No Drama, just ramen
“Contemporary ramen is totally different than what most Americans think ramen should be. Ramen is not one thing; there are many, many different types.”
My only experience of ramen before I ate proper ramen was from Wagamama. Don’t come for me, I LOVE Wagamama, but I think we can all agree that it is never going to be authentic version of the dish, right? It couldn’t possibly be. So because of this, I always thought it was just fine, not amazing, not terrible, just fine; a nice bowl of broth with some noods and bits in.
Until I went to Tomo No Ramen, in Bristol’s Old Market. A tiny little place tucked away on West street. It started as pop up and proved so successful that it is a permanent feature. They have a very limited menu, and I say that in a good way; uncompromisingly simple, usually just 3 or 4 options at any one time, with a few sides to chose from for good measure. They usually focus on one “theme” at a time, meaning the focus of the chef can be on the simple perfection of those dishes. They live by the ethos of “we make everything the right way, powerful flavours, warming broths, properly sourced ingredients” as they state on their website. What is to dislike about that?
On my most recent visit (my third) I had TORI SHOYU. Classic, richly flavoured, shoyu seasoned ramen; Tomo shoyu tare, light golden chicken broth, aromatic oil, pork belly chashu, menma, 1/2 ajitama egg, spinach, spring onion, nori.
It was so great, honestly so so great. So deliciously savoury with that pleasing hit of umami. The perfect jammy egg (you can order extra if you like), firm chewy noodles, salty, rich, oily but fresh broth. I could talk about it all day long. But really, dear reader, you should just go and order some for yourself.
https://www.tomonoramen.co.uk/
55 West Street
Bristol
BS2 0BZ