It’s hard to beat a bowl of ramen straight from Tatsu-Ya’s bustling kitchen, but in these challenging times, it’s also pretty darn good (cover your ears, ramen chefs) after a spin in the microwave. Order this to go: Start with the karaage, crispy-crusted, mahogany-brown nuggets of fried chicken served with a wedge of lemon and garlic aioli swirled with red chile sauce. As for the ramens, “dry” components and liquids come packaged separately; the original tonkotsu, with its decadent pork-bone broth and springy noodles, is as comforting and delicious as always. But do heat the broth to piping-hot; the word “unctuous” must have been dreamed up to describe this creamy, porky soup. That’s less of an issue with the lighter chicken-shoyu broth of the Ol’ Skool ramen and the soy-and-mushroom broth of the veggie version. Pro tip: You’ll want an extra order of the perfectly textured noodles.
Note: Review reflects COVID-19 protocols in place at the time of visit.