In the winter, few foods satisfy like ramen. A good bowl of ramen is like a warm winter coat (of fat) for the stomach. Recently, we inhaled one of our favorite bowls of ramen in the city at Kota’s Kitchen. This izakaya is known for its kitschy Beatles décor, fishbowls of flavored shochu and perfectly grilled yakitori so people tend to overlook its supremely good ramen. But the owner, Kota, a native of Yokohama, Japan, clearly knows what he is doing, and the broth of his Yokohama ramen (RMB45) is a magical thing. Milky pork bones (flavorful to begin with) are cooked down for hours into pork essence. The finished product is a glossy pork broth that launches pretenders like Ajisen into the deepest circles of shame. To the milky pork broth he adds pliant ramen noodles, a slice of cha-shu (roasted pork), half a soy-braised egg, a dab of salty cod roe and a generous scattering of green onion. Slurp the noodles and enjoy the brown butter flavor of the unctuous pork broth. Don’t worry about the resulting extra padding–it is winter after all.

DETAILS

What:Yokohama ramen

How much: RMB45

Where:Kota’s Kitchen | 2905 Xietu Lu 斜土路2905号

Tel: 6481-2005