Midtown Lunch

Nom Nom Ramen has been one of the better ramen experiences for me in the city. Its about that time of year when the craving for hot, salty soup is a powerful one. Others clearly agree, as the tables at Nom Nom are often full. So, I wanted to test out how well their ramen bowls work for take out. When they first opened, take out was not even an option.

One large bowl is filled a quarter of the way with the noodles, pork, bamboo shoot, scallions, mushrooms, and pickled ginger. Even though its image is their logo, they complied with my no fish cake request. The soupless bowl made me appreciate more the colors of the different elements. The broth, shio this time, is seperate.  It woke up the chewy noodles within seconds of pouring it over them. I consumed the bowl fairly soon after receiving the order, so for me, there was no textural sacrifice with the noodles. As it was take out,  I didn’t have the luxery of a full condiment bar of sauces and such to add depth, but the broth is complex enough that I didn’t feel shortchanged. As for criticisms, the pork could have been a little bit softer.

Changes from when they first opened: vegetarian options, LevelUp is accepted, a charging station for your phone, and obviously, now they allow take-out orders.

Nom Nom Ramen, 20 S 18th St, 215 988-0898