Spicy Miso Ramen — *Edamame Ramen Hibachi and Sushi*

How i discovered ramen

Let me just get something out of the way that will discredit my authority on the matter. You ready? I grew up watching Naruto. And when I tell you that little knuckle-headed fiend was a whole crackhead for a bowl of ramen — it piqued my interest.

First off, I didn’t know it was pronounced "Rah-men” noodles because my family called it “Ray-min” noodles. The sh*ts that were in my bowl with high-blood pressure inducing, piss-colored chicken broth wasn’t what he was eating. Brodie was slurping those noodles like a hypoglycemic kid slurps a capri sun, you feel me?

Naruto’s tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu pork — *courtesy of Crunchyroll*

Naruto’s ramen had slices of meat, a weird spiral cracker thing, a jellied egg and all kinds of vegetables. Juxtaposed with the ramen I had as a kid — which looked like senior citizen spit — his ramen was far superior. Mind you, my first exposure was around 2005 when google was christened (or when Katrina snatched Florida’s weave).

Japanese food items outside of sushi and hibachi weren’t readily available and I, like this area, would be many years away from tasting ramen.

It was inside the culinary shows I watched that I discovered the Japanese cooking philosophy of “Goho” which translates to “Five Methods”.

Gomi Goshoku Goho — ancient japanese cooking philosophy in a bowl

But that’s just one part of it, bro. “Gomi Goshoku Goho” (five flavors, five colors, five methods) is a Japanese culinary code that finds its roots in ancient China. There’s layers of intentionality that goes into their cooking — especially into a bowl of ramen.

Let me break it down for you:

Five Senses (Gokan):
Japanese cooking focuses on taste, sight, smell, sound, and touch for a complete dining experience.
Five Colors (Goshiki):
Japanese cooking incorporates red, yellow, green, black, and white foods in each meal for balance and visual appeal.
Five Ways (Goho):
Japanese cooking uses various methods such as simmering, broiling, grilling, steaming, and frying.

A simple bowl of ramen captures principles like balance of flavors (salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami) and focuses on using ingredients that work together harmoniously — unlike me and the cashier at foot locker.

ramen is comforting and versatile

Ramen flavors vary by region and are more adaptable than your girl’s BBL — Hell, more adaptable than your girl. This dish can switch up styles faster than you code switch around new people with your meek ass.

One minute, it’s rich, fatty tonkotsu, the next it’s a light and clean shoyu. Meanwhile, you’ve been ordering the same damn thing at Olive Garden since ‘09.

You’re the reason I never had ramen until 2021.

Anyway, Edamame’s ramen seems to be inspired by the Hokkaido region of Japan — Sapporo prefecture specifically — given it’s presence of corn and it’s broth type.

Let’s get into it.

Tonkotsu Ramen — *Edamame Ramen Hibachi and Sushi*

first impressions of edamame

the vibe

So me and the homie hit this place up and upon entering we were graced by the jazzy musical soundtrack with traditional Izakaya-style decorum. (Wouldn’t it be crazy if Playboy Carti was blasting?)

No, Izakaya is not a book in the Bible. It’s a word that references the casual dining experience found in most Japanese bars — great for a drink after work and boasts a friendly, cramped, and social vibe.

Classic Izakaya Setting — *Courtesy of Unsplash*

Cramped is damn near the word I would describe Edamame’s atmosphere after cozy.

The hostess sits us down at nearly the only table left in this t-mobile lobby turned dining area. I sit facing the door, because you never know when the ops will catch you slipping.

Some lady with her gumpy looking ass family decides to enter, letting in enough brisk Ohio air to drop the entire temperature, only realizing that there isn’t room for all FIFTEEN of them. This is one of my biggest problems with the location; a deterrent but not even remotely a deal breaker.

I love the open kitchen and the sounds of sizzling woks stir-frying. The savory aromas marry perfectly with the clean and well kept dining table of high tops and bar counters. The ambience is great aside from the congestion; the latter being completely avoidable during lunchtime in the winter.

the menu

I love when restaurants state what they offer in their name. Edamame Ramen Hibachi and Sushi offers — You won’t believe it — ramen, hibachi, and sushi (even actual edamame beans!) I hate when I go to Chili’s and don’t know what to order for this reason.

They also offer Takoyaki which are fried octopus balls and oh so delicious.

There’s the classic Mochi ice cream and boba teas. They even have french fries. (Don’t trip. I be ordering fries in Mexican, Middle-Eastern, and Filipino restaurants. Bite me)

All in all, their menu is sizeable but not overbearing or a cause of concern.

what i ordered

Chicken Katsu Bao Buns — *Edamame Ramen Hibachi and Sushi*

My out-of-shape ass ordered a bowl of their signature tonkotsu ramen and a side of chicken katsu bao.

tonkatsu ramen — SMALL ORDER

The tonkotsu ramen boasted 2 pieces of braised pork belly atop a bed of playfully bouncy wheat noodles. A mysterious ingredient called kansui, which is an alkaline water, gives the noodles their springiness and elasticity. ( A crucial element of objectively good ramen.)

