It’s only fitting that the year’s first ramen restaurant, Nami Ramen, takes its name from the Japanese word for “wave,” because that’s exactly what St. Louis may experience in 2016—a tsunami of ramen joints.
Although a few local Japanese restaurants have served ramen for some time (Fin Japanese Cuisine comes to mind), the groundswell began last August with the opening of Ramen Tei in Ballwin. A three-step, create-your-own ramen is popular at newly-opened Robata in Maplewood and just-opened Midtown Sushi on Forest Park Blvd has a ramen section on its menu as well. VISTA Ramen will open on Cherokee Street in the spring, Qui Tran’s Nudo in Creve Coeur in the summer, and don’t count out Gaijin House, a “future crowdfunded ramen shop in South City.”
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In the meantime, Nami Ramen will open in Clayton on Wednesday, January 6. (We previewed the shop back in July with a primer we called Ramen 101.)
The corner space at Maryland and Central Avenues (the former House of Wong) effectively mixes clean, contemporary lines with a lot of old, reclaimed wood, all of it from local artisans: Rustic Grain supplied three communal tables made from weathered oak.
WunderWoods supplied the yellow maple fascia and countertop (above).
And thank Justin Leszcz of Yellow Tree Farm for the high-top tables and the thick wooden beam at the entryway (above) that will eventually be used as a station for self-ordering (to approximate the Japanese experience, where orders are placed at kiosks outside the ramen shop and a ticket gets presented inside).
Owner Jason Jan believes most customers will elect to order at the counter, however, having first perused the options on a large chalkboard, courtesy of Chalk Riot. The company, known for its indoor and outdoor chalk art, also created a wall-length chalkboard mural (below) that playfully depicts a tipping bowl of ramen.
Ten types of ramen are offered at Nami, plus a scatter of appetizers, salads, and rice bowls. A build-your-own-ramen program is being considered.
In an attempt to replicate the most authentic product possible, Jan spent eight weeks doing research in Yokohama and countless months stateside. He told SLM there are 88,000 ramen shops in Japan, but relatively few sushi joints (pretty much the opposite as the U.S.). “Many times in Japan, you have to ask where the sushi places are,” he said. “But there are ramen shops on every block.”
Jan and his chefs, Aaron Syedullah and Yuchiro Shibuki, first assemble different bone-based broths in a bank of 120-quart stock pots. During the process, the liquid gets reduced by half, then strained, and filtered. Syedullah said that he uses a long-handled stainless steel paddle to repeatedly “break up the vegetables and bones and release all of the umami flavors.”
After approximately 24 hours, a density and salinity meter (right) is used to assure that each base stock is consistent and that each bowl will be made exactly to spec. (Nami uses a 12-ounce measure of stock and a precise measure of spices per bowl.)
A word about authenticity: Ramen, the #1 dish in Japan, is anything but a simple dish.
Ramen is regionalized like BBQ is here, but as with BBQ, there are standards. For instance, Nami’s “Show Me, Show You” ramen (below) has sodium levels far below the Japanese norm. “We felt the Yokohama-style shoyu was far too salty for American tastes,” Jan explained. “So we debated, and decided to dial it back.”
Obviously, the choice of noodle is critical as well. Jan uses five different fresh noodles from two suppliers: Sun and Yamachan. As ramen novices become seasoned, so to speak, they learn that different noodles work best in different broths, and that the shape and wicking properties contribute to the enjoyment of the dish.
Toppings are an equally important component: the soft boiled egg has to be cooked so the yolk just runs, the noodles must have the proper bite, etc. At Nami, Syedullah blowtorches the pork belly for added color and flavor.
Four add-in condiments will be found on every table: pickled ginger, togarashi powder, a black pepper grinder, and one for roasted sesame seeds. Jan wanted to provide an elevated dining experience (“next level ramen,” he called it) and that means higher-grade chopsticks and cloth napkins.
Which reminds us…
Ramen is meant to be slurped. It’s impossible not to slurp. Use the chopsticks and Chinese soup spoon to assist, sure, but despite best efforts you may (and most likely will) depart with some evidence on your shirt. Keep in mind that slurping serves the same purpose as blowing on traditional soup: the intake of air across the liquid effectively cools the steaming hot product. Nami’s GM Rob Morrison described it best: “reverse process, same effect.”
Illuminating the 50-seat room is a literal tangle of “noodle lights,” one of the many whimsical design touches by Peter Tao of Tao+Lee Associates, Inc. Jan had wanted to use Chinese red in the design, but avoid overusing it: Tao’s solution was the bright red electric cords. Both Jan and Tao suspected that ambient noise would be an issue in the small, windowed space, so acoustical ceiling panels became part of the design instead of an afterthought.
Be advised that Nami’s ramen is also available for take-out (unlike the shops in Japan where the practice is considered an affront to the chef and therefore not allowed).
Nami is St. Louis’ first ramen shop of the new year. Something tells us that by this time next year we may all be self-proclaimed experts of the genre.
Nami Ramen
46 N. Central (at Maryland)
314-833-6264
Open daily 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
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