House of Ramen on SW Columbia is a place that I found shrouded in mystery.
Reading up online, I noticed a few haters, some die hard fans, and the search to find "foodie info" on the little noodle shop a bit of a task. Reading through archives of Mercury, Will Weekly, and the like; it seemed like the Portland media had flat out refused to cover HoR for some off-putting reason...
In fact, House of Ramen seems to be the least celebrated place for a hot bowl of ramen in Portland and I wondered why...
HoR takes a "build your own bowl" approach to their product, which is a trend amongst higher quality fast-food joints like Chipotle, Quiznos, and the like. Their menu features seven solid options, a choice of broth type (white tonkotsu, clear tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, and even tomato!), a choice of noodle (thin, thin-wavy, fat, etc) and then a choice of add ons. They even do Hiyashi Chuka cold noodles for the summer! I opted for the Chef's Choice meal which came with a side of Gyoza and a soda. The staff was small yet super friendly, the restaurant itself was almost 70% full of customers. But as I walked to my seat, I began to realize House of Ramen's problem and why so many food writers flat out refuse to mention it...
Carrying my paper "Coca-Cola" cup over to the aluminum bar at the front window, I noticed that the lights were on a bit strong. Illuminating every crack and dirt particle on the walls and floor (which every restaurant has), the bright, white lights (which are numerous at HoR) seem to project a "fast food" kind of atmosphere which made me almost nervous to sit and enjoy dinner. I ignored it though, knowing that I came for Ramen, not necessarily for ambiance. As I wait, I hear sounds of the soda fountain and begin to feel like I am eating at the mall. My hollow metal chair is quite uncomfortable to sit in and the general mood of the affair is becoming more and more "get-in-get-out". Even as a soft, hip song from "Washed Out" plays in the background, I can't quite get comfortable. It all seems like a cheap diner experience and I begin wondering how my food will taste...
Reading up online, I noticed a few haters, some die hard fans, and the search to find "foodie info" on the little noodle shop a bit of a task. Reading through archives of Mercury, Will Weekly, and the like; it seemed like the Portland media had flat out refused to cover HoR for some off-putting reason...
In fact, House of Ramen seems to be the least celebrated place for a hot bowl of ramen in Portland and I wondered why...
HoR takes a "build your own bowl" approach to their product, which is a trend amongst higher quality fast-food joints like Chipotle, Quiznos, and the like. Their menu features seven solid options, a choice of broth type (white tonkotsu, clear tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, and even tomato!), a choice of noodle (thin, thin-wavy, fat, etc) and then a choice of add ons. They even do Hiyashi Chuka cold noodles for the summer! I opted for the Chef's Choice meal which came with a side of Gyoza and a soda. The staff was small yet super friendly, the restaurant itself was almost 70% full of customers. But as I walked to my seat, I began to realize House of Ramen's problem and why so many food writers flat out refuse to mention it...
Carrying my paper "Coca-Cola" cup over to the aluminum bar at the front window, I noticed that the lights were on a bit strong. Illuminating every crack and dirt particle on the walls and floor (which every restaurant has), the bright, white lights (which are numerous at HoR) seem to project a "fast food" kind of atmosphere which made me almost nervous to sit and enjoy dinner. I ignored it though, knowing that I came for Ramen, not necessarily for ambiance. As I wait, I hear sounds of the soda fountain and begin to feel like I am eating at the mall. My hollow metal chair is quite uncomfortable to sit in and the general mood of the affair is becoming more and more "get-in-get-out". Even as a soft, hip song from "Washed Out" plays in the background, I can't quite get comfortable. It all seems like a cheap diner experience and I begin wondering how my food will taste...
[click img to enlarge]
The bowl drops.
--And as it does, the most mysterious part of my trip to House of Ramen becomes clear...
Guess what? It is excellent stuff! The quality of the clear pork broth was shockingly good, submerging springy, quality noodles and a host of well prepared toppings. Included in my bowl were Pork tenderloin, bamboo shoot, yellow corn, bean sprouts, bok choy, nori, pickled carrots, green onion, and a poached egg... It was loaded to the brim! All of it quite good.
There have been many times on this blog where I have described bowls which left me feeling unsatisfied and empty... On the contrary, House of Ramen shaped up to be a massive bowl of Umami goodness which filled me up perfectly.
The bowl drops.
--And as it does, the most mysterious part of my trip to House of Ramen becomes clear...
Guess what? It is excellent stuff! The quality of the clear pork broth was shockingly good, submerging springy, quality noodles and a host of well prepared toppings. Included in my bowl were Pork tenderloin, bamboo shoot, yellow corn, bean sprouts, bok choy, nori, pickled carrots, green onion, and a poached egg... It was loaded to the brim! All of it quite good.
There have been many times on this blog where I have described bowls which left me feeling unsatisfied and empty... On the contrary, House of Ramen shaped up to be a massive bowl of Umami goodness which filled me up perfectly.
Each bite/slurp of my bowl was not only a surprise but a delight. Never did the noodles sog out, never was the balance interrupted by one dominant flavor. The well balanced, mildly spicy pork broth infuses into each floating puzzle piece, creating an urge to wait on some toppings to "cure" while furiously gobbling others. I gleefully ate every bit of my bowl, thinking of how so many people I asked about HoR had no idea it existed! I even slurped down the broth at the end.
Then, in that moment of post-soup-inhalation, I knew WHY no one acknowledged House of Ramen's legitimately delicious soup and pleasant service model...
They felt like it was fast food, even if it wasn't.
House of Ramen has a great product. I will be back again and again to try every single broth and topping combo they have, but in the meantime, I hope they could make the place more comfortable. Ramen in Tokyo may be as common as burgers are here in the states, but the atmosphere of a Subway is not deserving of the quality of HoR's cuisine. I won't go out on a limb here and say that House of Ramen is among the highest caliber bowls of noodles I have had in Portland, but I will say that they offer a bowl that MANY over-celebrated businesses in the city wished they came close to.
It is unfortunate when a food experience boils down to whether or not a place had Edison bulbs and comfy chairs; a teak service bar and drinking glasses made of glass, but that IS a part of any successful service/food business model. The problem with House of Ramen is that they don't allow their product's quality to be reflected by where you are eating it. In hindsight, I remember thinking that I wouldn't take a date to HoR, I would only come alone or while in a rush. But why? The food is sure to impress, the people who work there are thoughtful and knowledgeable... Oddly it is an interior design issue. Which is sad because a few minor alterations in lighting, seating, and social media could change that shop forever.
We can only hope and keep coming back :)
Rating:Broth: 8/10
Noodles: 10/10
Meat: 9/10
Veggies: 7/10
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