Ramen Bowls doesn’t serve your average bowl of Japanese noodles. You won’t find anything resembling store-bought packaged ramen. Excellent ramen isn’t rushed.
And that’s just how owners Shantel Grace and Tim Grace envisioned it since opening the restaurant at its original location at 125 E. 10th Street in 2013. In their new, more spacious location at 900 New Hampshire Street next door to TownePlace Suites® by Marriott, they have more space to show off more of the restaurant staff’s talents while providing additional seating.
What Shantel once referred to as “our tiny little noodle shop” now includes multiple dining rooms, a full bar specializing in Japanese spirits, a boba station, an in-house bakery, and an expansive patio ideal for good-weather dining.
While the menu (aka Ramen Bowls Magazine) includes over 20 signature Umami-forward ramen bowls, the staff is eager to customize a recipe to cater to a diner’s preferences. If you prefer more spice-forward heat or gluten-sensitive ingredients, just ask.
Steaming bowls filled with Napa cabbage, scallions, noodles, and your choice of protein swim in a savory broth arrive at the table waiting to be slurped. Flavorful ingredients are sourced from area farms to create inventive ramen recipes, including hand-pulled noodles prepared in view of customers.
The restaurant's new digs impressed me during a recent return visit. Colorful paper lanterns and Japanese artwork set the scene as kitchen cooks compiled ingredients into bowls from behind the counter. We sat at a sun-drenched booth by the window given the open kitchen’s oven, which roasted red bell peppers.
Our server, Gavin, greeted us and graciously answered questions about the menu. His attention to our food preferences and the overall experience set a positive tone. Caring service is customary, according to Monica Hinkel, Front-of-House Manager, who’s worked for the owners for seven years.
“Ramen Bowls is uniquely better than other ramen shops because of the strong bond our staff has,” says Hinkel. “Our team is super tight-knit, and collectively, we want to help each other provide the best customer service experience for each guest.”
While we debated ordering sake, our experience started with sips of Singapore Sling and Hurricane cocktails, which delivered a tropical flavor as if transporting us to an oceanside locale. For non-drinker patrons, locally sourced KANbucha and Liquid Garden Cold Pressed Juice satisfy.
Bubble tea drinkers will relish the flavor of classic or specialty Boba drinks with Taiwanese origin. I chose the Classic Boba Jasmine Milk Tea, which tasted mildly sweet and served over ice with tapioca balls. Perhaps during a future visit, I’ll opt for a twist on the chilled beverage with optional add-ins such as edible glitter or Pop Rocks®. I’m also intrigued by Kakigōri, a Japanese shaved iced drink with flavored syrups and fruit bits.
As a meal starter, we ordered Chicken Wontons stuffed with cream cheese and chicken served with spicy aioli from a menu of nearly a dozen appetizer options. For the main event, the kitchen staff prepared Surf and Turf Ramen using flat iron steak, garlic shrimp, while the Hakata Tonkotsu Shoyu incorporated pork belly and a braised egg half with vegetables–each were flavorsome down to the last bite.
What makes the ramen distinctively better? Ramen Bowls sources fresh, high-quality ingredients from local farms. Lawrence-based Tuckel Family Farms provides the short ribs used in specialty ramen, and Central Soyfoods supplies the hand-made artisan tofu. And what’s ramen without noodles, right? On occasion, specialty heirloom noodles are made in-house from sourced whole wheat from Shantel’s father’s farm.
Certainly, ramen is the draw for guests to the restaurant, but it would be regretful to dine and not indulge in a fresh-baked dessert by pastry chef Steph Castor. At the very least, I encourage you to order a Hawaiian-style eggy dough pastry malasada, which is scratch-made daily. The pull-apart donut oozes with creamy filling.
Additional baked desserts, using flora supplied by Crum Heirlooms, are delicious and artfully designed. If like me, you’re feeling too full after dinner to order dessert, the server will happily add it to a pink to-go pastry box.
Castor aims to take a Midwestern approach to desserts and marry Hawaiian and Japanese-inspired flavors. The result? Nostalgia meets whimsy.
"By baking Pandan into a cheesecake or adding taro to a cinnamon roll, I try to transport our guests to an entirely different place while still providing the stick-to-your-ribs satisfaction of grandma’s kitchen,” says Castor.
It’s that artful, thoughtful approach to crafting Ramen Bowl’s menu selections that makes it a worthwhile dining experience—one you should rush into the restaurant to experience first-hand.
Know If You Go:
You can save $2 on Kids Menu selections from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, available for children aged 12 and under.
Meals can be carried out or delivered via the apps Grub Hub, Chow Now, Eat Street, Door Dash, or Uber Eats. Patrons can also use the walk-up quick service counter to order a Boba drink or bakery item to go.
