Boxer Ramen, Boxer Ramen...What to say but that this place is a much needed addition to the noodle scene in Portland. Walking in, I was cheerfully greeted by a few employees and ushered to my seat at the bar amidst the chaos of the Friday night dinner rush. The deco is hip and modern, using light sandalwood and deviant art style chalk board design. A bit cutesy yet not removed from the Japanese integrity you would find on St. Marks Place in NY or a true ramen shop in Tokyo. They are going for that young, metropolitan feel and accomplish it.
I ordered a 25oz Kirin from their small-yet-suitable beer list, then ordered the Okonomiyaki tater tots, served with bonito flakes waving in the heat, and finally ordered the Tonkotsu broth ramen.
The tots were very good to start. Their choice of sauces within the dish were superb. Not overbearingly sweet (which teriaki/bbq can be on starch) and not too goopy. I was left with some dry tots and the option to dip, mix etc. The hallmark of any great "nacho-style" appetizer. Served in a hot, cast-iron mini skillet and sprinkled with bonito fish flakes, the tots were both fun to look at and delicious. Personally I would have liked to see MORE on the small plates list. The choices were pretty narrow. Some edamame, maybe a hip-looking sashimi, maybe even a ramen "board" with smaller bowls for sampling. Boxer had some interesting items but I was left feeling like I wasn't getting what I wanted in that respect.
THE RAMEN: So anyone who is serious about noodles knows that a good bowl starts with a solid broth AND the noodles for a $10.00 bowl of ramen should be house pulled. Boxer gets at least one of those right. The tonkotsu bone broth was a true treat but the noodles in my bowl were store bought. Folks, you have a RAMEN SHOP, please do yourselves justice and pull those delicious buckwheat noodles yourself. Even the (much famed) ramen shop in the Minneapolis airport pulls their own noodles. I repeat, the airport pulls their own noodles.
Once I got past that though, the soup itself took flight. There aren't many veggies in Boxer's ramen, which is a problem if you consider ramen a "everything but the kitchen sink" dish, which most do. Usually even a Shio Ramen includes SOME Nori (seaweed) and/or some kind of fungus or bamboo.
Floating in the bowl is also Boxer's choice of pork. Again, Tonkotsu Ramen usually contains MORE chashu (fired pork) than what I got. Typically the pork is also leaner than the think bacon-like slice I received in my bowl. At first I thought it was a "try our vegetarian options" kind of move, given that the ramen was good, but not as good as some of the absolutely wonderful FULL tonkotsu I have had in the past. It was walking the line of simple and empty.
Once I got past that though, the soup itself took flight. There aren't many veggies in Boxer's ramen, which is a problem if you consider ramen a "everything but the kitchen sink" dish, which most do. Usually even a Shio Ramen includes SOME Nori (seaweed) and/or some kind of fungus or bamboo.
Floating in the bowl is also Boxer's choice of pork. Again, Tonkotsu Ramen usually contains MORE chashu (fired pork) than what I got. Typically the pork is also leaner than the think bacon-like slice I received in my bowl. At first I thought it was a "try our vegetarian options" kind of move, given that the ramen was good, but not as good as some of the absolutely wonderful FULL tonkotsu I have had in the past. It was walking the line of simple and empty.
Above all, Boxer Ramen is a fun, light hearted experience. I wouldn't put it on par with many of the more authentic ramen shops I have visited, but I wouldn't be as scathing as some of other reviewers from Yelp, urban, etc... They have something good here, but it needs to grow for the food's sake. Boxer is the kind of place I would eat at every day if they had a higher quality soup and a few more options for small plates. At the end of the trip, my bill for two beers, an appetizer, and a bowl of ramen was $28.00 but I still ate later on that evening elsewhere. It didn't quite "do the job" that a big hefty bowl of pork ramen is known for doing. That said, I will be back to see how they improve.
Rating
Broth: 8/10
Noodles: 6/10
Veggies: 4/10
Meat: 5/10
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