Pictured: Butter Lobster Ramen
The first time we came across this dish was through a video posted on Facebook on how the ramen and the lobster were constructed. It looked damn good! Coincidentally, we had a trip to LA planned and knew we had to try it! Located near Beverly Hills, Hinoki And The Bird is tucked behind "The Century," a 42-story condo skyscraper. It is not a ramen joint by any means with its sophisticated, modern decor and dimmed lighting...
But let's talk ramen! That's what we're here for. If you're expecting a rich tonkotsu broth, then you're in for a surprise. The broth was a savory lobster bisque meets shoyu ramen combination with a squeeze of lime. The first impression of the broth was a bit on the salty side, but the broth grew on us with each sip. The noodles were handmade fresh on site which gave the noodles a "doughy" texture. The lobster meat was poached to perfection and buttery as the name implied. The ramen was garnished with celery leaves, basil, and cilantro, however, the first encounter of these herbs, especially the basil, produced conflicting impressions of the dish - is this ramen or pho? This confliction was validated by Chef Brandon Kida. We had the honor of sitting down with the executive chef for a brief moment where he described his red-miso, French inspired ramen broth. "Ramen shouldn't have any boundaries," said Chef Kida, who dislikes the idea that ramen has to taste a certain way and include the same types of ingredients. "I also love pho!" he said and so he decided to add a little bit of basil when creating the recipe. We were right about the pho flavor profile after all! But really, the addition of Southeast Asian herbs and spices was to offset the heavy buttery flavor of the lobster as Chef Kida later explained. He definitely achieved this balance!
So if you're ramen junkies like us and want to expand your ramen palate beyond the traditional broths, we highly recommend trying the Butter Lobster Ramen from Hinoki And The Bird. Just be prepared to open up those wallets!