Monday, May 17, 2010

Ren's Ramen - Burn Your Cup-A-Noodles At Once

Ren's Ramen in Bethesda is my favorite kind of eatery: unfussy, affordable, and spectacular in serving up a single signature dish. This shoebox of a restaurant is spare in every aspect, from its narrow confines to the even narrower tables. But Ren's main product--Japanese ramen--is so deliciously luxurious and consistent--what's not on the bare walls doesn't matter; it's what's being cradled in the bowl before you that should capture your attention.

Miso Ramen image from Wikipedia
If, like me, your previous encounters with ramen consisted of a styrofoam cup, then banish that gastronomic memory if you're at all skeptical that ramen noodles can be satisfying. I had never experienced the pleasure of eating these authentic buttery noodles before, and from friends' accounts, Ren's Ramen is the real deal.

My favorite is the Sapporo Miso Ramen ($10), a large serving of chewy noodles swimming in the richest broth I've ever encountered. The noodles themselves are good enough, and the scallions, pork slices, and bean sprouts are fine additions. But it's that pork broth that firmly lodges in your memory. It's both sharp and velvety with the richness of butter but without the artery-clogging sensation of a french sauce. I remember the first time I slurped this golden liquid, my dining companion and I glanced at each other and whispered how we had never had a soup broth like this before.

I always elect for the add-ons of sweet corn ($.75), seaweed, stewed fatty pork ($3.50), and a half-boiled egg ($2). In his Washington City Paper review, Tim Carman described the fatty pork bits as "pig candy". With that kind of description, whenever I'm craving pork, my first thought is of Ren's Ramen. The half-boiled egg adds yet another layer to the broth, as the magma-like yoke melts into the soup when you mix everything together. Bordering on overkill-yes, but don't even think about not asking for it.

With three other ramen soup options--soy, salt, and veggie--your vegetarian friends can accompany you as you seek soup nirvana. Just downplay your reactions as they have to suffice with their pork-less existence.

A single ramen serving is quite large, causing me to always curse the Japanese and their envious metabolism. Instead, I often pair up with my dining companion and get the single serving with extra ramen and all the fixings, which makes for a perfectly sized, cheaper meal. This ramen isn't cheap like pho, so a typical sitting will set you back around $15-18 with all the extras.But I'll take Ren's Ramen over some overpriced downtown power spot any day. This is easily one of my favorite eating spots in DC right now. (May 2010)

Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)
Price: $$ - Inexpensive
Recommended: Sapporo Miso Ramen


Ren's Ramen
6931 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-693-0806
Metro: Bethesda Metro Station
Neighborhood: Bethesda

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Let's Try This Again

Wow, I can't believe it's been more than a year since our last post. Let's just say that after the economic meltdown really hits its stride last year, our enthusiasm for exploring DC's food scene took a little vacation. We really shouldn't be surprised, but DC's food explosion continued unabated. With all of the closings of old neighborhood standbys and all of the ever-increasing openings of some exciting options (food trucks!), we've been feeling seriously guilty about abandoning our culinary duties.

And so, dear reader, we're attacking our foodie exploration with newly deepened hunger. Economies may be cyclical, but in DC, there will never be enough burgers and cupcakes.