10/13/17
As a guy who grew up obsessing over Naruto and all things Asian, I would call myself a ramen fan. And as someone who survived on the comfort of cheap little packets of ramen in college, I also appreciate the simplicity of it. So, when my wife and I decided to visit Charlotte for a Hornets game and Mr. Cho recommended Futo Buta, there was no doubt that we would give it a visit. I ordered the Fire and Ice ramen and added corn and ground spicy pork per Mr. Cho's recommendation and I was left in awe of the dish it produced. This was one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever had. It consists of kimchi and dashi broth, hot smoked salmon, fresh mint, bok choy,
shaved carrot, radish, black sesame, scallion, leek, and with the added spicy ground pork and corn, you could say that it was a little filling. Seriously, I don't understand how I was able to eat all of it, but I couldn't stop eating it. The spices that left my mouth tingling were met with the awesome sweet flavor of the pork itself and the corn. The savory flavors of the broth met with the refreshing flavor of the fresh mint. It was like eating a flavor profile chart. It was a smorgasbord. Surprisingly, it was not too much to handle. There was enough meat and veggies for every clump of noodles and enough broth for every bite. And the broth...man...I could drink that by itself. The spicy savory flavor of the broth soaked up by the noodles was good enough to be spectacular on its own. This was the best ramen dish I have ever had and certainly one of the best dishes I have ever had period. All in a hip spot for a not too expensive price. This truly captures what it means to be a bigtime bite, in all the ways. First ballot Hall of Fame, unanimous MVP in my book.