What Makes Afuri's Vegan Ramen So Good?

"In 2016, Tokyo-based ramen chain Afuri opened its first location outside of Japan, landing on Portland for its initial outpost. The reason? The Bull Run watershed. The pristine quality and softness of its water is as ideal for ramen broth as it is for beer. The SE Seventh and Belmont izakaya drew crowds for its yuzu shio and tonkotsu tantanmen piled high with pork and housemade noodles."

"Sunflower broth: This is where things get strange. Raw sunflower seeds land in a puree with fresh ginger and garlic, sake, water, and banana of all things before the mixture gets cooked and strained. On a visit to the Portland branch, Afuri's head chef in Japan suggested banana for subtle sweetness and body. It worked. Dashi: Instead of sticking to one broth, Afuri's ramen comes with two."

"Tare: A concentrated liquid seasoning or paste, the foundation of all good ramen. White miso and soy pack a salty-sweet punch, with garlic, ginger, Japanese chile powder, and scallions the aromatic heavyweights. Cooks dollop 20 grams into the base of each bowl before stirring in the broth. Noodles: While Afuri's thinner noodles are made in-house, these thicker, chewier whole wheat noodles come from a Japanese company to Afuri's specifications. They're boiled for two minutes before they plop into the awaiting bowl."

Afuri opened its first non-Japan location in Portland in 2016, choosing the city for the Bull Run watershed's pristine, soft water ideal for broth. The restaurant served yuzu shio and tonkotsu tantanmen alongside a vegan hazelnut tantanmen whose broth was rich and nuanced. Hazelnuts were later replaced by sunflower seeds without changing flavor. The sunflower broth blends raw sunflower seeds, ginger, garlic, sake, water, and banana, then cooks and strains. The ramen uses two broths with dashi from kombu, dried shiitake, and sun-dried tomatoes. Tare combines white miso, soy, aromatics, and 20 grams per bowl. Thicker whole-wheat noodles are sourced to specification and boiled two minutes. Bowls depict Afuri's namesake mountain, and the recipe requires a banana allergen warning.

Read at Portland Monthly