Ramen and me are always on the same page. So I was really sad when I could not make it to the Media Preview Night, before Boru Ramen opened to the public , earlier this year. better late than never, we finally made it there. And I must add that I am surely going back.
All pictures in this post, are with my iPhone 7 Plus as I didn't have my DSLR with me that day.
The Kansas City food scene, has quite a few good Ramen places to boast of, and we are frequent diners there. So my taste buds and mind had an image to match up to, or a taste memory to live up to, when it came to Ramen. Boru Ramen is located on 75th Street, in Waldo.
It was a late lunch for us, and we were tired. We were seated without a wait, which is always a relief. I love sunshine in general, blame my tropical roots for it. Loved the glass walls, and how the sunshine streamed in and washed the dinning room in its golden glow. The decor was very modern and impressive with its linear design and clean lines. We were seated almost in the middle of the restaurant , and it gave us the opportunity to soak in the ambience as we browsed the menu.
Boru is primarily a Ramen bar as the name suggests, but its not restricted to just Japanese offerings. It boasts of rich Asian menu. Korean and Chinese influenced appetizers , shared menu space along with its signature Ramen offerings.
Ramen originaly can have three Broth bases - the basic Pork Broth, the Miso Broth and the Shoyu Broth. Boru had all three offerings , with a twist.
I love a place with a well planned kid's menu. And our daughter loves her Asian soups and noodles. The picky eater, who doesnt touch fish curry, digs into a bowl of Pho with delight. She opted for the Chicken Ramen , which was a bowl of wavy noodles, with home made chicken broth and confit chicken. It was a big portion for a 4 year old, but Mom polished off the left overs, for breakfast the next morning.
Mom and Dad started off with the Bulgogi Steamed Baos , with kimchi, gochujang sauce and scallions. We love our Korean and it was just done right. If Ramen wasnt on the agenda for lunch that afternoon, I could have goen for a second round. Pillowy soft Baos, with perfectly grilled Bulgogi and the unmistakble crunch and tang of Kimchi. What's not to love about it !
I opted for The BORU, in a small size. Ramen has two serving sizes, as you might have guessed from the difference in the sizes of our bowls. The BORU has braised pork shoulder, spicy takana, 6 min egg, pork and clam broth. However, mine didnt come with the egg, as I had ordered the small bowl. That was a turn off. Letting the silky yolk spill over and blend into your Ramen broth, is an essential part of the Ramen experience. Wasnt too happy that it wasnt there. The steamed Bao was packed so much with flavor, that my expectations were high, when it came to the flavor profile. It wasn't spicy at all, although the menu description had hinted at that adjective. It was a hearty bowl, but nothing to knock it out of the ball park.
My husband had better luck with his choice. He opted for the Korean, in a large size , which had pork belly, bean sprouts, greens, kimchi , gochujang and 6 min egg. I was so jealous of that egg on his Ramen bowl, I tell you. His Ramen bowl, packed a bigger flavor punch, than mine, and overall it was a much example of a well rounded entree. Next time, I am ordering the Korean.
Doesn't his bowl look better than mine ?! The man has good taste.
We had a good lunch. Loved the ambience. And a special note goes to the Service. From the Maitre'D to our Server, I loved how good they were. Service can make or break, a great meal. And my compliments go out to the great team at Boru.
Will I be going back, after my Ramen wasn't as great , as I expected it to be? Well, why not. I want to try out all their Ramen offerings, and hopefully there will be an egg on my bowl , the next time.
No comments