Nothing wrong with spicing things up sometimes, especially in a city like Manhattan, and West Village mainstay SUSHISAMBA has done that with their limited time Ramen menu that was just launched yesterday! Available now until April 15th, the Ramen-based dishes are so incredibly diverse in terms of execution, flavor profiles, vegan vs. non vegan, that it would be impossible for the most pickiest of eaters to not enjoy what is in front of them. I got first dibs on this amazing experience, and was blown away by it all.
SUSHISAMBA'S limited time menu is designed by Corporate Chef Koji Kagawa called SAMBA RAMEN by Koji . The limited edition menu of four distinct ramens is inspired by Japan's classic noodle and broth staple with a Peruvian and Brazilian twist. In addition, during the two-month SAMBA RAMEN by KOJI experience, every SUSHISAMBA guest will receive a Lucky Koji scratch off card – they’re hugely popular throughout Japan – with every check, offering the chance to win items like a SAMBA cocktail or complimentary ramen upon their return visit. How awesome is that?
Chef Koji was nice enough to walk us through each dish and how special each of them truly is. One was meat based, one was vegan-friendly, one was ramen without the broth and there was actually a ramen-based dessert that left us shocked and surprised all in one!
First on deck, their Yasai Yasai (set as the featured image above). This particular dish came with vegetable kale ramen, beet root, baby bok choy, honshimeji mushroom, peruvian corn, snow pea shoot, spicy garlic and a yuzu skin. As someone who tends to avoid menu items that are all vegetable based, this is one that I would beeline for in a heartbeat as there are so many amazing flavors bursting in your mouth that you forget you are having technically an entree without meat. I was blown away by the tastiness of the vegetable kale ramen in the first place, as I never knew there was such a thing, but its supporting case really made for such a tasty dish, in particular the spicy garlic and peruvian corn. Unreal.
Next up, their Bēkon, Uni and Chīzu. This was their ramen option without the broth, and came with applewood smoked bacon, uni, manchego cheese, onion and cream. Granted, without the broth there is going to be a heaviness you will feel a lot more than the Yasai Yasai, especially with the bacon and cream, however this dish excelled in being a stand alone ramen with a ton of great flavor depth to it. I loved the pairing of the uni with the bacon, and it was the perfect dish to have on a cold February night.
My favorite of the night was their Shōtoribu, which came with bone marrow broth, short rib, peruvian corn, baby bok choy, mushroom and egg. I don't even know where to begin with this one. Some of the best short rib I have ever had in my life, and paired perfectly well with the hearty broth, corn and other ingredients that made this my instant favorite. For the meat eaters out there, this is the best option for you.
Finally, for dessert, a ramen dish that we can all get behind! It is called their Tori No Su. This delectable wonderment comes with cinnamon-sugar crispy ramen, toasted ramen ice cream, hazelnut crème, caramelized banana, milk chocolate sauce, mango and passion fruit-mango gelée. So many ingredients but they work. I loved the drizzle of the milk chocolate sauce on top of the ramen, which tasted like Cinnamon Toast Crunch but only in ramen form. It wasn't too overtly sweet as all the flavors blended well together to make a perfect end meal.
I would highly recommend stopping by SUSHISAMBA over the next two months and experiencing all of this yourself! For more information, check out their official site.
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