Ichimi Ramen: Finally, a ramen spot in Coral Gables
Chef Constantine Delucia, formerly of Momi Ramen, has finally brought us the slurp spot we deserve in Coral Gables. Ok… that was a bit dramatic, but seriously it’s about damn time Miami caught up with one of my favorite (and messiest) of food trends: Ramen. The name “Ichimi” means “Dedicated to” thus it comes to no surprise that Delucia brought out all of the stops with his new venture. It is a casual Ramen and Izakaya spot with a main dining area that fits about 60 people, small outdoor seating and The Miami New Times reports that it will also have a beer and sake room.
Delucia takes his noodles very seriously, the restaurant even has a noodle-making machine, one of only 10 in the United States. Last time I visited they were not serving the Tsukemen, which are cold ramen noodles that are dipped instead of in a broth, because he was not happy with how the noodles turned out. You’ve gotta admire that sort of dedication to quality and it definitely shows in his dishes.
Fresh Tuna over cold ramen noodles
The day of my visit they were serving a special which featured tuna flown in from Japan served over cold ramen noodles with garlic confit oil, fermented chilis, yuzu aioli, nori powder and smoked salt. Phew.. that was a mouthful, but all of the components came together nicely for a subtle flavoring that complemented the tuna without overpowering it. The noodles were a huge standout of this dish; the texture was exquisite, they were tender without being slimy and had just the right amount of chewiness.
As an appetizer we ordered the crispy pig ears and boy were they delicious, easily my favorite dish of the day. Any dish that combines crispy and pig has me sold but these were especially great. At first they didn’t look all that crispy because they were covered in sauce but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tangy sweet and sour sauce did not diminish any of the crunch. The sauce, which was delicious, leaned more towards the sweet end of the spectrum but the ginger foam was an excellent contrast. I absolutely loved this dish, if they could bag those up for me so I could munch on them all day, that would be great, thanks.
Crispy Pig Ears
And of course I had the Ramen. A fellow food obsessed friend and I split the pork belly ramen (because, duh) and the short rib ramen. Yeah we’re both heavy meat eaters if you couldn’t tell. While they were both very tasty, the broth was missing depth; the richness and complexity of a truly great ramen broth was just not there. The noodles did once again have perfectly balanced texture and the port belly as well as the short rib were delicious and well seasoned. I liked them both, truly, but the broth was missing some oomph.
This was my first impression of Ichimi and overall I loved it. The dedication to quality food and ingredients is evident in every bite and although they have some kinks to work out (packing some punch into that ramen broth) I will definitely be coming back for more. Their service was very kind, attentive and patient with me asking them all sorts of questions, plus they get bonus points for taking credit cards (ahem, Momi) and swiping them at the table.
The Essentials:
Type of Cuisine: Japanese- Ramen, Izakaya, Gyoza
Ideal Occasion: Casual Meal
Best Place to Sit: Outside if it’s a nice day out
Ambiance: No frills, industrial, casual
Service: Kind, attentive and knowledgeable
Can’t Miss Dish: Crispy Pig Ears
Ichimi Ramen
2330 Salzedo
Coral Gables, Florida 33134
305-960-7016
