Ramen is on the rise all over the United States, including right here in Madison. The city has some well-known old standby restaurants, like Umami. It also has some newer ramen restaurants like Ramen Station, located just off Park Street in the Bay Creek Neighborhood, not too far from downtown Madison. Ramen Station also has good parking, late hours, and great service.

I went for lunch on a Saturday around 1:00pm and noticed it was a neighborhood and family spot pretty quickly. The atmosphere was casual and had more of a quiet vibe compared to restaurants downtown. The menu has a large variety of choices ranging from ramen to curry to fried rice. The price point is not bad either, ranging from around $1.25 for the cheapest dish on the menu to $12.95 for the most expensive dish.

It was hard to decide what to order because there are so many great choices. I finally decided on the tonkotsu miso ramen, which is made in a pork broth with egg noodles, a soft-boiled egg, seaweed, fish cake, and bamboo shoots. The broth was rich and meaty in flavor and the miso gives it a slightly salty, umami taste. The meat was flavorful, soft, and not too fatty. My favorite part of ramen is always the noodles and the noodles at Ramen Station do not disappoint; they have a bit of a bite to them and are not mushy or overcooked.

An alternative if you do not feel like eating ramen is Japanese fried rice, which is a go to for me whenever I go to Ramen Station. This visit I tried out the special fried rice with seasoned braised pork. The rice was just a little chewy and the vegetables were slightly crunchy. My favorite part of this dish had to be the meat, it was soft and well seasoned.

The whole meal was only $18. I would recommend Ramen Station to ramen enthusiasts as well as people who are looking to try ramen for the first time.