Despite the wealth of Asian food options around Ithaca, until recently, I had never tried any kind of ramen besides the classic pre-packaged chicken-flavor Top Ramen. So when I heard about the recent opening of Maru Ramen, a new ramen restaurant on State Street, I decided that it would be the perfect time to check it out.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately impressed. The tables and chairs were sleek with bright colors, and the front counter combined traditional design elements with a modern edge. After a bit of deliberation, I decided to order the Tonkotsu Ramen, while my parents ordered the Chicken Ramen and the Spicy Seafood Ramen. After a relatively short wait, we were served steaming bowls by our waitress. The Tonkotsu Ramen, described on the menu as a “creamy pork broth” topped with egg, pork, and various vegetables, had a very appealing presentation.
The flavor of it, though, proved to be even better. What impressed me the most about the taste of the ramen was the vast variety of flavors in the bowl and the way in which they all came together. The barbecued pork and hard-boiled egg each had a nice savory flavor; the pork in particular was very well-seasoned and tender. The vegetables added a bit of spice and variety to each bite, and the pickled radish provided on the side added a bit of sweetness to the bowl. These flavors all blended well against the pungent broth backdrop.
While our meals proved to be very filling, my parents and I agreed that we would have liked it if there was more meat in the bowl, as it added a lot to the flavor of the dish. Besides this, though, none of us had much by way of criticism; like the pork broth, the chicken broth was very well-seasoned, and my dad was very happy with the fact that the level of spice of the seafood broth matched up with the two hot peppers depicted on the menu. In general, the service at the restaurant was both efficient and hospitable; after seeing that my dad was taking home his leftovers despite having eaten all of the noodles, a waitress even brought him a small container of rice to put in the soup when he warmed it up at home. The pricing is a bit expensive overall, but is worth it for the high quality of ingredients and the filling portions. I left Maru Ramen very full and happy, and certainly recommend the restaurant to anyone.