(continued from page 33) Heidy hands me a menu, and begins to explain some of the ramen and accompanying treats. “If I could only have one dish,” she volunteers, “it would probably be the clams.” And now the one dish that captivated me the least has piqued my curiosity. “This is from Josh,” she smiles as she places a wooden bowl in front of me. The dish is called U&I and is typically served at dinner, but I have been anxiously waiting to try it. “It’s a play on the spelling of uni,” explains Heidy, “but Josh thought calling it U&I might be more romantic. Try to get a little bit of everything in each bite.” The color of rainbow sherbert, this uni and ikura blend consists of warm sushi rice topped with cubes of spicy tuna, amber orbs of salmon roe, golden slivers of sea urchin, and a tiny cap of wasabi. The bowl is emptied in moments, and I sit smiling blissfully out the window. Next, the “Okonomiyaki” arrives, and it is Smookler’s playful take on the Japanese classic. Light-as-air silver dollar corn cakes are drizzled with a foie gras-kissed maple syrup, smoked trout, tobiko and microgreens. The bite-sized medallions are wickedly delicious, and the trout is almost like blue lump crabmeat. I find difficulty pacing myself. Juicy slabs of braised short ribs appear at lunchtime, and the duo of buns comes topped with white kimchi and spicy mayo. And then come the clams. Steamed with garlic, lemon zest, butter and spicy chorizo, the shells arrive drizzled with saffron aioli. After plunging one into the accompanying Vietnamese dipping sauce, I am forced to chuckle out loud. When a meal can muster an involuntary laugh, I know it is one I will recall for a long time. The dining room is slowly filling up around me, and I sit grinning obliviously, genuinely delighted with my meal. Sadly, I push aside the extra clams, a short rib bun, and half the okonomiyaki. I have to at least try the ramen—as it is the marquis dish. Soon, the Shoyu arrives, and I’ve requested 34 | BOROMAG.COM | JULY 2015 FOOD & DRINK a nitamago (seasoned egg) to be added as a sort of cherry on top. Two slabs of roasted pork belly swim beneath a clear broth of chicken, along with menma, spinach, nori and scallions. The broth is decadently refreshing, and I eventually find myself slurping the final noodle into my mouth. Heidy arrives to see how I am enjoying everything, and I sigh in surrender, with a half a bowl of broth before me. “I tried,” I laugh. “You did a good job,” smiles Heidy, as she removes the bowl from the table. “Oh no,” I think to myself. “It was all your brilliantly talented husband.” Mu Ramen 12-09 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101 917-868-8903
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