What's trendier right now than a bowl of ramen? A bowl of ramen with unconventional ingredients. Kimchi and pork belly in shoyu are so passé. Right now, it's all about unconventional twists on this Japanese comfort food: think Jewish (matzo balls and pastrami), Creole (crawfish and andouille), and Tex-Mex (cilantro, avocado, and tortilla strips). Buckle your seat belts: it's time to take your palate for one heck of a ramen ride.
Breakfast Ramen, Talde, New York
Why should eggs benedict have all the fun? At Talde [2] in Brooklyn's South Slope, chef Dale Talde is redefining breakfast with brunch ramen that boasts honey-glazed bacon and a six-minute soft egg in (what else?) a buttered toast broth.
Musclemen, Oiistar, Chicago
Mussels usually come with toast to sop up all that sweet sea broth. But who needs bread when you can have ramen? That's the thinking behind the Musclemen at Chicago's Oiistar [4]; it's mussels in a bed of onion, chili, scallion, and bonito miso broth — and plenty of noodles to go with, of course.
Pozolmen, Oiistar, Chicago
Not a mussels person? That's OK. Oiistar also boasts other fusion ramen bowls, including a chicken tikka masala-inspired take as well as pozolmen, an Asian take on Mexican pozole with pork loin, jalapeño, red onion, and tomato.
Cheeseburger Ramen, Hapa Ramen, San Francisco
The ingredient list at San Francisco's Hapa Ramen [7] is enough to make your brain explode. We'll spare you the exhaustive full list of add-ins [8]; all you really need to know is that uni, bacon, Ibérico ham, whipped lardo, chorizo gravy cooked in chicken fat, and a cheeseburger are involved.
Mapo Tofu Ramen, Mission Chinese Food, New York
Danny Bowien's bicoastal Mission Chinese Food [10] is known for East-West twists like salt cod fried rice and kung pao pastrami. His newer Manhattan outpost has already become known for another fusion dish: mapo tofu ramen. The Lower East Side location is closed temporarily, but fear not: it won't be long before the mouth-numbing noodle soup dish is available again.
Chicken Tortilla Ramen, East Side King, Austin
Top Chef winner Paul Qui is taking Tex-Mex to whole new level with his offering of chicken tortilla ramen at East Side King [12] at Hole in the Wall. Think bacon dashi, a tom yum soup base, confit chicken, corn, avocado, tortilla chips, and tom yum oil. This is not your grandmother's tortilla soup, folks. (Not in Austin? Try re-creating it yourself at home [13].)
Squid Ink Ramen, East Side King, Austin
If you're at East Side King and feeling adventurous, hit two birds with one stone and try the seasonal squid ink ramen. This briny version of the Japanese favorite starts with a squid curry paste and is topped with fried calamari, tomatoes, fried potatoes, Italian parsley, parmesan cheese, and Japanese pickles.
Italian Ramen, Brucie, New York
Savor la dolce vita while slurping at Brucie [16], a restaurant in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill that's been known to serve Italian-style ramen. It starts with a bacon-parmesan broth and textured homemade linguine. Add smoked short rib meatballs, two soft-boiled eggs, marinated chicken, a confited tomato, and a Sicilian garnish of pistachios and pickled raisins, and you've got a bowl that's molto bene. The best part? The beer and Negroni shot that goes along with the price.
Deli Ramen, Dassara, New York
Yelpers have described Gowanus, Brooklyn's Dassara [18] as "ramen fusion at its best." We can see why: the ramen joint's signature bowl of deli ramen is the perfect marriage of Japan and Jewish appetizing with Mile End's smoked meat, matzo balls, diced celery, and caramelized onions simmered in a schmaltz-enriched chicken broth.
Creole Ramen, Dassara, New York
When the stars align, Dassara also offers a Big Easy-inspired bowl that's loosely based on jambalaya. The Creole ramen features a chicken and shellfish broth, green pepper, celery, fennel, and onion slaw, andouille sausage, and, of course, crawfish tails. The finishing touch? A drizzle of Crystal Hot Sauce.