Two Lost Souls in a Ramen Bowl
“Public Provisions makes the best Ramen I’ve ever had.”
This statement has weighed heavily on me for a while now, and it has come after much deliberation.
Over the past few weeks, I have reflected on some of the best Ramen bowls I have had on my travels and while living coast to coast. I think back to living on Rochester Avenue (ironic, right?) in the Sawtelle Japantown neighborhood of Los Angeles, a place that many knew as Little Osaka.
I can still taste the rich and flavorful chashu and smell the aromas of garlic in the broth of a bowl of ramen at Tsujita. I can feel the anticipation of waiting in line at Tatsu Ramen, as I grew hungrier by the minute. Waiting times usually took up to 60 minutes before I could dip that colorful, rounded renge spoon into a steaming bowl of their Bold Ramen. I spent years crushing ample amounts of fresh garlic into their shimmering red-stained broth and watched it sink and drift across many bowls of ramen.
Rochester lacks ramen restaurants. For a time, Roc City Ramen filled this void by crafting some of the best Ramen in upstate New York. Sadly, after closing their shop last year, the city has felt lost again and deprived of the craftsmanship of high-quality ramen. While some interesting chains have entered the regional market, like Hokkaido Ramen House, or the local chain, JBC Rice Noodles & Ramen, which serve good food and generous portions, they seem to lack a certain quality that can be found in truly gourmet Japanese restaurants like those of Los Angeles and New York City.
I have spent years patiently waiting for the winds of change to shift in the local food scene, and while the wait continues, it appears that a contender has emerged from out of the darkness and is bringing us toward the noodle-filled light.
A bowl of Shoyu Ramen from Public Provision during Ramen Wednesdays.
Every Wednesday night at the Public Market in Rochester, Public Provisions, a full-service cafe, restaurant, and cocktail bar, is serving some of the finest ramen I have ever tasted. If you’re a chashu lover like I am, then be prepared to melt into their Shoyu. Aesthetically, their ramen appears simple and traditional; it is topped with pork, scallions, Nori, and two halves of a medium-cooked ramen egg. It isn’t until after the first bite that you realize that Public Provisions’ ramen is something far greater than expected. If Ramen is not entirely your thing, they also offer other fantastic dishes like the Niku Lettuce Wraps, made with chicken, miso, Thai spices, and layered upon a bed of butter lettuce, and topped with saffron.
Niku Lettuce Wraps from Public Provisions offered on the menu during Ramen Wednesday.
If you have ever watched the classic ramen master scene in the Juzo Itami film, Tampopo, then you’ll know that the craft of cooking Ramen is about more than making a bowl of soup; rather, it is a true work of art. Therefore, we must savor and experience every moment that we dive into this delectable dish.
While examining the Shoyu at Public Provisions, you will notice that the aromas find you as they steam through the air. As you stare deeply into the two crisp, thick, and flavorful slices of chashu that rest on the edge of the broth like two lost souls in a ramen bowl, anticipation for your meal grows. Your chopsticks become an extension of yourself while you grasp the noodles. The broth is garlicky with the salty tang of soy, which enriches the savory flavors of the pork slices and the firm yet tender noodles. The scallions are fresh and add a light peppery crunch to the dish. Ramen Wednesdays are worth returning for over and over again.
