Ai Ramen Review

Other posts related to the Hai Street Kitchen empire of restaurants include: Hai Street Kitchen, Wok Street, and Ai Ramen. 

If you've been keeping abreast of Philly's fast casual food movement, you know Hai Street has been expanding their Asian empire beyond just the sushiritos. A few months back, we had Wok Street starting to offer stir-fried rice and noodles. Now, we've got stellar ramen, bao, and sushi in the Shops at Liberty Place - thanks to Ai Ramen! 

You might think a ramen spot in the middle of a shopping mall is a bit funky, but it's oh so right. Especially during the summer, you might not think hot ramen broth makes much sense. But in the cool, air-conditioned food court of the Shops at Liberty Place, the ramen at Ai ("love" in Japanese) is easily enjoyed. They've also got a variety of sushi and bao buns for carryout if you're on the go! 

Pomegranate Oolong Tea [$2.38]

Cool yourself off with some Oolong tea. The bitterness of the Oolong contrasted nicely with the light, sweetness of the pomegranate. A nice refreshing treat for the summer's heat. 

Chasu Pork Bao [$4]
Teriyaki, lettuce, scallions

Ai's chasu is perfectly tender, yet well-roasted on the exterior. In place of the standardly seen pickled carrots and veggies, I enjoyed the bite of the scallions. These were a nice foil to the heft of the pork and the sweetness of the teriyaki. All housed within a nicely steamed and subtly sweet bao bun, I could have eaten half a dozen of these bad-bao boys. 

Ai Ramen [$10.99]
Orginal Ai broth, scallions, chashu pork, red ginger, lime pepper, black mushroom, seasoned egg, mayu 

But really, I was here for the ramen. Noodles are supplied from Sun Noodle Company, so you know they're on point. Perfectly springy and wonderfully textured, these aren't the ramen noodles from college, people. Even better? That broth though! Chicken and pork bones clearly put in work for hours to create an amazing stock, which was nicely balanced by the sweet funk of the black garlic mayu. Nicely roasted slices of chasu pork and black mushrooms provided savoriness, with the lime pepper, scallions, and red ginger supplying a countervailing contrast to each bite. Poached egg? Don't mind if I do! Sesame seeds studded throughout to provide additional texture. 

So if you're looking to branch out beyond your typical pizzeria or sandwich shop during the workweek lunch, I'd highly recommend checking out Ai Ramen at Liberty Place. Philly doesn't have an abundance of Ramen spots to boast about, but it does have Ai Ramen! 

Cheu Noodle Bar Review

The melange of all things Jewish and Asian isn't just with relationships (yes, I went there!). The juxtaposition of cuisines is offered from the mind of Chef Ben Puchowitz, who previously helmed the kitchen of the recently shuttered, but reknowned BYO Matyson. And in 2013, he put his global approach on display by opening up Cheu Noodle Bar.

This isn't Philly's version of Chef Andy Ricker of Pok Pok fame. In other words, this isn't just a non-Asian chef who's simply doing great Asian food. It's a true melange of cuisines. And why not? There are common and, more importantly, complementary elements from both ends of the culinary spectrum.

And with the newly opened Bing Bing Dim Sum from the partnership of Chef Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh, I thought it was high time I finished up this review of the original Puchowitz-Darragh production!

White Peach Mint Iced Tea [$3]

While the mint could have been more pronounced, I appreciated the unsweetened and subtly saccharine approach of the white peach iced tea.

Cheu Fries [$8]
Miso truffle aioli, fish flake
  

The Cheu fries featured smoky bonito fish flakes on top. Asian poutine? Count me in! While the oft-decried combo of cheese and fish wasn't in this dish, an umami-laden blend of miso truffle aioli replaced the curds. Perhaps a nod to the way the Japanese love mayo with pretty much everything? The fries could have been a bit more crisp, but each bite offered the epitome of umami.

Black Garlic Wings [$10]
Shisito peppers, lime, cilantro
  

If there's one dish to try besides the ramen, it's the black garlic wings. There's a bright punch of flavor from the juicy wings - spicy, sweet, salty, and savory - it's all there. The black garlic definitely emphasizes the sweet and savory elements, but it's the combination of cilantro and lime that really makes the dish. There's some additional texture coming from the sesame seeds and the accompanying shishito peppers are nicely smoky. 

