For N month we decided to get up close and personal with Noodles. Due to its recent surge in popularity we chose to sample ramen noodles. First up was Ninja Ramen. The menu items all looked appealing, so we decided to order two dishes and share. We always make this mistake as we could have easily been full from the Yoki Soba. This dish wasn’t made with the noodles we think of as ramen, but it was absolutely delicious. For our second dish, we made another mistake by asking the waiter if the spicy ramen was really spicy, and he assured us it was very mild – WRONG. Our mouths were nearly on fire so next time we ask a waiter that question we will specify that we are from the East Coast! Unfortunately, this dish, while traditional ramen, did not hit the mark. The noodles were too chewy and lacked any flavor.

But we couldn’t give up there. So, we tried another place – Marufuku Ramen. Aside from the appeal of the name, the menu truly focused on ramen noodles for their entrees. We made no mistakes here. We opted for Chicken Paitan Ramen. This lived up to the ramen hype. The broth was delicious, the chicken was soft and tasty and the noodles were just right.

“USING YOUR NOODLE”

Barbara – Why should your head be associated with a long, stringy bit of pasta? I guess if you roll it around in circles it could resemble a brain. As early as 1720 the word noodle was a stupid person, but nobody is certain how that came to be. The leading candidate was the word noddle which meant the back of the head since the 1400s. The phrase “use your noodle” was originally used as an insult – comparing a simpleton wagging his head around like a floppy noodle. By 1762 noodle referred to the head itself, stupid or otherwise.  Nowadays it’s no longer an insult and simply means “think about it.” But that doesn’t sound nearly as appealing and I fully intend to flop my head around a bit the next time I use my noodle.