Tonkotsu ramen at Sushi Taro. Photo by Fred Cheung.

Dish of the Week: Tonkotsu ramen
Where: Sushi Taro

This is not the first time that ramen has been our dish of the week, but I’m enthralled by this particular style of ramen, tonkotsu. Those who have watched Tampopo understand the obsession with the minor details of this Japanese comfort food. Constructing an ideal bowl of ramen requires an attention to every aspect — broth, noodles, ingredients and presentation.

Tonkotsu broth consists of pork bones, including collagen-heavy pigs’ feet that is brought to a rolling boil. Typically, a rolling boil is a big no-no in stock making, as it breaks up the fats and protein in to the body of the stock. But in the case of tonkotsu ramen, this method is used to add density and flavor for an intensely porky and milky looking broth. Angel hair-like ramen noodles and pickled ginger are then added to the broth along with slices of chashu. The end result is unctuous pork flavor with occasional piquant bites of ginger.

Sushi Taro advertises the ramen as an occasional special on their Facebook page. There, your $12 will get you a lovely bowl of broth, with an astonishing layer of fat and two slices of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, scallions, sesame seeds and seaweed. A bowl of sushi rice is provided to soak up the remaining broth. While some might balk at the $12 price tag, since a large bowl of pho with much more meat is often $8 or less. But pho lacks the body and heartiness of a proper bowl of ramen. And sadly for fans of proper ramen, $12 is the going rate for a bowl of the intensely meaty stuff. But it can be well worth it.