A ramen rave (with some rants)

There was a rather long line out the door at Ramen Setagaya. The whole front entrance is made of thick glass and diners can sit at the counter that looks out to the street...and at the line (and people in line could stare at you as you slurped your noodle soup). But it was a bit chilly out and I had traveled all the way down at an impulse to this tiny noodle joint to satisfy my need for warm soup noodles and bbq pork.

I checked my watch: 6:18pm and then stood in line as I didn't have anything until 9pm. I took out the rather random book I've started reading-'The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud'-since it has taken me 8 months to read the first 6 chapters of 'The Zahir' and that is now on hiatus. I had just finished reading this line: 'At last, a truly gruesome finding: Their tongues had been surgically cut out. But why? And who shot them?' when I realized there was a girl gabbing away loudly to her boyfriend in Mandarin that she wished the line would hurry up and that the eaters are taking way too long. That the food better be good and it should be because of the line. She more or less was jumping up and down and smashing herself against the glass. For a split second, I couldn't help but think: Man, someone should surgically remove her tongue right now. Maybe it's because it was cold out and I was slightly hungry after having had a morning of anxiety from the thought I might be getting sick (and not eating my normal three meals before this time). I erased the thought and held my tongue.

The wait wasn't long at all and when I was directed to my stool, I sat where the people in line could stare at your bowl with clarity and even inspect the diners. I guess I could have stared back at them but I wasn't here for the people, I was here for the noodles.

I ordered the Chay-su-men: BBQ pork noodle soup. Then the girl who had been yapping away at the boyfriend who could care less of what she had to say, headed to sit to the right of me. Just my luck. And then she crashed into my back with her purse. How? I don't know. Must have been all the jumping outside at the window that made her crazy.

My food took some time to arrive, but I have to say it was worth this special trip to get ramen because the broth had an amazingly bold personality with essences of bbq pork flavor. The noodles were thin and though I normally like the thick, hand-pulled kind, these were intensely chewy-almost like spaghetti but more pliant- and soaked up the flavors of the meaty soup very well. While this was no fancy Momofuku Noodle Bar bowl with Berkshire pork, the bbq pork medallions that sat atop the steaming bowl of hot noodles and broth were impressive. Each piece was surrounded by a thin layer of utterly delicious fat and the meat itself was tender, juicy, and fragrant. It was an incredible combination and for good reason...its simplicity brought out the natural favor profiles of each of the ingredients: noodles, soup, scallions, pork, and a half a semi-cooked egg (the yolk was slightly gooey and cradled some of the broth). I'd go back just for the meat and a bowl of rice.

When I stopped thinking about the food, I could hear the girl talking really loudly again. "Wah, this is all the menu has to offer? So small! Really, this better be good because we had to wait. I've been to other noodle places before. Blahblahblahblah" And after their food arrived she continued, "Way too salty. Such little portions!..." The couple finished before me and on their way out the girl drops her bag and crashes into me AGAIN (I'M REALLY NOT SOMEONE WHO TAKES UP A LOT OF SPACE, I want to yell). The glass of water in my hand spills and it dumps into the wooden tray that holds the...knapkins. You can only imagine what they looked like now after the crash...sopping wet and really quite sad. I'm thinking about having a fit though I know perfectly well that I'm not capable of throwing one in public. "Sorry," she says. This is the one word I hear her say quietly the whole time I've been at the restaurant. The guy grabs the bag and they both walk out to my relief.

I finish my food without any interruptions, except for when I "feel" people ogling at my noodles. It is very good and I'm already thinking of the list of people I have to take there on a day when ramen is very much needed.

Lessons of the day: Ramen can be a remedy to a sick day. Stay away from yappy girls (or guys). Sometimes it's better to know only one language.