Sriracha Not Necessary

Well hello there, my minions.  Do have a seat.  I was just about to have a bite.

I...I have a confession to make to you, my minions.  It is a little bit uncomfortable for me to admit this, seeing as I pride myself on having fine taste and a sensitive palate.  However, I want to be honest with you.  That's important to me.

The truth is - I love ramen.  I really do.  However, it is important to note that I am not talking about Top Ramen or Cup o' Noodles.  I mean this:

Imagine this smelling fantastic.  Because it does.

The above image is of shoyu ramen (which means it's floating in chicken broth).  I purchased this particular packet in the fresh noodles section of Uwajimaya.  They also had a very nice tonkotsu ramen (creamy pork broth) by the same company.  That was a special occasion, however.  Most days, we buy Ichiban ramen in Original, Shrimp, or Chicken varities.  What is not special, however, is the egg, green onion, or fishcake (that swirly pink and white stuff).  Those come standard in my house.  This isn't your lazy, broke college kid's ramen.

I indulge this habit outside of the home as well.  For the longest time my favorite spot was Boom Noodle.  The food is good, even if they're trendy as all hell, and they have a fun menu with a lot of variety that includes not only ramen but cold noodle salads and other hot noodle dishes.  They also have a sampling of fun "small plates", including but not limited to the traditional edamame, ebi katsu, gyoza, spring rolls, and whatever intriguing little dish the chef is currently in love with.

Now, while I still love Boom Noodle, I have to admit I have found a better place for just straight ramen (with no fancy appetizers or trendy presentation).  Said place is Samurai Noodle.  They have three locations - Capitol Hill, University District, and International District.  I've only ever been to the one in the I-District, which is a little hole in the wall off of the Uwajimaya building.  The tables are frequently full, but the food is great and you can get it to go if you need to.  I recommend the Tampopo.So that's it, my minions.  I hope this hasn't drastically altered your opinions of me.  And if it has, you clearly don't understand what you are missing.