A ramen test not meant for the faint of stomach
Curry rice
He was a 20-something local lad. He was green in the face, taking deep breaths and sweating like a marathon runner.
Shaking his head, gulping cool water, he was muttering ― interspersed with sickly grins ― “I failed, I failed.”
To my relief, a concerned-looking pal escorted him out of the place before disaster occurred.
While this would usually not be an advertisement for a restaurant, in this case, it is.
The place is “Ramen 81 Beon Ok” (“No. 81, Ramen Restaurant;” the sign outside is in Japanese, but has “Sunfood Corporation” in English). Let me assure you, it is not the quality of the food that did our man in, but the quantity.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s backtrack.
The establishment is a Japanese noodle restaurant in Itaewon. The Japanese cuisine best known worldwide is high-end stuff ― fancy sushi, delicate sake, pricey sashimi ― that looks pretty but doesn’t necessarily fill the belly.
However, Japan also has an equally strong tradition of low-end, affordable and filling cuisine, such as ramen noodles.
Ramen 81 is a small place, with counter-style seating around the enclosed kitchen, and tiny tables around the periphery.
Anyone who has fed in the elbow-to-elbow, hole-in-the-wall eateries in Tokyo will appreciate its ambience. Decor consists of photos of Japanese scenes ― crowded shopping streets, Fuji-san, bathhouses, fish marts, etc.
Service is fast and efficient.
Even so, at peak times, prepare to wait for a seat or table to become available.
The menu is simple. We order negi miso ramen (9,000 won), chasyu men (10,000 won), curry rice (5,000 won), a child’s set (5,000 won) and a couple of cans of Asahi Super Dry (6,000 won each).
The chasyu men is noodles in a soy-based broth, along with large slices of soft, fatty pork, chopped spring onions, seaweed and a boiled egg.
The bouquet is salty, briny and savory. The taste is no letdown, and neither is texture. The soft, sticky noodles, so different from their instant counterparts, and the tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality of the pork contrast with the crunchy spring onions. Excellent.
The negi miso ramen (9,000 won) has a miso (fermented bean-paste ― similar to, but milder than the Korean doenjang from which it descends) broth, with spring onions, bamboo shoots and minced pork. It is another deliciously savory broth, though I preferred the heftier servings of pork in the chasyu.
The curry rice is typically Japanese: chuck-steak and potatoes in a mild brown sauce.
While it cannot be compared to, say, a North Indian vindaloo in terms of flavors, it is light, savory and enjoyable.
The child’s set offers a small bowl of noodles, fried rice and a can of Qoo orange soda.
The beers come in chilled glasses, and while Asahi is not the world’s finest lager, it is hoppier than its local competitors.
All in all, it is a filling meal. With a moderate appetite, I am bloated after just one standard bowl of the noodles.
Chasyu Men
This is the challenge: Anyone who manages to get that lot down his neck in the stated time dines free.
It can be done.
On the wall are instamatic photos of those who have succeeded. The photos show predominantly young males holding huge, empty white bowls.
Their faces bear the same sort of pride you see in portraits of white hunters standing with one foot on the mane of a dead lion, or of fishermen with a great white swinging from a derrick behind them.
However, these champion slurpers are the minority. A running score is kept posted on the wall: 101 have succeeded, while 793 have failed; the failures pay 20,000 won for their feast.
exterior. By Andrew Salmon
“Oh yes,” giggles a waitress, adding that anyone who finishes his meal within the time limit but then throws up still has to pay the 20 grand.
Verdict: good value, tasty and filling food, in a Japanese working-man’s ambience.
But the challenge, I suggest, is only for those with the constitution of a bull elephant that has fasted for a week.
Mere mortals should not attempt it.
Ramen 81 Beon Ok
(Sunfood Corp.)
English: No English
Tel: (02) 792-2233
Address: 737-24, Hannam Dong, Yongsan Gu (opposite the Cheil Communications Building on the main Itaewon drag)
Subway: Itaewon station
Hours: Weekends ― 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Weekdays ― 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Mondays
Dress: Come as you are
By Andrew Salmon Contributing Writer [andrewsalmon@yahoo.co.uk]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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