RAMEN. . .say it with me now RA - MEN.

Ramen, is not what you ate in college. That was INSTANT Ramen the invention of a Japanese business man. Traditional Ramen is, more or less, noodle soup. While other major cities in the US are just discovering ramen, as a must have food, I was introduced to real ramen while living in Los Angeles many years ago.

While out on a tech scout for the TV series Power Rangers (yes, that's right), our director Koichi, suggested we take lunch at his favorite place, a ramen shop called Kouraku. Large bowls heaping with noodles, veggies and meat were quickly dispatched to our tables. The smell was enticing and the taste was new but yet somehow familiar. Needless to say, I was back a few weeks later with a friend and it became a regular stop for us when we were in little Tokyo.

Flash forward a few years. Because ramen shops are not as plentiful in the PNW as they are in LA,and there is no little Tokyo district in Walla Walla, (or anywhere else that I can think of around here), I have been craving some hot tasty noodle dish for quite a while. (Pho Sho has happily fed my addiction for the past few years). So in order to satisfy my cravings for all things Asian (more ANIME please) I decided to teach myself to make Ramen. And that is what I have done.

Our Ramen is a bowl full of udon noodles (we will be making our own REAL ramen noodles soon. . .), a cornucopia of veggies and some freakin' amazing slow roasted pork (belly and shoulder) all bathing in a luxurious, rich broth. This is my kind of food, simply and tasty.

We will also be serving our Albacore sashimi and house made pickled ginger. For those that need the heat, we'll have some Yuzu Kosho available too. We might even make a few other items to go with all of this. Why? Why not? With the economy the way it is all of Walla Walla should be spending their money here instead of in P-Town or Sea Tac. And we are happy to provide the extra service. So come on in for lunch this next week and see what were talking about. . . Cheers.