Terakawa (Philadelphia)
Ramen
Finally, my first content and one of my absolute favorites. The thing is though, I only started seriously indulging in Ramen not too long ago. Yes, I've had instant ramen before but, that's not what I'm talking about. Ramen is a food staple in Japan. From meager beginnings as a way to stretch ingredients during World War II, Ramen has become one of the identifying symbols of Japanese culture. Within the last 15 to 20 years or so, it has slowly made it's way across the Pacific to the delight of Japanese people living in the United States. Today, Ramen has exploded as one of the most popular Japanese dishes and Ramen restaurants or 'Ramen-ya" as they're referred to in Japan, are popping up all over the place.
My friend Brian and I decided to meet up for dinner tonight in Philadelphia. You're probably thinking cheese steak! I would as well since some of the legendary spots for cheese steak is located in this very "City of Brotherly Love". But not tonight. Tonight's mission is Ramen and one of the best that I've ever tasted is right here in Philadelphia's Chinatown in a restaurant called Terakawa. I've already been here a number of times and I usually go for my favorite which is their signature "Terakawa Ramen" but tonight, I decided to venture into other flavors and decided to try their "Spicy Ramen" and it didn't disappoint. If that wasn't enough, we ordered some side dishes as well and those are always excellent here. I opted for my usual "Pork Buns" but I added an order of "Seaweed Salad" to minimize the guilt. All in all, always an excellent meal here at Terakawa. One thing to note is that Terakawa, along with every other Ramen-ya I've been to, is in a very small space so prepare to wait. This is by design and has always been this way both in Japan and everywhere else. Ramen, in and of itself, takes a lot of time to prepare to get all the flavors to marry. Preparing it daily in small batches with careful attention to detail ensures consistent flavors and delectable results.
