11/23/16
Fire and Ice Ramen at Futo Buta in Charlotte, NC. Like a lot of poor college students back in the day, I used to devour Top Ramen like it was going out of style. I'd especially get excited if the grocery store had a 10 for a dollar sale instead of the normal 8 for a dollar. Well, fast forward 30 years and ramen houses galore are scattered around the country. Needless to say, I've sampled my fair share of the 21st century version, and Futo Buta has some great ramen. My favorite is the Fire and Ice, which has a really unique combination of salmon and spicy ground pork (the spicy ground pork can be optional). The kimchi and dashi broth is terrific and full of flavor and comes with fresh mint, bok choy, shaved carrots, radish, scallions, and leek. The salmon is moist and plentiful and has a slight smoky taste to it. I like the sweet corn as an add-on. I also love Futa Buta's rice crispy squares and brussels sprouts. Friendly service with both indoor and outdoor seating.