Biwa! It's darn good ramen and THEN some...

For the last few weeks I have made it a point to visit Biwa on Ash+9th, given some of the harsh critique the establishment has endured from Yelpers, mouthy Internet warriors, and the like. In much of my reading, reviewers have called Biwa pretentious, even overly ambitious. Disgruntled fedora-wearers have even gone so far as to label the (literally) underground Korean/Japanese fusion restaurant as slow, scant on portion, and really ripping it up with such zeal that I just HAD to experience for myself. Not just for the ramen, but to see if it was really so bad!
I have been there four times in one month now and I have to say, I still don't know what the hell these people are talking about.



Biwa is that nook in a basement you can't find at first, but for the smell of food a'cookin' downstairs. As soon as I stepped in, my nose is tantalized by smells of kimchi, soy, cooking meats, and balmy spices. Each time I went, I had a group with me, and on all four outings I was able to find seating within 5-10 minutes. Did I mention I ALSO decided to write this place's notes on a Friday night during dinner hour? Right. I may just have the Flying Noodle Gods looking after me here, but the staff seemed quite ready to accommodate my needs, even allow me to choose my own seating (there was a kid at one of the other tables...you know how THAT is...).



So in a month of ordering at Biwa, I have had about 60% of this food menu. Each time, my guests and I have tried to order an array of different small bites, minding our appetites and our price range. Much of this menu is fairly priced for portion, some of it is about $2.00 too expensive. Much of the age mono, as delicious as it all is, may be a tad bit overpriced. Delving further, the sashimi is quite minuscule for topping over $10.00, but very fresh and clean tasting. It may be the American in me speaking for the ribs (not pictured on this menu, oddly), but they are worth every penny. Each person I took to Biwa was not only satisfied with their food but content with paying what they did. Plus drinks, I don't recall paying more than $25-$30 a person. Not an every night price but nothing over the top.

Personally, when reviewing food I try not to focus too heavily on price. In fact, above all I am here to review Biwa's ramen, but the foodie websphere is prompting me to set some things straight about a consistent experience; not a flash-in-the-pan, you payed me to write something dramatic, I visited this place once at 10pm on a Saturday night kind of review. So on to the ramen, right?



Here we are folks, Biwa's shoyu ramen! As the bowl comes in for a landing, I notice a delicate soy broth, light veggie level (just some green onions and seaweed), the noodles looking bouncy yet soaking up the broth very well (Sun Co.), and the well prepared hanjuku egg(a bit cold in the center though). Overall, this bowl seems to be a pretty good fit after letting loose on some small plates. The chashu is very thin cut, much like bacon (my preference being a biiiiit thicker) but the pork shoulder is undeniably stimulating to not only look at but taste. The first time I visited Biwa, I recieved a portion of pork shoulder rivaling the size of my fist. The next few times it was sliced thinner, then the last time it was large again. Not complaining, but I would have liked to be ramen fisted the whole way through... Yeah. The pork is a rich, smokey/savory addition to the soup which compliments and enhances the mild broth in perfect harmony.



The ramen is pretty basic without the add ons. Being that I am not a fan of ground meat, I skipped the sausage but the wakame add on was quite good as well. This bowl doesn't necessarily lack substance, but it DOES require a boost. I wished so much that they would bring in some duck, maybe even venison or something gamey to enhance the overall experience. Shoyu ramen isn't typically a megaload of fat and collagen, but in the end I was simply left feeling like there could have been more. At $14.00 a bowl, Biwa is currently the most expensive stock/soy ramen in Portland. A title which begs for more options regarding their presumably hottest menu item. Maybe a tonkotsu next? Possibly more add ons? Time will tell. Every small complaint I have regarding this ramen didn't stop me from totally chowing down and then drinking the bowl clean. It's good stuff!



So stop reading people sling their own feces on the internet (except for me of course..) and go check them out! Their ambiance is perfect for entertaining guests or dates, the food is elegant enough to entertain someone all alone. You may just see me there on a Friday, eating ramen and scribbling down notes ;)

Rating:
Broth: 8/10
Noodles: 10/10
Meat: 9/10
Veggies: 5/10