Happiness Is A Lazy Sunday Afternoon In Berkeley When…
Boiled gyoza afloat in a spicy miso-pork broth at Ippudo.
When the traffic gods cooperate so that Interstate 880 isn’t a nightmare…
When you find parking off bustling University Avenue easily…
And when there is no line at Ippudo, so you can stroll right in for a seat immediately.
Because, I mean really, is there any better way to spend a rare relaxing Sunday afternoon than slurping up a big bowl of ramen?
Surely not.
A column in the center of the dining room.
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to enjoy all of that when my husband and I waltzed into one of the Bay Area’s hottest new ramen joints just before 5 p.m. to enjoy an early dinner, which we paid our tab for at the end. Normally, there would be a line out the door. But we managed to beat the crowd. And this place can fill up fast because it’s not very big. A nice touch are the black boxes underneath the table to stow a purse or backpack so you don’t have to just drop them on the bare floor.
We started with a pair of steamed clam-shell buns, one snuggling pork ($4.50), the other chicken ($4.50). The chicken is fried like karaage with a crisp, mahogany exterior. The pork is belly, of course, and super juicy and wonderfully fatty.
Wall decor.
The dining room.
Boiled cilantro gyoza with cilantro ($8) are just as the name implies — not the usual pan-fried crisp ones, but four tender boiled ones with the texture of won tons, swimming in a pork broth spiked with spicy miso. So home-style comforting and flavorful, these are just killer.
A crispy chicken pork bun.
When your server comes to take your order for ramen, you are asked how you like your noodles cooked. We went with “firm” because of I just love that toothsome al dente texture in noodles.
The Akamaru Modern Ramen ($15) takes the original tonkotsu broth and adds a mound of “secret umami miso paste.” The thin noodles are topped with garlic oil, succulent pork belly chashu, bean sprouts, sesame kikurage mushrooms, and scallions. My husband added to his bowl the tamago or soft-boiled seasoned egg ($2). It all made for a satisfying bowl revved up with savoriness.
The Akamaru Modern.
The classic tonkotsu broth gets a shot of fish dashi.
I went for the Bonito Tonkotsu ($15). In this case, the original tonkotsu broth is infused with bonito fish dashi, adding not only another layer of flavor but a lightness to the richer pork broth. The dashi also added a subtle sweetness and brininess. Seasoned bamboo shoots, spinach, pork belly chashu, bean sprouts, scallions and nori sheets garnished it all for a delicious slurp fest.
Because we were in walking distance, we hightailed it to Ici Ice Cream’s newest locale afterward. Founded by Mary Canales (wife of Duende’s Paul Canales), this small-batch ice creamery is all about organic and sustainable ingredients.
Ice cream, here we come!
Get a single scoop ($3.75) in a cup, as opposed to a cone, and you can have two flavors, too, which is what I did.
The day’s flavors.
About 8 to 11 creative flavors are offered each day. I went for Bourbon Vanilla Cherry and Chocolate Toffee Mint. Big hunks of cherries starred in the former while a wake-me-up fresh vitality permeated the latter, which only comes from loads of fresh mint.
Bourbon Vanilla Cherry with Chocolate Toffee Mint hiding underneath.
An afternoon of ramen and ice cream is hard to beat. I was definitely in my happy place.
More Ramen: Ramen Nagi
And: Jinya Ramen
And: Itani Ramen
And: Myzen Ramen
That’s the best way to have Sunday dinner in Berkeley! BTW, the gyozas must be new to the menu because I don’t remember them when I went. Got to try them now!