The Shishimaru Shrimp

Review

The frothy broth was the highlight of The Shishimaru Shrimp, a one-day special at KC Craft Ramen. The paitan broth combined chicken, pork bones, and dashi with shrimp oil, and several layers of flavor came through from the first sip. The shrimp flavor was clear, and I had never tasted a ramen broth quite like it in the U.S. It was easily the best ramen broth I have had so far.

Compared with the KC Black I had on my previous visit, the broth was not as hot and the noodles were softer than I prefer. The slightly soft noodles were the main weakness, but the broth made this a very satisfying bowl overall.

The toppings were generous, especially with DX Topping. The very rare wagyu chashu was tender and delicious, and the thick-cut pork belly had plenty of fat, which made it wonderfully soft and flavorful. DX added two more slices of wagyu, the pork belly, and another half of a seasoned egg, giving me a whole egg instead of the usual half. The dried tomato was an unusual topping that I enjoyed, and the bowl also included fried gobo root and lettuce. The fried shrimp normally offered with DX had sold out by the time I arrived in the evening. I had been looking forward to trying it, so that was a little disappointing.

I had reserved the ramen in advance for $16.99, compared with the day-of base price of $18.99. With the $5 DX Topping, my bowl came to $21.99. I was very happy with the meal, especially the distinctive broth and tender meat toppings.