While in Spokane, I wanted to try something different. So my friends and I found this great looking…read moreramen spot called Nudo. I thought it funny that the name of the shop sounded like it was either calling attention to or poking fun at the southeast Asian pronunciation of the word noodle, but the pictures were undeniable! So in just minutes from the Davenport Hotel, we walk thru the doors. I was very impressed with the modern art aesthetic that adorn the surrounding walls of the dining area. Pop art is a very common look at more modern ramen places so I was feeling very comfortable and confident that we'd come to the right place. The staff was friendly and amazing from the get go and all throughout! Starving, we sat down and our eyes tore through the menu with excitement. Most satisfyingly was the fact that we'd come at happy hour and ramen bowls were $10 each! Now as a ramen goer, I will always go to TanTan if it's on the menu and it was! My mind was made. My other two friends ordered the Spicy beef in a shoyu broth and a spicy Tonkotsu (both looked amazing)! We also ordered appetizers from the happy hour menu: Salt and Pepper Tofu and the Spicy Pork Wontons! Both of those were HIGHLY RECOMMENDs, but if you're sharing the Tofu goes much farther with the wontons only having 3 pieces but AMAZING flavor (PRO TIP: you can also use the left over sauce to experiment with other tastes later in your meal). Once the appetizers hit the table it was gone! Hence the no pictures, for which I greatly apologize. I've failed you again, my Yelp family. But please know it was because I'm a fat ass and couldn't hold back my hunger. But finally, the main courses came out. My mind clear from the nourishments of the appetizers, I was able to snap a picture of. Maybe not as much of a, "my mind was clear" as it was a, "Carrots and corn in my ramen? YUCK!" Now I get the corn. In Hokkaido style they like to put sweet corn on the surface and slap some butter on it, and THAT I always have time for. But corn?? In my opinion, there's no place for carrots in ramen because the sweetness will always off balance the taste. Especially in a pork bone broth, but definitely not invited to my TanTan party, but I digress. Being the huge lover that I am of food and adventure, I thought I'd give it a try. But from the first bite, I realized that I was right about the flavor, forgot about the texture and was surprised to find Chicken in my ramen. No ohana... ramen is one of my favorite things EVER! Growing up in my life we'd eat dry bags of Maruchan/Top Ramen with the seasoning in it for fun, as kids. You know which one flavor I NEVER ate? CHICKEN! It just never hit to me. And here, betraying me in my coveted TanTan was chicken! Besides all of these things, my ramen was slightly hotter than warm. I grew up eating traditional style ramen, where you had to want it! Meaning the broth would undoubtedly burn your lips but you HAD TO WANT IT fresh or you'd miss out on what good ramen was. So disappointedly, I rested my chopsticks across the brim of the bowl in defeat and pulled the menu back. Meanwhile, from across the table I hear the satisfying sounds of slurps and bowls being picked up and set down on the table. So I ask how their food was. Both were very happy and both did look good, but I needed something that wouldn't miss this time. So with that in mind, I asked for the Spicy ramen! But this time I made a few adjustments. Audibles if you will (heck, it's football season). I asked for no carrots and no corn (of which she whiffed on the no corn, but thankfully there were no carrots) and almost MOST importantly: I asked for the noodles to be half cooked! My waitress, who: LET ME JUST STOP HERE AND GIVE HER THE FLOWERS SHE DESERVES! I feel bad that I don't remember her name or who don't have a picture with her but I was there during happy hour on the 7th of September (Monday) and she looked like she could have been the daughter part of a mother/daughter duo that was working the dining area! I appreciate you! NOW BACK TO THE FOOD!
So my order again: Spicy Beef Ramen, no corn or carrots with the noodles half cooked! And the next bowl that was set in front of me redeemed the entire food experience. My ramen was piping hot and perfect. Sizable chunks of well cooked beef, dressing the landscape of my bowl like mountains on a map. Just beautiful. I couldn't wait to dive in. And from the first bite, it was redemption! The beef was so soft! It had a rich flavor that made me check it to see if they maybe upgraded me to ox tail. They hadn't, but it was definitely an upgrade from that shredded chicken fiasco I'd just come away from. The spice level was perfect. And the temperature of the soup melted all of the natural juices and oils of all the ingredients into the broth. Exactly like it's supposed to do!