Visit to IKA Ramen in Benson

I was so excited to experience a full menu for Ramen at IKA Ramen and Izakaya located at 6324 Maple St. in Benson. I previously attended the restaurant at the end of 2015 for their soft opening. It was nice to be able to go back and try some additional items like the Gyoza and Pork Belly Steamed Buns.

Gyoza

Pork Belly Steamed Buns

I could go on and on about how great the food is, but I don't want to bore you people who might be reading this. Oh wait, this is my blog so I can go on and on if I want. Haha. No, but seriously. If you know anything about Small Guy Promotions you know that I love to eat and support local small businesses. I really want people to understand that the small business owner is typically one who not only appreciates all business, but who really relies on the local community to be patrons of their establishments. Nothing against the big companies, but they don't need any help to succeed because the have deep pockets in general and a surplus for marketing budgets. Now, back to one of our fellow small guys, IKA Ramen, a new and hopefully flourishing business.

On this trip I went with my friend, Joe, because we had really been wanting some Ramen. The restaurant itself appears to be a little unconventional from your usual restaurant, but I think it adds to the atmosphere of the place. It was packed during our visit and Joe thought that they will be needing to move into a bigger spot at some point. With the way the food tastes and how many people were there I'd say Joe is correct if this is what normal business is like. The food was really good and I feel like the location is one where people will be sure to stop and have a bite. I believe that this is a place that people return to after the first encounter. 

I am not a food critic of any sort so I will not be getting technical with things like the density of the noodles and how the potent combination of ingredients in the broth create a flavorful synergy that pleases the palate. I will simply say that the food is good and these guys seem to know what they are doing. As a fan of Naruto I definitely felt the need to say, "itadakimasu!" before eating. Haha. I had the Paitan as my main dish with some added noodles and pork belly. It was so, YUM! The only thing that was not high on our list was the Grilled Chicken Skin. It is not that it was bad, but it just was not necessarily my thing. It had some good qualities like the nice kick and flavor, however, there was something about it that reminds you of something, but you cannot remember what. Other than that, everything was awesome and I will certainly be back.  

Paitan with added Pork Belly and Noodles in Chicken Broth

If you are a fan of Ramen or just trying new things I highly recommend giving them a try! If you are new to Ramen please allow for a slight wait for your food as they make everything for you including the noodles.

Thanks to IKA Ramen and Izakaya for a wonderful meal! To view a short video of our visit please click here.

Thank you for reading and have a great week!

Small Guy Promotions

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