Amazing Tonkotsu Ramen in Houston

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Almost everybody, it seems, has eaten ramen noodles. But if the only ramen you know is the kind you get as a dried brick that you get for less than 30 cents per pack at the grocery store, you really don't know ramen.

Don't get me wrong. I love the cheap "instant" ramen and would continue to eat them even if I had Elon Musk's money. But the real deal is what a good restaurant (or home cook!) makes. And it's anything but instant. It's a lot of work to make it. 

Fortunately, great ramen is becoming more accessible to us in the U.S. More and more Americans are becoming aware that good ramen is more than a brick of dried noodles boiled for three minutes!

Teriyaki Kitchen is a ramen lover's dream. (See my video below.) I had the tonkotsu ramen soup, and the velvety pork broth was incredible. Tonkotsu broth feels creamy, but there is no dairy in it. The "creaminess" comes from the emulsion of fat and water as the bones are cooked on a high boil for hours. 

From the good reviews I saw on Google Maps, I expected something special. But I was blown away with my first taste of this incredible broth. 

I've had "real" ramen in Japanese restaurants many times before, in L.A., Chicago, and here in Houston. They were all very good, but Teriyaki Kitchen's became an instant favorite. (Perhaps I shouldn't have use the word "instant" in this context, LOL.)

$10 for bowl of ramen soup? Worth every penny! Teriyaki Kitchen is a gem behind a plain store front. In an unremarkable strip mall, it's the kind of place you could drive by every day for years and not really notice. But inside is warm decor, cozy and comfortable, with a friendly staff. 

Located at 2659 Gessner Rd, Houston, TX 77080 (see Google map). They also have a location in Sugarland at 16525 Lexington Blvd STE 160, Sugar Land, TX 77479. Visit the Teriyaki Kitchen website.