I LOVE THIS BOWL OF RAMEN!
This was the third time I’ve eaten it. I can’t help myself.
Things you need to know up front: you can probably find better ramen at places you’ve probably heard of in Washington, D.C. But since this blog is all about the periphery, this bowl is a better fit.
What’s interesting about this bowl of ramen is that it’s found inside of a Whole Foods in Fair Lakes, Va., at a little mini restaurant called Ramen Temple. Ramen Temple offers four different bowls of Ramen as well as Mazemen (thick, whole wheat noodles in a sauce and accompanied by veggies). I always get the Spicy Miso Tonkotsu Ramen.
The “Tonkotsu” refers to the pork flavor, and the meat in it––the “chasu”––is lightly fried pork belly. It’s delicious. This bowl also includes pickled red ginger, thinly sliced strands of green onion, half of a softboiled egg, a sheet of seaweed, and more.
The spice is very mild, but you can make it spicier for $0.50 if you ask. I’d put it at a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1-10. Also, most reviews of the ramen at this place will complain that this broth is especially salty. That’s not untrue. It is VERY SALTY. That said, I still can’t help myself because it is delicious.
Here’s a close up of the chasu and some of the other things included in the bowl:
And just check out that egg. I’ve never enjoyed eating an egg more than I do when I have this bowl of ramen.
Peripheral Chew 