Joel E.
Yelp
My first visit, and I will come again.
Preface: my friend and I ordered the Lotus Root, Edamame, Kuro Buta (Belly) Tonokotsu Ramen, and the Kuro Buta (Loin) Miso Ramen.
The positives:
- Edamame came out freshly steamed, hot, and with a proper amount of both salt and togarashi. 5/5 stars
- The renkon (lotus root) was absolutely spot on. Salty, sweet, crisp, and with the barest hint of heat. 5/5 stars
- The ramen looks the business. Plated attractively, good choice of toppings well-matched to the specific dish. Nice amount of fat in the broth, giving it a good feel on the tongue. 4/5 stars
- My chashu pork belly was fantastic. Flavorful, meltingly tender. 5/5 stars
- Ajitsuke tamago (the soft-cooked ramen egg) was perfect. Good flavor, jammy yolk. 5/5 stars
The "could be improved":
- Our lotus root appetizer arrived with just a small bowl. In Japan it is considered rude to eat food directly from a shared dish. Having lived in Japan for 5 years, this felt very awkward. Next time, small plates allowing everyone to take a portion rather than going directly from the bowl into their mouth would be appreciated.
- I'm not sure whether it was the broth or the tare, but my tonkotsu ramen tasted very strongly of pepper. Totally overwhelmed any other flavors. It wasn't the heat that was a problem, as I love spicy. It was the "smack you in the face" level of pepper, to the point that it was basically a one-note dish. The miso ramen was just fine, so I suspect it was the tare.
Anyway, very solid. My last ramen in Madison at a restaurant was at Morris Ramen at least two years ago and Strings compares very favorably. Definitely a come again!