Bloggers’ Bites: Nomming at Nom Nom Ramen
Bloggers’ Bites is a series of posts chronicling the foodie adventures of Penn Appétit’s blog staff. On Friday, September 26, Penn Appétit bloggers went to the 34th/Walnut Street food court for an inside look at the second location of Nom Nom Ramen.
Nicole Woon: “Ramen is a blank canvas,” Nom Nom Ramen owner Alan Su explained, There are no rules.” Su should know: he grew up in a restaurant environment, cut his teeth at renowned ramen shops Santouka and Ippudo, then traveled toin Japan, New York, and California to gather inspiration from their noodle bowls. The first Nom Nom outpost opened March 2012 on 18th Street below Market, followed by the University City opening at the 34th/Walnut Street food court in August 2014.
Nom Nom focuses on hakata ramen, a style originating in the city of Fukuoka on Japan’s most southwesterly island Kyushu. Creating the thick, full-bodied broth is a three-day operation. Su stews pork bones and feet in reverse osmosis-filtered water over high heat for hours, releasing the flavorful marrow and collagen into the broth to add both richness and health benefits (a boon for healthy skin and hair).
Aka Nom Nom, the currently offered special, is the one to order. The “silk tonkotsu” pork ramen starts with ultra-thin, al dente ramen noodles spun into a bundle at the bottom of the bowl. The pasta is joined by chashu pork belly, the delicate slices so unctuous they threaten to melt in the broth, followed by kikurage mushrooms and cabbage with a crisp snap. A sandy-colored soft-boiled egg with a golden eye, a scattering of bright green scallions, a pink-swirled narutomaki fish cake. playfully dubbed the “aka bomb” (minced pork with Asian barbecue sauce). Black garlic drizzle and a sprinkling of sesame seeds are the finishing touches to a masterpiece crafted by the wizards behind the counter.
Su eschews traditional marketing tactics, hoping that his expertly-crafted bowls speak for themselves. They do.
Lea Kichler: Being a freshman and unfamiliar with Philadelphia restaurants beyond Penn’s dining halls, Nom Nom Ramen was unknown to me. Despite it being very conveniently located on 34th and Walnut, right next to the CVS, I had never entered the food court it is located in. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that Nom Nom goes beyond all food court expectations. The ramen is crafted in a traditional and intricate way: the broth is produced over three days and prepared as it would be in a Japanese ramen shop. We were lucky enough to speak with the owner, who has dedicated his life to this restaurant and believes it can only be judged on the quality of its food, which is clear is a top priority for him. We were able to try a variety of ramen flavors, ranging from spicy to garlic-y, each different but presented in a lovely way. The portions are heaping and seem ideal for a cold winter night. The pork buns and incredibly fluffy, as if you were biting into a pork-filled cloud, and the shaved-ice dessert was a very interesting end to the meal. Never before did I think red beans and mango ice cream could be a nice pair. Nom Nom Ramen is a hidden escape from a measly meal-swipe, and will be redefining the way I think about comfort food.
Caroline Guenoun: Unexpectedly nestled among Taco Bell and other fast food cuisines, one can find Nom Nom Ramen’s new University City location at the food court next to CVS on 34th and Walnut. Ramen is an emerging food trend, and Nom Nom owner Alan has already built a successful shop on 18th Street based on a simple menu of ramen and a few side dishes. Although he always dreamed about opening a location in University City, the journey has not been without struggles. Without any clear marketing plan to attract Penn students to his shop, one wonders if Nom Nom will ever have the long line of customers it deserves. Alan envisions many more Nom Nom shops in the future. However, that is definitely a long-term goal. He is currently focused on making the best ramen possible. He hopes that his bowl of yummy noodles will speak for themselves and customers will spread the word.
Just listening to Alan describe the gory details of his three-day process of cooking the ramen was enough to make my head spin. From the butchered, bloody pig to the clean, filtered water, his dedication to crafting the perfect bowl is incredible.As a vegetarian, I was disappointed that I had to miss out on the star of the show, but Alan did not disappoint. Although there are not usually many vegetarian options in a ramen shop, the vegetarian bowl at Nom Nom is not lacking in flavor at all! The mushroom and seaweed broth was savory and the noodle texture was perfect. Alan also treated us to some shishito peppers. The traditional Japanese salt sprinkled on top blended well with the spice of the pepper. Overall, Nom Nom is the perfect spot for that comforting bowl of ramen that we all crave as the days get colder and the nights get longer.
