Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1050416
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 20 NOVEMBER 2018 Huynh grew up in Boston's Chinatown— his family owns the popular Chau Chow City restaurant in Dorchester—but when it came to branching out on his own, he set his sights on Japanese cuisine. It was a wise move; on a recent Saturday night around 6 p.m., the spot was reporting a 20-minute wait for a table, though there was plenty of seating at the cozy and welcoming bar. e menu is limited, as is often the case at ramen joints, but offers some familiar Japanese starters, like shumai and edamame. For a light bite, and to save room for what's to come, start with the marinated Japanese cucumbers—lov- ingly plated pillars of miniature cukes dressed in a blend of soy sauce and sesame oil, along with some trade-secret seasonings, and sprin- kled with black sesame seeds. Keep the plate with that delicious mari- nade on the table after devouring your vegeta- bles—you may want to dip a bao in it. A small sandwich with a variety of different fillings en- cased in a fluffy, slightly sweet steamed bread, the bao originated in Chinese cuisine. 1981 Ramen gives us a pan-Asian or even interna- tional version, topping one with pork belly and very spicy Korean kimchi and another with / E AT+ D R I N K / roast duck and Brussels sprouts. Don't fill up on the baos, though; generous portions of ramen await. e Smoked Chicken bowl is especially satisfying—the long-cooked chicken broth is rich and flavorful, and would be perfectly lovely just on its own. But garnished with smoked chicken, fresh ramen noodles, a marinated egg, and brown butter corn, it becomes something worth wading through a foot of snow for. Equally comfort- ing, the two pork ramen dishes both start with a base of heritage-breed bones simmered for two full days with vegetables and apples to extract a rich, slightly sweet stock. A vegetar- ian version starts with house-made miso. Soups are, of course, the main attraction, but if you're looking for more fusion, check out the "Chef 's Special" section. ere you will find Baby Octopus Mazeman. Mazeman is a brothless ramen that is popular in Japan but not seen much around here. Perhaps not for the faint of heart, but gorgeously plated and absolutely delicious, a line of tiny whole cooked octopi lie on a bed of ramen noodles, dressed with a rich, flavorful sauce of house- made miso combined with black garlic, butter, and lemon juice. e sea creatures are tender, and the dish is beautiful and unique. While the selection of sakes and sojus skews sweet, the restaurant does have a nice selection of craft beers that will take you all the way from cucumbers to octopus. CONTACT 129 Merrimack St., Lowell, 1981ramenbar.com Left to right, the artfully deconstructed dining room has polished cement floors; Pork belly confit steamed baos PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY TIEULI