Nao Ramen House, newly opened in Rice Village on Morningside Drive, initially impresses with sleek modern décor, an attentive staff and five kinds of ramen broth, each of which is steeped for at least 22 hours. The concept is Piran Esfahani’s vision for bringing the ramen trend to the West University area, which is a brilliant idea since Rice Village is a prime location and underserved by ramen restaurants.
I stopped in to check it out for dinner on opening day, right on the heels of their “free tonkotsu ramen” deal during the lunch hour, which led to the staff scrambling to recover for the evening rush. I was looking forward to trying the tonkotsu (chef Rob Frias’ favorite, according to my server), but their vat of broth had been drained dry by the afternoon promotion.
As consolation, I ordered an appetizer of Kyoto fries ($3.95, photo below), an eclectic creation of thick-cut potatoes smothered in Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, unagi sauce, chunks of Asian pear and cucumber, bacon and short ribs. There is a lot going on in this dish, and the combination heightens a heavy sweetness in flavor. The Asian pear in particular was a unique touch, but confused my palate when I ate it along with a fry.
Other starters include stone rice bowls, baos, gyoza and edamame beans (for a lighter option). Of course, ramen is the focus of the menu. There are currently five flavors listed: shoyu beef, chicken, spicy miso, tonkotsu and red curry (which is apparently a Nao favorite).
Instead of the tonkotsu, I opted to try the spicy miso and the chicken based on my server’s recommendation. While the menu’s photos feature a soft-boiled egg in each ramen choice, my soup unfortunately did not. The noodles, on the thicker end, come from the Hawaii-based company Sun Noodles, which makes more than 100 kinds of noodles sold in various Asian markets across the United States and supplied to many ramen restaurants, including renowned New York spots such as Ippudo.
The spicy miso ($9.95, photo above) highlights a rather sweet broth with maybe a hint of white pepper. There is definitely plenty of room to ramp up the spice. I tasted the miso at the very end of each slurp, and it is a rich-flavored yet thin broth, unlike the typical authentic thick and velvety soup. Splashes of color from pickled radishes and red onions add some sour and savory notes to the miso.
The chicken ramen ($10.95, photo below) I tried has an unusually mild taste, more of chicken stock without enough salt. Grilled chicken meat, dry and chunky, bobs in the broth alongside al dente noodles that need more simmering. (Spinach noodles are available, too.)
Perhaps tweaking of the flavors and more time to work out the kinks will allow Nao to find a groove and thrive well. The wonderful service and trendy dining atmosphere are what stand out so far, and Nao’s unique flavors – the red curry and shoyu beef – sound innovative and intriguing. This new establishment has the potential to have a significant impact on Houston’s ramen scene. It is still early, so there is time to see it grow and find its niche in taste, presentation and authenticity.
Nao Ramen House, 5510 Morningside Dr. #120 between University & Times Blvd., 713-526-1669, naoramen.com