Pork Belly Bun [$3]

We decided to try one of each of their buns as well. Obviously the pork belly is always a must order for me. Realistically though, this was not the best iteration I've had. The pork was definitely gluttonous and had heft, but there was a lack of seasoning that rendered the flavor and texture of the pork rather one note. I definitely prefer the traditional bun as well.

Cheeseburger Bun [$3]
 

To their credit, this was a decently moist slider. However, for $3, it seemed rather lackluster.

Mushroom Bun [$3]
 

The shiitake mushroom bun was nice and offered prototypical flavors founded in most Asian mushroom-based dishes. 

Yakisoba 2.0 [$13]
Shrimp, shiso verde, charred corn, radish 
  

The GF really enjoyed the yakisoba, especially with the addition of the charred corn and thinly sliced radish. The shiso verde and scallions helped to cut through the richness of the well-coated and al dente noodles, with juicy bits of shrimp studded throughout.

Brisket Ramen [$13] with Pork Belly [$3]
Matzo ball, kimchi, sesame chili broth
  

If there's something to get at Cheu Noodle Bar, I would recommend the brisket ramen, with the added addition of pork belly. Might be going overboard on my end, but come on now, does it get better than this marriage of Jew-Asian cuisine. You've got pungent kimchi providing some balance to the weight of the matzo ball. The richness of the pork belly and the broth is punched up by the textural beefiness of the brisket. The noodles have good bite and seem to soak up the umami of the broth.

The vibe of Cheu Noodle Bar is a bit hipster-Brooklyn-too-cool-for-school, with fairly perfunctory service. But with creative takes on comfort cuisine, who cares? Do try the black garlic wings and definitely slurp down that ramen!

Nom Nom Ramen Review

Philly seems a bit late to the ramen and pork belly bun craze that inundated NY several years ago. However, with Nom Nom Ramen, Philly has redeemed itself a bit. A staple of Japan, when one thinks of ramen, those dollar packages from college shouldn't come to mind. Rather, thoughts of a rich umami broth with fresh, toothsome noodles should be evoked.

Pork Belly Buns
Chashu pork, daikon, carrots, lettuce, and scallions with our original spicy bun sauce.

An order comes with a duo of thick, succulent pork belly, topped with fresh veggies which offer a nice textural contrast to the gluttonous meat. This was all encapsulated by fresh pillowy buns. The sauce offered a spicy kick to the dish. 

Shio

Seasoned with salt and white soy sauce, tonkotsu broth, chashu, kikurage mushrooms, naruto, bamboo, scallions, and pickled ginger.

The broth had a depth, without the inherent saltiness that plagues most soups. The medley of mushrooms and veggies offered distinct bites and the noodles were worthy of a proper ramen. But the star? For me, it's always the pork belly. A generous helping of pork was heaped on the ramen - much appreciated! 

Karai Miso
Spicy, smooth miso tonkotsu broth with chashu, bamboo, kikurage mushroom, naruto, and scallions with Nom Nom Black Garlic Sauce drizzled on top.

Blasphemy I know, but the GF isn't the biggest fan of pork belly (something about the texture I suppose). In any case, all the ramens at Nom Nom Ramen come with pork belly (chasu), but being the great BF that I am - I asked for this ramen without the pork belly. I could have easily picked them off for her, but somehow I knew that this would leave a bad taste in her mouth. Still, this broth packed some punch despite the lack of pork. The garlic sauce helped to bring out additional flavors to the dish, though the broth wasn't as spicy as I would have expected.

It's nice to see that Philly does have a beacon of ramen hope in Nom Nom Ramen. And even though Ben Puchowitz of Matyson fame recently opened up Cheu Noodle Bar, it's not incorrect to say that they aren't a purely ramen noodle bar. So if you're looking for that pure ramen experience, stop on down to Nom Nom Ramen. While Nom Nom Ramen isn't the best ramen I've tried - they offer a great iteration of this oft-enjoyed dish. Be warned though - annoying as it is, they are closed between 3 to 5PM as they prepare for dinner service. And if you stop by during the lunchtime rush, be prepared to joust for a likely unavailable table. 

www.nomnomramen.com