Week 30: Karami Ramen

Week 30: July 23-29, 2023

After an exhausting week 29, I dialed it down a couple notches and decided to keep things simple. Despite the hot weather lately, I was craving ramen. My friend and I decided to try a new spot called Karami Ramen.

The restaurant was in hidden next to a tattoo shop, squished into the corner of a plaza on Convoy Street. It is hard to go wrong with a restaurant in the Convoy area, and I'm happy to report that Karami lived up to the standards.

Crossing the door into the restaurant was like being transported to a busy street in Japan. The interior itself was really small, but decorated in a way that felt like we were ordering late-night noodles from a street vendor. There was an awning built over the counter between the kitchen and the service area that looked like an old Japanese building.

I pulled this photo from Yelp because mine was not as good.

We walked right in and got seated at one of the few tables and looked over the menu. As we considered all of the menu options, we realized we seriously lucked out. As I looked around, I saw that every single table had quickly been filled, and people were signing up on a waitlist at the door. It made sense, since there weren't many tables inside and there was only one incredible server. She was a powerhouse. She handled every one of the tables gracefully, navigated a small space, and kept the kitchen moving at a steady pace.

As it normally goes, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, and we wanted to try everything. We saw a few dishes come out over the counter to the tables next to us. Every one of these dishes looked delicious. After much deliberation, we decided on trying the Signature Ramen and the Miso Tonkotsu. As a treat, we also allowed ourselves to order the gyoza as an appetizer.

The crispy bottom on the gyoza was great

The Miso Tonkotsu Ramen

The Signature Ramen

The gyoza was decent, and the broth in both bowls of ramen were delicious. The noodles were perfectly eggy and satisfying. It was a great meal, and we were still able to enjoy it despite being in a busy environment. If and when I do go back, I want to try a spicier ramen option, the curry ramen, or the fried chicken or pork cutlet.

I made sure we tipped our server well, and told the cooks through the window over the counter that our food was delicious. I was impressed and surprised by the line that built up at the door to this tiny restaurant, and felt lucky that somehow we got seated immediately. The waitlist line makes perfect sense now that I've tried the ramen. It was delicious, comforting and a great way to rejuvenate after the chaos of Comic-Con.

See you next week.