M Kokko, Durham, N.C.
One of my favorite meals: a savory, umami filled, spicy when I want it spicy, perfectly al dente noodles, big ass bowl of ramen. Ever since I was a kid and had a bowl of “silly noodles” every day for lunch during the summer (Maruchan packet not the cup, beef flavor, WITH the broth), I’ve been hooked.
Right before I left for college, a new restaurant (shoutout Mecha Noodle Bar) opened near my hometown that got people really into ramen and introduced a new style of Asian food to a lot of people, different from the classic American-Chinese takeout. Forget about the fact that my 49¢ noodles had a deep history and culture leading up to that packet, I didn’t even know adult silly noodles existed! The meat, the egg???, noodles that didn’t turn into mush, a “spice bomb” that completely transforms the broth… it was eye-opening. I also had my first pork belly bao at Mecha, a first-bite experience that I’ll be chasing for the rest of my life.
Fast forward to
