Lindsey K.
Yelp
I happened upon Coco Ramen while heading for a nearby bakery in Newton Center. This was a very lucky find in suburbia! The shop is modern, clean, and has 5 or 6 tables...like so many of the typical small neighborhood ramen shops in Japan. The service was prompt, very attentive, and courteous. As the photos above show, the menu features 6 classic styles of ramen, with a few side options like Fried Oysters or Chicken Karaage. Small eateries in Japan specialize in a just a few specific dishes, at which they are excellent, so their menus are small and focused.
But how did it taste, you ask? It was simply great! This was not a designer-ramen or fusion-ramen. I prefer the kind of authentic ramen commonly found in popular ramen shops in Japan, so I ordered the Miso Ramen, and it was truly excellent! The noodles were curly and properly chewy; the cha siu slices were generous; the corn, nori, wood-ear mushrooms, were all there; and the egg was perfectly half-boiled. And most important of all, the broth which brought everything together was rich and flavorful. This was a satisfying bowl of Ramen, very authentic and full of flavor and texture.
One additional note: my wife is not particularly a fan of ramen, because her appetite is small, and she can't deal with the size of a typical bowl of ramen. So she ordered just the sides of Fried Oysters and Cha Siu buns...all of which she devoured and pronounced to be very tasty, just the right portions, and (for the oysters) fresh and not over-fried. For two people, our bill was just about $25, very fair for the quality and quantity. And street parking is available, as is a large municipal parking lot less than a block away.
Bottom line: I would not hesitate to go back, and in fact I'm plotting to figure out the soonest I can go back for another ramen-fix.