Ren's Ramen [restaurant]

The Mr. wanted to eat out tonight, so I flipped through Washingtonian's "Cheap Eats" listing, which just came out for this year, and we picked this place in Wheaton (MD).

Ren's Ramen is a tiny shop (although apparently larger than their original location in Bethesda) with maybe seven tables and a counter in the front window that seats another five diners. And the menu consists of really only four things: shoyu ramen, miso ramen, salt ramen, and veggie salt ramen. The non-veggie ramen soups all come with bamboo shoots, ground pork, scallions, and one slice of roast pork, plus you can add things like additional roast pork, a soft-cooked egg, seaweed, and so on. (You can also order gyoza - but they ran out of them by 6:30 p.m. - and steamed or fried rice as a side, and coke, diet coke, ginger ale, or bottled green tea to drink.)

I had the miso ramen with seaweed and cooked cabbage added; The Mr. had shoyu ramen with extra pork and an egg. It was a good-sized portion (although you can get a larger one if you really want!) and completely delicious. I thought The Mr.'s was rather too salty, but I can be sensitive about that (and it was shoyu ramen, for heaven's sake ... ).

The shop imports its ramen from Sapporo. Service was friendly if slightly harried, but then, they were very busy at that moment. We waited about 10-15 minutes for a table.

These Weather Systems Are All Going the Wrong Way

The remains of Tropical Storm Lee are drifting wetly up toward the U.S. east coast instead of over Texas, where they might have done someone some good. It started pouring this afternoon here. It's stopped for the moment, but more is expected.

New England, batten the hatches. It's supposed to come your way in a couple of days.