THE FATTY BAO
A gloomy weekday afternoon saw us settling down at one of the tables overlooking the busy 12th Main in Indira Nagar to sample the Raining Ramen menu at The Fatty Bao. The menu offers ramen inspired by South East Asian cuisines including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Indonesian. As we glanced through the various bowls on offer, our attention was caught by the Pork Paitan Ramen, which we promptly requested. The dish is a wholesome offering of soba noodles, roasted pork belly, minced pork, pickled bamboo shoot, kombu or edible kelp and marinated eggs in a flavoursome pork broth. A cracker of a dish, we loved the addition of bamboo shoot, which leant it more flavour, and the crispy pork belly.
Another must-try is the Chinese Chicken Mixian, which features Yunan-style rice noodles, confit chicken, marinated mushrooms and blanched spinach in a chicken broth flavoured with fermented chilli paste and fried garlic. The chicken was cooked beautifully — soft, juicy and just right, and the chilli and garlic notes struck a perfect balance.
Vegetarians may choose between the Vegetable Mixian (vegetable broth, spiced tofu, lotus chips, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, miso bean sauce and scallion) and Green Tea Ramen (vegetable and green tea broth, scallion, ginger, crispy garlic and roasted tomatoes). Indonesian staple, Mee Bakso, a must-try for beef lovers, also finds place on the menu. The Raining Ramen menu is sure to have you hooked and we are sincerely hoping the dishes from the promotion make it into the regular menu.
Rs.395 ++ upwards. Until July 20. At Indira Nagar
OISHII RAMEN
While it took some finding, we finally arrived at Oishii Ramen which is tucked away on a rooftop above the Wills Lifestyle showroom on 100 Feet Road. The restaurant has a limited but interesting menu. We started with an order of Spinach Sesame and Gyoza Chicken. While the spinach packed in some subtle flavours, the gyoza, with its silky casing and fresh flavours, was a winner.
The main course was a bit of a letdown when we realised that the menu does not include beef and pork options. We chose the Laksa Ramen, made with a spicy seafood broth, chicken, egg, lemongrass, tamarind and mint leaves. The flavourful broth had bonito fish flakes, and the tamarind and lemongrass added a tangy element to the dish. The other bowl we tried was the Miso Vegetarian Ramen, available in a ‘spicy’ variation as well. The miso broth was high on umami, and topped with black fungus, bok choy, bean sprouts, spring onions, nori and a hard boiled egg. The flavours complemented each other quite well. While their ingredients and flavour profiles are on point, Oishii Ramen needs to work a little on their service.
Rs.900 for two. At Indira Nagar