Ani Ramen’s Full Menu is Back
Slurp. Sip. Repeat. That is the cool motto/mantra from the Ani Ramen team. With 5 locations in North Jersey -Summit, Maplewood, Montclair and two here in JC – this Ramen mini-empire is insanely popular for a quite simple reason. The food is amazing. Addictive. After a brief closure during COVID-19, they re-opened with an abbreviated menu and are now back with the full roster of ramen, bao buns and yummy add-ons. Take-out and delivery options are open for both the Harborside and Newark avenue locations, with the Newark Ave. spot now also offering outdoor dining. While the food is and always will be the big draw, there are also a delightful list of cocktails for outdoor diners. We are partial to the Samurai Old-Fashioned (Japanese whiskey infused with ginger, honey, and bitters) and the Shiso Cucumber Sour (gin, curacao, lemon, jalapeno, shiso and cucumbers). On the non-alcohol drinks list we love the Mango Slushee and those delicious Ramune Japanese sodas.
But back to the food. Back in 2015, when Ani Ramen first opened in Montclair, the New York Times raved about their pork buns, putting them on par with those at Momofuko Noodle Bar in NYC, widely considered to the best in the region by far. The allegiance to Ani Ramen’s pork buns has grown stronger each year. The six types of Ramen all share one quality – the quality of the broth. It has so much flavor complexity that you will indeed sip and slurp every drop of it. That includes the vegan ramen, flavored with mushrooms and tofu as your protein. Apparently, some Ramen chefs do not take kindly to preparing vegetarian ramen – thankfully, that is not the case here for the many plant-based eaters among us. And if you are ordering your Ramen to go, be assured it has been specially packaged to preserve all the flavor and texture consistency. Each part of the ramen dish is boxed separately with prep instructions.
Another fun fact about the fine people at Ani Ramen. After closing the Newark Ave. doors in April due to COVID-19, they opened two pop-up non-profit establishments serving Detroit-Style pizza and Thai-flavored rotisserie chickens. Meals were sold at a discounted rate and customers had the chance to buy deeper discounted meals for first responders and others in need. Overall, customers and Ani Ramen donated over 30,000 meals. We heart Ani Ramen!
218 Newark Ave.
District Kitchen at Harborside, 210 Hudson St.
@aniramen