Eats: Lobster Ramen & Gangnam Chicken

I'm a sucker for a gimmick.  Lobster ramen?  I'm there.  Korean style fried chicken?  SO there.

Owned by the same people from the famed Ramen Dojo in San Mateo, Ramen Parlor offers classic broths like miso, pork, and soy with add-ins like lobster oil and soft shell crab.  I should note here that the broth bases are all prepared with a bit of chili and thus all start out as "mild."

Pork Flavor with Garlic Lobster Oil

Good flavor and good noodles with a very subtle lobster nuance.  The broth could use a little more depth, but was overall tasty.

Spicy Crab Miso

The spicy miso is at about a medium spice level.  The soft shell crab was actually my favorite part - perfectly crisp and savory.  The broth flavor was a little overpowered by the spice, but the elements were all there.

Next we got a popcorn chicken snack from Gangnam Chicken.  I will admit that I was first intrigued by the name and then became even more intrigued by the concept of Korean style fried chicken.

Soy & Garlic Fried Chicken

Per Yelp, we decided to try the Soy & Garlic version.  All of the elements seemed to be good - chicken without tendons / stringy bits, lightly coated with crisp batter, tossed in sauce evenly - but I'll have to admit the flavor of the sauce itself wasn't my favorite.  It seemed too sweet and ginger-y for being "soy and garlic."  This is all probably an expectation thing.  If I had ordered "ginger," I'd have been quite pleased with it.

Have a great week!