Lena Antin: My natural reflex upon hearing the word “ramen” is to imagine a hard block of dried noodles that grows limp and rubbery with boiling water. Never would I imagine all of the thought, care, hard work, and creativity that make up a steaming bowl of Nom Nom Ramen. Alan’s detailed description of the multi-day processes required to build a truly authentic bowl of Japanese ramen was astounding. From the perfectly timed temperature changes to the careful spicing and seasoning of the broth, ramen is a far more complex dish than it appears to be.
In fact, Alan is so confident in the quality and flavors of his food that, in lieu of a marketing strategy, he aims for satisfied customers themselves to encourage newcomers by word-of-mouth. As a strong believer in the power of marketing, I am very interested to see if this relaxed and unconventional strategy will be successful. Unfortunately, I was not able to try what I’m sure was a fantastic bowl of ramen, but I will definitely be stopping by in the near future to grab a quick (thanks to the newly installed Wawa touch-screens) bite between classes.
Sharonya Vadakattu: Nom Nom Ramen, a Ramen shop located in the food court at 34th and Walnut, is a bit of a hidden gem. And the owner, Alan Su, likes it that way. “I hate marketing,” he declares in his interview with us. “I want to let the food speak for itself.” As we dug into our first course, steamed pork buns, we all experienced the vibrant combination of flavors which characterizes Nom Nom’s dishes. The buns were sweet and fluffy – some would even say “cloudlike” – and the pork was well-seasoned and incredibly savory. The noodles and soup were equally delicious, and the Special Edition black garlic and pork combination was especially so.
Taylor Horgan: Last week we all met up at Nom Nom Ramen, which is conveniently located next to the CVS on 34th and Walnut. Don’t worry too much about the food court location because what you’ll be eating is some of the highest quality authentic Japanese ramen in Philadelphia. Owner, Alan Su, revealed that each bowl of ramen takes about three days to fully prepare! The end result is definitely worth the countless hours spent preparing the various bowls of ramen. I’ve never been a huge fan of Japanese food, so I was very pleasantly surprised by my first spoonful of the Shio (salt) ramen. The broth itself was thick, savory and completely infused with all the delicious pork flavors. The broth in combination with the chashu pork and perfectly cooked noodles made for one amazingly flavorful bowl of soup. I also highly recommend the pork buns, which really were the centerpiece of the entire meal. The bun itself was soft and fluffy while the pork was cooked to perfection and smothered in sauce that added just enough spice. Let’s just say that after eating at Nom Nom Ramen I will never again feel satisfied by instant ramen!
Farrel Levenson: Don’t be fooled by its location in the 34th and Walnut food court- Nom Nom Ramen needs to become a new go-to on Penn’s campus. As Penn Appetit recently learned, it is reasonably priced, high-quality, and delectable. Last Friday, Penn Appetit bloggers sat down with Alan Su, the owner, to learn about the restaurant and the process of cooking ramen. We sampled fluffy, savory pork buns, and four different types of ramen. The eight of us could barely finish all four bowls given their large size, but the Aka Nom Nom special- silk tonkotsu ramen with pork belly, cabbage, mushrooms, scallions, black garlic drizzle, egg, and minced pork with Asian BBQ sauce- was especially addictive.
Lisa Shmulyan: Ramen is a staple of every college student’s diet. It’s instant and does its job. But is there such a thing as good ramen? Nothing like Maruchan, Nom Nom Ramen’s dishes are authentically Japanese with fresh ingredients and excellent broth. There are no gimmicks here. You can even watch the soup being made! Over half the kitchen is open to the customer as part of the chef’s vision for transparency.
I ordered the miso mushroom kombu. Probably my favorite part of the dish was the creamy mushroom and seaweed broth drizzled with black garlic sauce. It was light and soothing, yet unique–perfect for a sick day. I found it be quite salty but not in an overbearing way. The other ingredients included noodles, inari (tofu), spring mix, bean sprouts, scallions, bamboo, and mushrooms. I loved the varied textures and flavors. My highlights were the tofu, which was sweet and chewy, and the al dente noodles. After eating the dish, I felt satisfied and full but not in a heavy way.
The owner and head chef, Alan Su, puts his heart into creating the soups, and it shows. Everything in the soup is very deliberate. The broth takes days to make. In Su’s words, “the soup speaks for itself.” Coming in with years of experience, Alan Su could be the Michelangelo of ramen-making. However, he remains humble and hardworking. He built his business up from and nothing and is still fighting for its success.
