Silverlake Ramen

Each of the ramen soups was a dull brown color, and substantially unremarkable apart from the reasonable portion sizes. Silverlake’s classic ramen had a lifeless broth, but plenty of chewy noodles, big pieces of submerged pork, and a half egg as stand-out elements; a special garlic truffle ramen offered more of the same but with modest truffle oil and garlic flavors mixed in. An awkwardly presented tsukemen arrived as a small bowl with two gigantic, overly fatty pieces of pork belly on top, followed by so many bean sprouts that we had to dig to get to the noodles. Once we sorted the bowl, the included pork gravy-like dipping sauce was strong, thick, and warm – perhaps the best element of the dish, next to the solid portion of noodles.

Attentive service at the Crossroads location was friendly but overwhelming for our group; it was very clear that the team cared a lot about taking care of customers, but were a little over-aggressive with frequent check-ins while we tried to eat. Mostly because of the fine rather than great flavors, we left without any desire to return, but would consider another visit if there is a major menu addition that re-piques our interest.