Ramen Tour of Austin
A family that eats Japanese noodles together stays together! Ramen is one of our families favorite foods. Even our "super selective" (that's the P.C. term for picky!) vegetarian daughter loves ramen. We head out for ramen at least every 2 weeks. We have tried most of the ramen places in Austin and we usually try to visit the best ramen spots when we travel. It is really a perfect family meal. It is relatively inexpensive. Most ramen restaurants are laid back and family friendly. It is quick.
Here are our favorite ramen spots in Austin:
Ramen Tatsu-ya: this is hands down our family's favorite. They have several varieties but The Original tonkotsu broth with chashu pork (think small, thin, tender pork medallion) is divine. I have come to adding an extra ajitama (medium boiled egg) and extra pork to mine. They also now have vegetarian ramen at all times, which was a big plus for our veggie daughter. They opened a second restaurant on South Lamar which has led to less lines at both locations (the original is off of 183 near Peyton Gin Rd), which was the only negative point.
Michi Ramen: this is where we go when there is a long line at Ramen Tatsu-ya or when we have a larger group (more than one family). The table service and larger tables are more group friendly. The menu is a little more complicated with many different broths and each broth offered in light, medium or stout. But, we have found the right combination after several visits. They also have veggie ramen. They have several locations but we stick to the original on North Lamar.
Bonus: Michi Ramen has one of the best small tap lists of beer in town. They have 8 taps but they do a great job of having great variety and hard to find beers on tap. I don't usually have a beer at Ramen Tatsu-ya but I always do at Michi.Kome: This Japanese restaurant on Airport Blvd. is fantastic. It is a great place for a weekend family lunch. They only serve ramen at lunch and it is excellent. Very different from the ramen at Tatsu-ya or Michi.
There are a few other options in town. But, we tend to stick to these three as they have proven to be the best and most consistent. Do you have a favorite ramen spot in town?
