Food Review: I Ramen Bar
by Vincent Tran ’18, Contributing Writer
Setting
I Ramen Bar is located at 103 New Hartford Shopping Center. Some may remember this location because it used to be a mainstay delivery option for Hamiltonians called Asian Bistro. The restaurant is hard to miss, as it is located right next to a giant parking lot and Planet Fitness. The outside appearance of the restaurant will not surprise or “wow” anyone, since it is fairly plain. When I walked in, I was amazed to see how modern and decorated the interior was given its outside appearance. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
The interior consists of a bar on one side of the restaurant and a dining area on the other. The dining area has a modern feel to it with its assortment of table booths, chairs, lights, and TVs. I was greeted, seated, and given a menu immediately by a waitress. The menu was overwhelming with all different types of food, such as ramen, sushi, fried rice, and sushi burritos. Everyone in your party will be able to find something they like with the vast selections of dishes with meat, fish, or vegetables.
I asked the waitress what she recommended and was told of three items I absolutely had to try.
-Gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings) ($4.95)
-Dancing Shrimp Burrito ($9.95)
-Miso Ramen ($10.95)
First Bite Thoughts
I started the meal with six pieces of gyoza, which were seared a perfect golden brown. However, I was not impressed with the taste. They seemed to be rather bland and did not have enough meat filling. Worst yet, they were very oily. I definitely have had better Gyoza around the area and would not order it again.
Next, I ventured further with the dancing shrimp burrito. I was excited because the food concept of a sushi burrito is usually only found on the West Coast. The burrito consisted of shrimp tempura, spicy shrimp, seaweed salad, avocado, lettuce, and spicy mayo. Though the serving size was small for $10, the flavors were worth it. There were all sorts of textures and flavors going on with every bite. The flavor that was most consistent was the shrimp. I am a fan.
The star of the meal was the ramen, which should not have been surprising due to the restaurant’s name. My first thoughts were “this is really tasty and flavorful.” The homemade broth was miso based and gave the noodles plenty of flavor. In addition to the noodles, there were bamboo shoots, green onions, bean sprouts, corn, pork slices, and a soft boiled egg.
The ramen bowls are all customizable, so you can eat it however you like. I smelled the aroma of the ramen the moment it left the kitchen doors. I devoured the ramen and drank the broth in just under five minutes because it was so delicious.
The only critique I have about the ramen was that the slices of pork were a tad dry. One thing I was not able to get was the sushi, which I heard was good from other customers.
Bottom line
This is definitely a restaurant to go try if you want Japanese-inspired cuisine. The food items are fairly priced depending on the dishes you order. I would ditch the appetizers and head straight for the ramen or sushi. They conveniently accept both cash and cards.
There is also ample parking space. The best mode of transportation is by car, which will take about 17 minutes from Hamilton. Prepare to sleep after because the dishes will put you into a food coma.
