Restaurant News

Today Rosie tells us Ani Ramen House in Montclair.

ANI RAMEN HOUSE, MONTCLAIR

Slurp. Sip. Repeat. These are the directions on the homepage from the newly opened Ani Ramen House that we explicitly followed. Another tip was to pick up the ramen bowl with both hands and taste the broth first so the correct amount of seasoning can be added to your preference. Well, we did just that and had an A-plus time at this 40-seat restaurant, which adds extra seating with 5 stools along a shelf/table that faces Bloomfield Avenue.

You can have one of the six ramens listed on the menu, a complete meal in a bowl, which, along with different broths, also have add-ons. However, you should not miss out on the high-quality appetizers. We tried the chicken wings served two ways, accompanied by pickled vegetables: three had a seven-spice dry rub and three came with a sake-soy glaze. Crispy gyoza packed with pork, garlic and chives are handmade daily and served with a dipping sauce made with chili oil and soy sauce; fabulous. A red, spicy-miso mayo, which also accompanied the chicken wings, flavored the pork buns with kakuni (pork belly), shredded cabbage and pickled cucumber creating a deeply satisfying dish. There were six wings, six dumplings and two buns. All were $6, not only a lot of bang for the buck, but scrumptious and filling. Two different ramens at $12 each were ordered. Noodles are from Sun Noodle in Teterboro, suppliers to Momofuku Noodle Bar and are considered the best product available. Shoyu, a classic chicken broth with soy tare came with three large chunks of chicken, spinach, nori and scallions. We added on a marinated, soft boiled egg. Ani ramen, a traditional pork broth, contained soy tare with chasu pork (braised pork shoulder) kakuni (braised pork belly), spinach, kikurage (jelly ear mushroom) and scallions. Both dishes were well balanced, colorful and filling. Leftovers reheated the next day at lunch were just as impressive. A trio of homemade seasoning oils: toasted onion, black garlic and roasted chili can be ordered to wrench up the flavor intensity.


Pork buns.

Sheets of Japanese newspaper, used as wallpaper, are on one wall while the other wall has a black and white mural of a city scene and men having ramen. Filament lighting with tangled black wires (are they meant to represent noodles?) add decorative interest, as do the colorful red, silver, orange or black chairs. The menu is presented on a clipboard. The floor and tables are wood. Service was attentive. One can dine very well here.


Shoyu
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein

Ani Ramen House
401 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair
973-744-3960
BYO

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