite – but whatever it was, I hated it.
It was a really good mouth workout, considering it took a solid minute for me to chew the octoball enough to swallow.
The takoyaki might have discouraged me, but that wasn’t why I came to JINYA.
I came for the ramen.
When the two soups finally arrived at the table, I felt in my element.
Not only because two bowls of soup are the only way one person should ever eat soup, but because the appearance of the ramen looked like anything I could make, thrown haphazardly into a bowl as if in a rush.
The bowl of chicken ramen was the first to be slurped up by my face.
The dish was a basic bowl of ramen that only contained chicken broth, chicken chashu, spinach, green onion and thin noodles.
The first struggle I had was even picking up the noodles in the first place, considering I also lacked the knowledge to use chopsticks.
However, once I got my unorthodox technique down, noodle consumption was a breeze.
The broth was excellent, it filled my mouth with a savory flavor, but the noodles lacked any sort of flavor or pop that I craved.
My favorite part of the dish was when all the noodles were gone and all I was left with was a bowl of heat that resembled miso soup.
I was hoping that the second dish would tantalize me more, but it just didn’t get me going.
The Sprouting Up Ramen contains pork and chicken broth, pork chashu, kikurage, spicy bean sprouts, green onions, seasoned egg, crispy brussel sprouts, black pepper and thick noodles.
This bowl was packing some heat and I wasn’t ready for the disappointment that followed.
Again the broth was great, but the noodles were also bland and the pork was as chewy as the balls I had in my mouth two dishes prior.
The best part of the meal was the egg and the broth which made me wish that I had just gotten a bowl of egg soup.
Now you may be wondering, “If this guy hated ramen, why are there three of his faces in the box above?”
Truthfully, I am just as shocked as you, but a day later, my mouth craved that bland chicken ramen.
I’d get hungry and I’d conjure the image of a black bowl filled with broth and chicken while my hands struggle to scoop it with wooden sticks.
I really don’t know what it was about the ramen, but I want it again even though in the heat of the moment I was excited to leave.
Maybe it’s because the food truly was good.
Or maybe I was impressed with how much could be done with hot water and a bowl.
