Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
Mu Ramen has been high on my list (perhaps at the top) of restaurants to try since they opened last year. What started as a secret pop-up in a bagel shop by a former Per Se chef turned into a serious ramen destination in Long Island City. For some reason, I could never get to the restaurant during dinner hours and stories of long lines kept me away.
Finally I found myself in Queens at the 5:00 opening hour and so I proudly walked into the swanky Japanese restaurant and made myself comfortable at the bar. But here’s where things get really ironic. After all this time, I didn’t even order the ramen!!!
I promised myself I would come back to try the noodle soups, but since I had dinner plans later in the evening and a limited amount of time, I decided to indulge in one of the restaurant’s signature (and decadent) appetizers.
The U & I sounds like an uncomfortable infection, but actually it is a luxurious and generous bowl of uni and ikura. And that’s the only reason I decided it would be worth dropping $25 on a quick little appetizer.
If translated into English terms, the uninitiated might not want to try the sea urchin gonads (uni) and fish eggs (ikura), but these are two of the greatest culinary pleasures I can think of. And together, they are just amazing.
The bright orange uni is as creamy, sweet, and rich as it gets. The four lobes sat on a bed of warm rice and a spicy tuna mixture. More texture was provided in the abundant briny roe which was tamed by the strips of toasted dried seaweed. And then on top, sat a round of potent and fresh wasabi.
This is an appetizer for a king. I probably went a little overboard by eating it myself (and not sharing it with friends), but it was a small reward for waiting this long to eat at Mu Ramen. Patience is indeed a virtue. Now I just need to hurry back to try the restaurant’s actual namesake and resist the temptation to order this luxury item again. Price: Market Price
| MU RAMEN |
| 1209 Jackson Avenue (between 48th Avenue and 47th Road), Long Island City, Queens (917) 868-8903 |
| ramennyc.wixsite.com/popup |
