It took me a long time to try Ramen Takumi.\u00c2\u00a0 I lived off of ramen in college.\u00c2\u00a0 You know the plastic wrapped square of noodles with the little seasoning packet.\u00c2\u00a0 It costs about 5 cents and while filling isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exactly a pillar of culinary excellence.\u00c2\u00a0 Or so I thought until Ramen Takumi changed my mind.\u00c2\u00a0 Ramen Takumi translates to artisan ramen, and the name delivers on its promise.<\/p>\n
Every time I walked by Ramen Takumi, I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but wonder how it was a restaurant could be dedicated to ramen.\u00c2\u00a0 Day-by-day my curiosity slowly wore me down.\u00c2\u00a0 I had to taste these noodles for myself.\u00c2\u00a0 When I finally walked through their door, everything I thought I knew about ramen was blown away.\u00c2\u00a0 After this first trip I was hooked and I had no choice but to throw the place into the regular lunch rotation.<\/p>\n
From almost any seat you can see into the open kitchen where giant pots boil and simmer away with broths for the various dishes.\u00c2\u00a0 When sitting at the bar you can see the cook setting timers and dropping baskets of noodle into boiling water as he handles slices of meat on the grill.<\/p>\n
Ramen Takumi offers up 11 varieties of its namesake dish with flavors including curry, miso, and sweet soy sauce.\u00c2\u00a0 Served with a ladle like spoon and a pair of chopsticks, each dish has its own flavor and mix of ingredients.\u00c2\u00a0 Unlike the bowls of ramen I knew before, Ramen Takumi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s come full of veggies, meats, and egg.\u00c2\u00a0 The curry ramen, with scallion, chicken, bamboo shoots, and ginger pickles, packs a great spicy punch.\u00c2\u00a0 The miso ramen is completed by slices of pork, scallion, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and corn, and has fantastically savory flavor.\u00c2\u00a0 Every heaping bowl is a delicious treat that satiates without leveling me in a food coma for afternoon class.<\/p>\n