Kungfu Ramen

[Wilbur]

This restaurant is features some ethnic food that is unique for the Valley as well as one of the least accurate restaurant names.

Although the name says, "Ramen", what they serve as their core competency is lamian, or wheat noodles from northern China. And not just wheaten noodles, but several other traditional northern dishes that feature Chinese wheat breads.

So as a diner, I have to adjust my expectations when eating at Kungfu Ramen away from the idea of Japanese Ramen and towards Harbin-style food. Are there noodly soups? Yes, indeed, and often paired with a spicy beef, just not the sort of thing you would expect to find in a train station on the Shinkansen line. Instead, think of the sort of comfort food you would want if it was snowing, cold and wet outside, and you wanted to get inside and warm while at the same time warm insides. The various noodle, buns and dumplings are accompanied by beef briskets, tendons, or slices in a thick, dark brown, slightly fiery sauce. If you order noodle dishes, the noodles will be glutinous, thick, al dente, wheat noodles.

The menu features a lot of the expected American Chinese Restaurant Foods, but I would point you towards the more opaquely-named items in the appetizers such as "Meat in a Bun". Just what it says on the tin, the beef (or pork if you ask) in a wheat bun is absolutely not Ramen, but it is a filling, tasty example of Chinese bread and browned meat and green onions in a satisfying sandwich. Similarly, the dumplings and pot-stickers are heartier, more robust versions of what you might expect, giving your eyes and taste buds a jab-step in the direction of light amuse-bouche wontons before lunging directly into the direction of full-and-filling dense pucks of repletion. If you ask for it, various sauces are available to provide some layers on top of these thick offerings.

My own experience is that the entrees at Kungfu Ramen are fine, but the real action is in the appetizers, which provide simple, satisfying rewards to the diner. The entrees are quite large, the noodles are thick and rich, and should generally be shared unless you want to fall asleep on the drive home, but the appetizers are ample and focused on the real expertise of the kitchen. Short, sharp, and to the point.

Kungfu Ramen
phoenixramen.com
480-268-7331
1845 E. Broadway Road
Tempe, AZ 85282

[davej]

Their XLB fillings were weird to me. A strange mushy texture.