Tale of Two Vegetable Raamen Bowls

I ate at two different raamen places last week but didn't take any pictures. First, a hole-in-the-wall small dump run by a small family. (As opposed to a giant family? Very short people, at least.) They had a vegetable raamen and a bunch of other raamen choices. I chose the vegetable raamen.

Veggie Raamen Recipe

I swear to whomever it had more vegetables (carrots, onions, bean sprouts, cabbage, a mushroom) than noodles. Didn't mind, though, because it was delicious. And it had no pork! Truly a different approach. I asked the waitress why there wasn't any pork in my vegetable raamen and she said, "Because it's vegetable raamen." And I could see she was silently adding "Dummy." Good enough reason for this raamenhead.

Then, yesterday I ate at a chain raamen restaurant with a vegetable dish. It had cabbage and carrots. And two pieces of pork that was mostly fat. (Do you think people would protest in non-pork eating cultures if I ate it?) The taste was generic. Neither good nor bad nor indifferent. The price was slightly lower than the family raamen-ya.

Why is the hole-in-the-wall family-run raamen shop better than the chain restaurant? Why is the chain restaurant so... bland? I know it's trying to match the tastes of everyone, but why can't it be popular AND tasty? Lowest common denominator on the prowl. The smaller shop was just pleasing the owner and her family. Great.

Be Proud! Choose Raamen! Choose Peace!