The New Jersey Foodhound™

In and around my area there just so happen to be quite a few spots to grab high-quality ramen. Blackbeard Ramen in Cliffside Park is one of those - and if you find yourself in the area I highly recommend a trip!  The Grub:  Would it shock you to hear that the featured cuisine at Blackbeard is, in fact, ramen noodle soup? It certainly shouldn't! Blackbeard doesn't have what one would call an "extensive" menu by any means, but then again the ramen is so good you really wouldn't them to focus on anything else. They have four soup options on the menu : Tonkotsu (pork broth), Tonkotsu Gyokai (pork/dashi broth), Miso (pork broth/miso), and Green Curry (pork/fish broth with a Thai twist). Pick whatever fits your mood when you sit down and get ready for a good meal. If you think you need a starter or something on the side, I would suggest trying the Cha-Don rice bowl with chashu pork - always a welcome addition if I'm feeling extra hungry! My Order: Miso R...

In the past few years, ramen restaurants have exploded in popularity. On both the East and West coast, the delicious noodles have migrated from being a freeze dried college snack to an Instagram worthy comfort food. There are many variations of the simple Japanese noodle dish; thick noodles, thin noodles, soy sauce, salt-based, spicy, black garlic, the list goes on. Toppings almost always include pork, scallions and a boiled egg. Ramen broth should be packed with flavor, the pork should melt in your mouth and the noodles should be springy. Surprisingly, this holy grail combination is tough to come by. Luckily, it can be found every night at Trio Ramen Azuma in Fort Lee, NJ. It is directly across the street from its sister restaurant, Soba Noodle Azuma . A contrasted interior of wood and metal offers a pleasing modern atmosphere. Focusing on the food, the extensive appetizer menu has many classics: edamame, dumplings and chicken skewers. There are also some unique items: marinated...

For the uninitiated, ramen noodle soup may be one of the greatest food inventions ever devised by man. Those familiar with ramen are well aware of this fact. If you are in search of a complexly flavored, multi-textured, deeply satisfying meal then a big bowl of ramen noodle soup is just what the doctor ordered. Also looking for value? Want house made noodles? Then your search is over my friend, join me at Menya Sandaime . The Grub: Ramen is the feature dish here and you will find little else on the menu. I have made a point to try every variety and honestly, I like them all - but I do have my favorites. Typically when I'm in the mood, my first choice is a bowl of miso ramen, but at Menya my suggestion would be to skip over the typical choices and go strait for the black ramen; a steaming hot bowl of black-bonito infused tonkotsu broth with all the trimmings. The smokey, complex bonito flavor combined with the light, delicate tonkotsu broth is truly a beauty to ...