Ramen Underground

Beth and I decided to catch Corazone under the Dome at the Westfield Center before it closes on July 7, so I met her after work and we set off for Shorty Goldstein's for dinner. Alas, Shorty isn't open for dinner. Then we went across the street to to the Crocker Galleria, only to discover that the only food place still open was the sandwich shop. So we went over to Kearny Street to see what we could find. Most of the places we like were still open, but we jumped at the chance to actually get into Ramen Underground, which is always too crowded at lunchtime for us to consider.

The sign on the street signifies "open"!

We initially sat at the counter but were soon able to move to a table. A very nice waitress immediately gave us menus and water, but the writing is literally on the wall–the walls are all covered with chalkboard paint.

 The place is extremely small, so if you're claustrophobic, order to-go. As you can see, it was a tight squeeze between counter and tables when we left.

This is not your dorm ramen! Even Dave Lister would like these "pot noodles." Beth ordered miso broth with fried pork belly added. After we started eating, a woman sharing our table gifted her with half a soft-cooked egg.

I don't usually finish most of my broth, so I ordered the nightly special, Salad Ramen, which comes with a very small amount of vegetarian broth. This is a totally vegetarian dish, but I ordered pork belly as an add-on. Unfortunately, the kitchen neglected to add it. This was, however, quite enough food for me. Both bowls came with a hefty portion of chewy noodles.

Lesson learned! Beth and I need to branch out to dinner sometimes so we can actually get in the door to order food at someplace like Underground Ramen. Is there a restaurant that always has a line out the door for dinner? Maybe check it out for lunch and you'll be able to get a jump on some delicious foods yourselves!