Chef Jonathan Hunt has one eye on the culinary trends of Tokyo and another on his Seattle clientele, with all their dietary restrictions and requests. It’s a delicate balancing act, and when navigated successfully, it results in such delicious fare as this summer’s yuzu-eggdrop ramen, a tasty mix of egg-flour broth and yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit with a tangy taste. Hunt heard that salt-yuzu ramen was becoming popular in Japan. “I instantly thought of the chicken soup my mom used to make when I was sick,” he says. “She’d drop an egg in it.” Add yuzu lemon, red chili flakes and shiso for brightness and you have a tasty bowl of noodles to join the extensive Boom menu. “Ramen is all about peak flavor,” Hunt says. “It’s about timing, almost like a souffle.” For a traditional staple, try the miso ramen. “It’s much more complex than miso soup,” the chef says. “We blend lots of spices, black-bean paste, garlic, sake, whole butter and sansho pepper.” Or try the restaurant’s most popular bowl, Tokyo ramen (see photo), a soy-seasoned chicken-pork broth with braised pork, sweet egg, bamboo shoots and green onions.

Related article:

• Steaming Bowls of Ramen
• IZAKAYA - Japanesee dining with a common touch