Best Late Night: Ninja Ramen
Whether you’re wrapping up a night spent in the club/bar bouncy-house that is Washington Avenue or just getting off a shift, stepping up into the saloon-esque Ninja Ramen is a warm grandmother’s hug at the end of the night. Open till 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 a.m. every other day, it’s comforting to know there is always a hot bowl of ramen on the ready—this side of town, that is. Ninja Ramen buys fresh “noods” from famed Sun Noodles originally out of Honolulu and uses local farm eggs. The Asahikawa broth is shio-based and made with a pork, fish, and kombu stock. There are three different vehicles of ramen with options to variate on each: traditional, Mazemen “brothless,” and Aburamen, which without the egg is vegan. Surely, slurping never felt this good.
The two-fer Spam Musubi is a must, yes. Spam, because it’s porky, delicious and fits perfectly in a clutch. With the second largest selection of Japanese whiskey in America, it’s hard to not find a couple to try against Speyside—that is after a bottle of Junmai Daiginjo sake. Be sure to order a scoop of miso caramel to finish it all off, and the jams overhead are always on point. Ninja Ramen focuses on a few important things and does them all right.
4219 Washington, Houston
281-888-5873
ninjaramen.com
Readers’ Choice: Mai’s Restaurant
3403 Milam, Houston
713-520-5300
maishouston.com
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2020.
