THE DARKNESS RAMEN BOWL - CHEF KI’YEN YEUNG
25+ hour bone tonkotsu broth topped with flame blistered pork belly, fried garlic, ajitama egg, bean sprouts, green onions, bamboo shoots, kikurage Yearwood, and finished with black garlic oil.
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER HODSON
Food brings people together, at least that’s what I’m told. It is meant to be shared and enjoyed together at the same table amongst engaging conversation. Hold that thought though and please exclude eating Ramen from that statement however, and here’s why. In the politest way possible, I’m happy to sit at the same table as you but we definitely are not sharing the same bowl of Ramen together and I’m probably not going to do much communicating with you either until my bowl is completely gone, and yes, I will most definitely be slurping whatever my spoon and chopsticks can’t pick up at the end of my meal. Eating Ramen for many is often a personal experience, and sometimes deeply personal, especially when it’s good. Whenever I’m eating it, all the outside ‘noise’ around me briefly disappears. It is just one of the very few dish’s that I honestly prefer to be left alone with to enjoy on my own. It’s a lunch date for one, with me, myself and Irene.
If you’ve ever ordered a bowl for yourself, then you’re probably aware of the nearly limitless amount of individual customization available to you and you understand just how personal the experience can be. ‘Topping’ choices abound and even just a single topping can change a bowl of Ramen completely from the next. All of these toppings are wasted however, without a proper broth. It is the most important part and everything centers first around this, its base, a broth that has often taken days to develop slowly coaxing out the flavors as it continuously simmers. The best ones have this captivating ability to warm the soul in its deepest places, even acting as an elixir with the ability to you nurse you back to life when you’re on the brink. There are many different types of ramen broths, but none as special and as satisfying in my opinion as the ‘Tonkotsu broth.’ Originating in the Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, it is considered a specialty dish on the Island of Kyushu, Japan. ‘Tonkotsu’ literally translates to pork bones. Simmered for days, the bones break down gradually over time while releasing the marrow into the broth creating a rich, silky, and often creamy consistency that has a beautiful depth and lasting umami quality to it. It sticks to your bones. If the chef nails this part, everything else is just semantics.
In Granby CT, Tiger Belly Noodle Bar has just one such broth, in a bowl labeled the ‘Darkness Ramen Bowl’ hand crafted by Chef/owner Ki’yen Yeung. Coincidentally the first food article I ever wrote for this blog featured him and this dish specifically. That was in 2018 and I had been renting an apartment up the street at the time so my wife and I frequented this spot and it’s how I discovered and came to love this dish. Ki’yen himself came to love this type of Ramen after spending time in New York City eating at places like Ippudo and Nakamura, two world-renowned spots serving some of the best ramen there is. To see his version on the menu almost seven years later, unchanged and still just as good as the first time I ever had it, is a testament to his unwavering passion and skill as a chef.
Now I know that I went on about the nearly unlimited customization associated with ordering a bowl of Ramen above. Toppings are crucial and truly do help create each individual experience. They are what influence and help curate a more personal, deeper connection to the dish. If you’re new to Ramen then I highly encourage you to experiment and go nuts with different combinations of toppings and broths to gain a sense of what it is that you and your palate really enjoy, but if you want to experience what is quite possibly a perfect bowl of Ramen, then trust Ki’yen Yeung and order ‘The Darkness’ as it was intended to be served. He has taken extreme care in curating each ingredient while making sure that each one is the perfect compliment to every other, something only achieved in timeless, signature, defining dishes.