Ramen Boo [Closed]

It was late in the evening and I was walking towards the subway down a new street. I still had two hours until the last train and was tired from the two and half hour meeting I had just finished. I was looking for cheap, good food. Almost eerily, a white sign glowed against the after rain mist that night. The sign read "Ramen Boo." (らーめん ぶぅ) I was intrigued and hungry. Time to investigate, I thought.

I entered and was welcomed with a big smile and friendly greeting. One continuous counter wrapped around the entire kitchen area. There were also a few tables to one side of the restaurant. The entire restaurant is no smoking, a rare pleasure in Japan for those of us that don't smoke. Some fun decorations are on the wall, but nothing over the top. Looking around, I thought, "Where are the ghosts? Ghosts in the USA say "boo" so I thought this was some Japanese imported culture mixed with ramen. I have seen stranger in Japan, so it wasn't out of the question. All I saw were a few random silhouettes of...pigs. That's when I remembered the noise "boo" or rather "buu" is the sound of a pig 'oink'-ing in Japanese. Looking at the extensive menu my suspicions were confirmed. Pork ramen is the specialty here.

The menu has a picture for every single item. This makes ordering worry free and you will be able to know more or less what to expect before you order. There are various ramen styles as well as gyoza dumplings and various side dishes such as pork pieces or buttered corn which can be eaten separately or added into the ramen itself. A bowl of ramen will cost you between 600 and 1000 yen. I decided on the Boo-tama (ぶぅ玉) for 720 yen. It comes with the standard slice of pork, thin type noodles, green onions, and some hard boiled eggs. The broth, you guessed it, porky. The thickness and saltiness of the broth was a nice balance. I found my ramen particularly yummy after such a long day, though I have had better.

While I was eating that Thursday night, I saw a young couple, an elderly gentleman, and a businessman seated around the restaurant. It seems the taste is popular with different walks of life. If you're a ramen fanatic, you should be able to find something you like on the menu. However, I especially recommend Boo Ramen for those that want a relaxing atmosphere and above average ramen taste for a decent price. I look forward to going back and trying some more after a rough day in the office.