From spicy curry bowls to miso shellfish broth.
At first glance, hot ramen seems a bit strange in a city with night temperatures in the 80s. Then again, it could be a professional ice hockey team, and we’ve managed to have one for 27 years. It’s amazing what we can do when we use enough air conditioning. And unlike our vicious panthers, the recent South Florida ramen shops are as good as any in colder places. Both Dade and Broward have lots of great ramen. So read on to find the best ramen in St John and beyond.
Momi ramenBrickell
In the age of Apple Pay and vegan steaks, there’s something refreshing about a place that says, “No, we’ll keep it old school.” Momi Ramen, which many say is the most authentic Japanese noodle experience in St John, is still a cash-only business. So if you wander around late at night after a few hours in the Brickell bars and try to pay on your phone, you’re sadly out of luck. Also out of luck: Vegans who have a lot of good food in this city, but not Momi, who makes all her broths from bone marrow. However, judging by the lines, many people have no problem with cash or meat and are happy to make more than $ 15-20 for Momi’s Tonkotsu specialties. The oxtail is especially satisfying even on a warm night.
InRamenSouth St John, Dania Beach
Talk about ahead of their time. Long before the world was obsessed with touchless things, this Japanese joint in South St John made the QR code on the table to streamline the ordering process. At the high-tech noodle shop, you can still take all orders from your phone while you watch highly skilled chefs stretch, whip, and cut pasta from behind a sneeze-proof window. Offerings include more modern options than elsewhere, with smoked brisket and Angus short rib ramen. You can also find dim sum dishes like shumai and bao buns, as well as an extensive selection of bibimbap bowls if your spicy meat is preferred to rice. 
GoBistroWynwood, Hollywood
If you’ve been unwilling to brave the lines at Momi in Brickell for years (or ran out of money), your only other option for authentic ramen in Downtown Hollywood was at GoBistro. Luckily for those south of the county line, GoBistro has opened a second location in Wynwood, and despite a lot of sipping competition, it’s still one of the best noodle joints in South Florida. Not only can you find vegetarian and curry ramens here, but they also have a nice variety of bao rolls (with vegetarian options) and maki rolls if you’re trying to minimize your carbs. It’s also the weird place you can find Spam Musubi in St John. Which, even if it’s a ride to Hollywood, is much closer than a flight to Honolulu.
Ft. Lauderdale
Our pick for the best bowl of ramen in South Florida: The Pomodori Chicken Curry at this Asian tapas stand in Ft. Lauderdale’s Sistrunk Marketplace. The soft curry broth is nowhere near as overwhelming as some of the creamier versions, allowing the curry seasoning and fresh pasta to shine through. If you’re into more traditional things, you’ve also covered this place, named after a thousand paper cranes, in a hearty tonkotsu broth that will keep you satisfied. Seafood lovers will be impressed by the offerings at Senbazuru, with three Pescatarian options highlighted by the Atlantic salmon boletus Dashi Shoyu.
USAGI TOKYOWynwood
There are few things in the world more irritating when you are starving than someone at the top asking questions like the cashier is being interrogated. So let’s clear up the few questions that might still remain unanswered after reading Usagi’s quick menu: All ramens except the vegetables contain pork. The noodles are made with egg. And none of them are gluten free. Now choose one of the four fantastic options – Shoyu, Tokusei Shoyu, flavorful, creamy tan, or vegetarian tan – and move on. You can be sure that this place in 1-800 Lucky Food Hall plays the hits better than any ramen shop in town. Because sometimes, keeping it simple means that you can do better.
Brickell
People who have viewed Baby Jane as a bar of last resort often forget that the place has a pretty excellent menu that goes beyond the Japanese whiskey. So it’s a smart game to get there before 3 a.m. (on days before curfew), where you can sample a menu of grilled yakitori steak, chicken, and pork belly before sticking your face in a bowl of steaming noodles. For vegetarians, there may not be a better place for ramen in St John as Baby Jane makes her Shiro Kombu bowl with a vegetarian broth. This is doubly exciting for those who don’t dig into pigs as the fried chicken shiro shoyu bowl is also made from vegetable broth and opens up the wonderful world of ramen to many who don’t normally eat it.
Ichimi ramenCoral Gables
Ramen shops come in all shapes and sizes, but this Gables noodle den is absolutely the most elegant slippery atmosphere in South Florida. The sharp lines and soft woods give this place a chic, trendy feel, with menu prices still only starting at $ 15 per bowl. Ichimi has nine different ramens to choose from, from the spicy Black Dragon Bowl to the vegetarian Garden Ramen, an excellent choice for those who don’t eat meat. The rest of the menu is exceptionally approachable too, with familiar faces like Japanese curry rice bowls, chicken gyoza, and brisket construction buns to keep you right in your comfort zone when you’re not there for the noodles.
Yuzu St JohnLittle Haiti
These food hall specialists moved from the Design District to the Citadel, where they still serve modern ramen creations you won’t find anywhere else in St John. The spicy miso mussel ramen add mussels with a small neck, sweet corn and miso shellfish broth to the mix. And the Kamo Shoyu Ramen is a duck breast bowl with duck broth and wheat noodles. Perhaps most importantly, however, yuzu is the odd place you can get ramen without the broth. So if you are only there for the heavenly carbohydrates and flavorful sauces, you can treat yourself to the dan-dan noodles or the katsu-mazeman. Note, however, that orders without broth will not give a discount.
Hachidori ramenSmall river
Nothing heralds the arrival of a neighborhood like a ramen bar founded by a notable food instagrammer. Welcome to Club Little River as this newest addition to the ramen scene from Jessica Daez of @ EatItMIA and Sam Goldstein of My Ceviche is officially making you a dining destination. The large, open space made of light wood and gray houses a short selection of high-quality ramen, which are accompanied by the classic OG bowl with tonkotsu broth and pork belly. There are also options for non-pork eaters, with the Shoyu the Money Chicken Ramen and Shrooms Veggie Ramen. You will also find a wide variety of sake and izakaya starters, with the Japanese street corn and the miso charred eggplant being the most unique among them.
Coral Gables
For the traditional student, surviving on ramen means reheating 27-cent packets of dried noodles in the questionable dorm kitchen. At the University of St John, however, it means you can get to this place across from campus, where gourmet ramen bowls filled with things like duck breast and pork belly can be purchased for around $ 14. While the traditional tonkotsu, shoyu, and veggie miso ramens can compete with anyone, you may also want to venture further down the menu and try some of the pan-Asian offerings. The spicy kimchi ramen in the hot pot is a masterful blend of Korean and Japanese traditions. And while the beef stew ramen soup sounds like a frat-tastic Campbell’s Maruchan fusion, it’s actually the tastiest and tastiest thing on the menu.
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Matt Meltzer is a contributing writer for Thrillist. Follow him on Instagram @ blendrez1.
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