FushiPoke, 128 N Orange Avenue, 941-330-1795

“A Bowl of Ramen”
A haiku by Andrew Fabian

A bowl of ramen
And within every spoonful
Sublime umami

If ramen noodle soups have not entirely taken over the American dining landscape, it is only because it takes a long time to make. Time ensures the stock cooks itself into a concentrate of silky, meaty, savory sublimation, and there does not exist a shortcut for time (yet). Few restaurants commit the resources to the endeavor and the ones that do know full well the gravity of the dish, the meticulous and exacting requirements in its preparation, the promise of greatness when the process is honored. Fushipoke is all in on its ramen.

The tonkotsu ramen noodles exemplify everything that ramen should be. Savory beyond comprehension, opaque with the mysteries of its spices, yet delicate and complex even in the long list of ingredients that float in its murky ether. Fushipoke’s tonkotsu maximizes its pork flavor by using the requisite pork bones in concocting the broth, then adding pulled pork to the dish itself. With the option of adding a roasted slice of pork belly, the bowl tastes more meaty than if you just ate a pork chop. Scallions, bean sprouts, garlic oil, corn and exquisitely al dente ramen noodles fill out the rest of the bowl, but the unsung hidden gem is the soy-poached egg.

FushiPoke, 128 N Orange Avenue, 941-330-1795

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