Hokkaido-style ramen by Mr. Wabu, used under a Creative Commons license.

Dish of the Week: Ramen

Where: Tono Sushi, Sushi Taro, Temari Cafe, Ren’s Ramen

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent December eating every Christmas cookie, cocktail shrimp, and extra helping of ham placed in front of you during the holidays. Add to that all the calories consumed in liquid form — anyone who has made eggnog knows it’s just heavy cream laced with alcohol — and it’s no surprise that the gym is totally packed this month. Even if your New Year’s resolution doesn’t involve weight loss, January is still a time to cut back and detox a bit. But a salad just isn’t going to cut it in this weather.

After having your face practically blown off by the freezing wind, a big, steaming bowl of ramen will take the chill out of your bones like none other. I’m not talking about the 79-cent instant ramen from your college days, loaded with enough sodium to skyrocket your blood pressure. Authentic Japanese ramen hardly resembles its commercial counterpart and is the perfect meal for a blustery January evening. In Japan, ramen varies by region, but here in the U.S. you can usually order it with thick, chewy udon noodles or thin, stretchy soba noodles. The broth can be either meat or vegetable-based and is sometimes made with miso. Ramen has many traditional toppings, including sliced pork, seaweed, egg, vegetables, and those flower-shaped slices of fish cake. After all that rich holiday food, a bowl of ramen makes for an extremely satisfying and refreshingly simple meal.