Contemporary ramen is totally different than what most Americans think ramen should be. Ramen is not one thing; there are many, many different types – David Chang
Ramen is my kryptonite. Give me a good bowl of Ramen and I am generally all set. It has all my favorite things, rich, flavorful broth ( soup), perfect noodles, and then all the toppings like that soft egg y’all. I have had ramen from the corners of the West Coast to the corners of the East Coast and have a top ten list and then a top-five list. Tora Ramen made it onto my top ten list.
Tora Ramen is quite new, a recent addition to Harrison ave in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston. It opened up during the pandemic, but they were incredibly prepared for being such a tight space. Safety protocols in place, dividers between tables, you must wait outside, and hand sanitizer before entering. Chinatown is one of my favorite places to go to in Boston; between the food and history, it is a literal slice of heaven.
Tora has a simple, yet flavor-filled menu. They have five ramen varietals with different broth bases. They then have a myriad of appetizers or small sharing plates and then their “Don” plates.
I went with the Kuro Ramen which is a Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen. It has a smokiness to it that I just wasn’t ready for and the NOODLES. I fell in love with those noodles. Really decent bowl of Ramen for sure. For appetizers, we had the Gyoza and Kani Croquettes ( which weren’t at all what I was expecting) and both were absolutely delicious.
This is a spot to support for sure. If you love ramen and want to be comforted on a cold, Boston night then this is the spot for you. Definitely check them out and let them know the Maven sent you. I admire them for opening in a really tough time ( for everyone) but especially for the restaurant industry. In a time that many are closing down it was refreshing seeing one open up and in Chinatown. It is important that Chinatown remains part of the culture of Boston and that we continue supporting them to keep that history alive.
Check out the food below and let me know if you’ve tried them or not!
Front and center is the Cheesy Chashu Don: Diced up chashu, topped with shredded cheese and torched.
That gyoza and croquette vibe
Kani Croquettes: Fried cream crab croquette ( so yummy)
I like this photo mostly because of the shot of the chopsticks. 🙂
That Black Garlic Tonkotsu thooo
Of course always with the noodle pull.
A quick shot of the kitchen, because I always love seeing ramen being made.
Original Tonkotsu Ramen or Shiro. Look at that BUTTER.
Such a great experience and I really loved checking out this new spot. As usual, keep supporting local mavens and make sure to continue staying safe in all you do.
Until the next Ramen adventure,
xoxo, The Maven
