Boxer Ramen Revisited...

A few weeks ago, I tried out the Tonkotsu Ramen at Boxer Ramen downtown. It was good but not all I expected, which is fine. This week I went back for lunch and tried both their Vegetarian Curry and Spicy Red Miso Ramen. The truth? I was really blown away. So I pitted the two against each other for a bowl battle :)

We (of course) began with the Okonomiyaki tots. I covered them in my previous post about Boxer, so I will speed right up to what we're all here for, the main event. My bowl of Spicy Miso broth was utterly delicious. At [$10.00] a bowl, they know not to cheapen the experience with light toppings. The Spicy Red comes with moist, savory pork slices, a leafy(ish) green, tart mushroom(?), and a perfectly boiled egg floating in opaque, pepper-oil drizzled broth. A slight taste of grizzle peaks out from the interesting balance of heaviness and bare heat. The noodles are aplenty and are a true testament to the pre-made type. Everything in this bowl was enough for me to be full but I had to press on and steal some analytical bites from my date's bowl…

Second in the ring was the Veg. Curry which I was more curious about than anything. Diced mushrooms, red pepper, and one other unidentifiable veggie swims around in the creamy curry broth and each slurp opens up the nasal passages just a bit. It was a really nicely balanced bowl, but I was wishing for a bit more in the toppings department. Maybe some chinese broccoli, a few whole mushrooms, even some corn would have been a nice mix. At the end of this bowl I was finding myself a bit tired of the creamy noodle consistency. It needed something to break up the monotony. Really superb curry flavors though. I found myself skipping the rest of the noodles and drinking down that creamy broth.

I liked both bowls quite a bit but in this fight, the Spicy Red won this bout. 

The wholeness of the Spicy Red in comparison with the Curry was a close, but there was something about the Miso which made it seem like more of a SOUP, not just broth and noodles. While, I liked the broth a bit more for the Curry, I found myself working through it toward the end because of a lack of variety. In truth, I wish they both had more in the foliage department. Portlanders are known for their plant-eating ways so load them in! 

I'll be back ;)

Rating

Spicy Red Miso:

Broth: 9/10

Noodles: 7/10

Meat: 8/10

Veggies: 5/10

Vegetarian Curry:

Broth: 9/10

Noodles: 6/10

Meat: None

Veggies: 5/10