Naruto Ramen, Park Slope

So I have to admit that until the other day I’d never gone out to eat ramen. In my life, ramen is nothing more than the instant noodles I used to eat as a kid. Sure, I’ve seen paeans to ramen around NYC, but they seem to be reliant on a savory pork broth. I was walking by Naruto Ramen in Park Slope, and decided to break my ramen cherry. What better place than a ramen joint named after an anime character?

At Naruto they have three types of vegetarian ramen (which has a soy-based broth). I chose the miso ramen, which turned out to be a little bland — at least until I started adding toppings. These include fried garlic, soy sauce, chili oil, and chili flakes. The broth tasted much better after these had been steeping in it for a while. The noodles, on the other hand, were fantastic. I watched as the chef dropped the noodles into hot water and set a timer; one minute too long or too short and the noodles wouldn’t be right. These were great — chewy, slightly firm, silky… The vegetables that dotted the bowl — broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, bean sprouts — were basically raw, just heated through by the broth. The silken tofu was the same, though because of its texture the tofu was burning hot.

Naruto Ramen — 276 5th Ave

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