A halved, soft-boiled egg marinated in shoyu and exposed jellied yolk sits on the noodles. Minced spring onions, bok choy, and kelp relax in the velvety rich broth.

We get 2 narutomaki fish cake crackers on top (the sh*ts with the spirals) and a sheet of nori seaweed paper.

Oh yeah, and sweet corn. Soccer moms rejoice.

Immediately, the smells arrested me faster than a brotha rocking a hoodie walking down MLK Boulevard minding his business. The authentic wooden ladle for the broth is a nice touch and allows you to soak in the richness without any metallic obfuscation to the flavor.

It also prevents the bitch from burning your lips off, cause these ramen bowls are piping HOT.

A small order was $12.99 and enough to feed you two times over — amazing portions.

The chashu was savory and smokey with some wonderful texture to it. My favorite part of most ramen dishes is the shoyu tamago (soy-marinated egg). Unfortunately, it’s not at it’s best here due to the marinade being muted but it’s still a treat and balances well with the ingredients.

The spring onions are a great aromatic to round off the flavors in the bowl. And let me just tell you about the star of the show — THE MF NOODLES.

They are excellent. Now, I’m not dumb enough to believe that ramen service this big and fast has hand sliced wheat noodles made in painstaking preparation. These are clearly pre-made but it speaks volumes about the caliber of a chef — to select noodles that compliment the other elements with such precision. The noodles keep me coming back, bro.

Sadly, the most unimpressive element of the bowl is the broth. It’s not bad by our standards but a Japanese ramen “shokunin” would consider it lacking in balance. The flavor is overwhelmingly chicken and bone stock and is missing that umami bomb of pork, shiitake mushroom and dried seafood mixture.

The broth is not as creamy or as velvety as it needs to be and if there is dashi present, it doesn’t come through. Authentic Japanese broth takes a long time — anywhere from 8 to 24 hours — the best tasting being the latter. You would only know this if you’ve had the real thing before. (We’ll come back to that later).

Don’t get me wrong though. This tonkotsu ramen still is a great addition to the local cuisine. If there ever existed a fast food ramen place (Lord, help us) this bowl is quite a few steps above.

Could you make better at home? Sure, for about $90 and 8 hours of prep plus 24 hours of simmering and monitoring. I’m talking to a certain type of “suburban” mom here.

No, Kathleen, don’t attempt it. Empty your Instacart this instant and take your family down to Edamame instead.

Chicken katsu bao

Excuse me while I buss down on it.

This bao is so simple yet so raw, bro. You got a chicken cutlet nicely fried in panko breadcrumbs and minimal seasoning. One of my favorite aspects of East Asian cooking is want you to TASTE the damn chicken — the over-tuned American palate can’t always appreciate this.

A light dab of sweet and savory sauce goes on the cutlet (katsu), followed by pickled carrot, pickled cucumber and sprigs of cilantro — immediately refreshing. It’s giving banh mi, sis.

The red pickled ginger on the side is a welcome addition. Let’s not forget that soft and pillowy bao taco bun. It’s lightly sweet and chewy — the whole thing being inoffensive to the tastebuds but incredibly nourishing.

Maybe $2 overpriced, this bao sits at $7.99 and is delectable.

The homie got the sasuke roll, crab rangoons, a taro milk tea, and osaka ramen. I’ll cover those in a later post for sure.

final thoughts

To make this hoe come full circle, my first ramen wasn’t Edamame, but a lesser known (now-closed) shop in downtown Warren. It was owned by a chef who studied cooking in Japan and brought that knowledge back to the valley. His was my first and in my opinion, the most authentic I’ve tasted.

He really set the bar for me and I’m heartbroken his spot closed. Thankfully he’s brought his passion with him to another place called West & Main — which I will definitely hit up.

While not perfect, Edamame doesn’t fail to impress with its offerings. I’ve tried the sushi and can’t wait to share my thoughts about it. They offer something this area desperately needs — culture.

But listen, Edamame still brings a real flavor to the table. It’s just not my first love in ramen. Maybe that’s because I’m a ramen snob now, but that’s how you know you’re leveling up in the ramen game. Edamame’s not the best I’ve ever had, but I’ll be back for sure. You should be, too. Don't be that person who still thinks all ramen is Cup Noodles.

I’ll be back to see what else they’re up to; maybe even hit them up for an interview in the future. If you're from the valley and you’re not eating at Edamame, you're just plain wrong. Do better, fam.

Did you eat at Edamame? What should I try next?

PLACES I’M HITTING UP NEXT:

COCKEYE’S BBQ In Warren
AN’S HOUSE in Warren
EDAMAME RAMEN in Niles
DALIA’S CARRIBEAN CUISINE in Youngstown
WEST & MAIN in Warren

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Big Grits Eats Edamame Ramen