Photo by Koun

Say hello to Ann Arbor’s first noodle bar, Tomukun. Freshly opened last Friday on East Liberty Street by three Ann Arborites (two are veteran restauranteurs), Tomukun offers a range of Asian noodle dishes such as pho, udon and ramen. But this ramen isn’t your dorm room staple made in twenty seconds in your microwave, Tomukun ramen’s broth is completely homemade with a chicken and pork base topped with savory pork belly, a wonderfully undercooked egg and a colorful assortment of vegetables. The best part is the humongous spoon, more akin to a ladle, with which you can intake the perfect amount of broth and noodles in one swift slurp.

The restaurant models itself after trendy noodle bars in bigger cities, particularly the David Chang-created phenomenon, Momofuku Noodle Bar in NYC. Like Momofuku’s famous pork buns, the pork buns at Tomukun are also likely to garner Ann Arbor fame,  being deliciously tender with just the right amount of tangy sauce and pickled vegetables. To live up to the “bar” in its name, the restaurant offers a long bar as well as tables for seating, but alcohol isn’t being offered just yet. You’ll have to wait until the summer when Tomukun plans to stock up on Asian beers, sakes and sojus (a Korean rice liquor which, in my opinion, tastes like watered-down vodka).The decor is sleek and polished–lots of dark wood–and photographs taken during the restaurant’s construction line the wall. It seems somewhat out of place in the casual setting that is State Street, but prices are pretty student friendly, ranging from 9-11 dollars for most entrees.