Receta 168 Ramen Serves Up Authentic Noodles and Dim Sum.

by Mary Cokenour

168 Ramen 2740 US-191 Moab, Utah, 84532 Phone: (435) 355-0899 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/168ramen/ 168 Ramen is at the former location of Bangkok House, the first Thai restaurant opened by entrepreneur Venus Varunun; her second is Bangkok House Too located in central Moab. Venus wanted to bring something new to the area, something that locals and tourists alike could experience without having to travel out of the country, a Ramen Noodle House.  News Flash, she has succeeded! 168 Ramen opened its doors in March 2017, but we always wait awhile before trying out a new establishment; allowing them to get settled.  While the exterior and interior has not changed, the two page menu has with a listing of Dim Sum and Ramen dishes to please anyone.  There are extras, rice bowls and stir fry also, but go for the dim sum and ramen which are severely excellent.  My husband and I used to go to Philadelphia's Chinatown area to a favorite dim sum restaurant; that was 9 years ago.  To once again experience the tastes, textures, pure pleasure of these culinary tidbits brought smiles to our faces of joyous remembrance.  Yes, it was that good! To start with, the Dim Sum Sampler and Octopus Balls (we were very curious); the sampler contained delicate Shrimp Dumplings; light, yet savory Shrimp and Pork Shumai; and BBQ Pork Buns.which brought tears to my eyes.  Why the tears?  The remembrance of going to a favorite China town Bakery and buying the most delicious baked Roast Pork Buns ever!  The buns at 168 Ramen are steamed, but we still experienced the same pleasure. The jury is still out on the Octopus Balls though; the sauce is savory and rich, the octopus just the correct chewiness, and yet we still can't decide if we liked them or not.  Truthfully, I would say take the adventure plunge and try them out yourself. While Ramen Noodle houses are a norm in Asian countries, they are slowly becoming popular in the United States.  Now these are NOT your typical dried ramen noodles you find on every food store shelf, and probably lived on while in college.  These are freshly made and prepared, served with a variety of ingredients depending on tastes and desires; and the most delectable broths imaginable!  Believe me, if you have eaten store bought, you will taste, and enjoy, the difference of freshly made. Chicken Katsu Curry Ramen is a mild pork broth with Japanese curry; deep fried panko breaded chicken (to die for!), soft boiled seasoned egg, Nori (seaweed) and vegetables. While it is only available in the large bowl size, you will eat every morsel and drink every drop of broth. Shrimp Tempura Ramen is a Dashi broth (mild, slightly sweet and addicting), soft boiled seasoned egg, Naruto fish cake (so awesome), Shitake mushrooms, Nori and green onions.  It came with 3 Shrimp Tempura which I ate separately from the soup; didn't want to lose the crunch of that tempura. With both Ramen bowls, we left nothing! Now I have to mention our most lovely waitress, Nat, who put up with all our questions, and helped us make the best decisions for this first...yes, first, as we will be going back again and again...meal. By the way, I highly recommend the Iced Green Tea; unsweetened and you won't miss the sugar. Also the Thai Iced Coffee; Nat makes it so well that we ended up ordering one to go and shared it all the way back home to Monticello.  We've had Thai Iced Coffee before, but Nat makes it out of this world! 168 Ramen has now been added to our favorite Asian cuisine restaurants in the Moab area; however, in the mood for Dim Sum, Ramen Noodles or both....168 Ramen is your go-to restaurant! Mary Cokenour