Offering the most authentic ramen possible and highlighting local ingredients: this is the challenge that the quartet behind the popular Honō Izakaya decided to take up by opening the Honō Ramen in the neighboring premises.
From the outset, it must be said, we often sat down at the Honō Izakaya, in the heart of the Saint-Roch district, in Quebec. Since its beginnings, in 2018, the team of Ariane Boudreau, Julien Vézina, Thomas Casault and Patrick Beaulieu has been able to broaden the culinary horizons of the capital thanks to classic Japanese cuisine and just enough revisited, by popularizing yakitoris ; skewers served as snacks in Japanese bistros — or izakayas. Their taste memories, like that of squid salad, are never far away. The curiosity around this new place devoted to another essential was therefore great. The desire to appreciate every detail too.
Timeless dishes
Creating around the flame — honō — while respecting tradition is the guideline that links the two addresses, which are also physically linked by an interior passage. Guests can therefore choose between one or other of the atmospheres, sometimes bright and friendly, sometimes cozy and warm. The look is pretty. We salute the talent of the architects Charlène Bourgeois and Mathieu Leclerc, who succeeded in totally disorienting us on the Honō Ramen side with several alcoves of two or four places and openwork wood that evokes Japanese minimalist design. The dozen seats around the bar also indicate that you can come and eat quickly, as is also the tradition, and fills a need for this kind of tasty and effective meal: bravo.
During our visit, we sit at the long refectory table. The atmosphere is lively, the welcome frank and without fuss. With the guest, we have a glass of maceration (Domaine Les Tètes, Loire Valley) and a Sapporo with yuzu juice to accompany our reading of the menu which, too, goes straight to the point: four kinds of ramen, a handful of sides, two desserts. A menu which, we are told, will hardly change with the seasons. Like its big brother, we go to Honō Ramen for the comfort of timeless dishes.
To whet your appetite, choose from among the small dishes on offer. Green kimchi, vegetarian shumais and fried noodles quickly arrive at the table and just as quickly leave us speechless. The kimchi, made with napa cabbage, bok choy and jalapeño peppers, tastes next to nothing and is not spicy at all. The ravioli, soft and difficult to take, lack flavor. As for the fried noodles, a nod to bagged commercial ramen, we applaud this way of ironing the unsold food from the day before, but the result lacks seasoning so that we fully lend ourselves to the game. We weigh our words, but the thing is, that first serve was disconcerting. Did that hold us back for the future? A little. The aromas of steaming broths that filled the restaurant, however, restored our confidence.
Perfect cooking
Our choices fell on a classic ramen soup with miso broth, pork belly, spinach, shiitake and shiso, then on the teriyaki chicken soup in a milky chicken broth, garnished with corn and daikon. A half-egg marinated and cooked to perfection complements each bowl. Chopsticks and spoons in hand, we are already salivating.
One of the reasons that animated our visit was to be able to taste the homemade ramen made by chef Sylvain Boudreau. And what a success! Delicious, good in texture, but delicate at the same time, we enjoyed ourselves from the first bite. The cooking is perfect — which is the real challenge in this type of dish, which continues to “cook” between the kitchen and the table — and testifies to the research behind this raw material. The accompaniments are just as well done. The braised pork belly adds depth, as do the meaty shiitakes. That said, between the two, it’s the tori Paitan ramen with chicken that wins the prize. The broth isn’t too salty, the protein is tasty, we like the strong chives and the sweet and crunchy corn kernels. A very nice balance. What make us say that we will do it again sooner rather than later.
To end the meal, we opted for the classic Japanese cheesecake. That of Honō Ramen is placed on a lime yogurt with blackcurrant syrup. The acidity of the fruit camouflages the delicate taste of the cake, unfortunately. A bittersweet finish that we would like to juxtapose to our overall experience, but it is not. The pleasure around the ramen, the aromatic broths and the casual atmosphere was convincing enough for us to return there a month later, on our own. A glass, a bowl, a book, installed at the bar. Less is sometimes more.