Lunch at Everyday People: Tonkotsu Ramen Noodle action

myfoodhunt

Dec 4

Everyday People on Byard's Lane in Nottingham is the brick and mortar Ramen restaurant owned by Masterchef finalist Pete Hewitt who you may also recognise locally as the man behind Homeboys Street Food.

While the joint primarily is know for it's take on ramen, they also offer small plates and occasionally branch out on themed evenings like their infamous Katsu Curry Nights a nod back perhaps to some of their Street Food adventures with Homeboys

I last blogged about the Ramen here back in 2022 and meant to come back to write and review earlier but during the summer they had launched a 'soupless menu' without ramen soup so those plans had been scuppered and then to be honest I just got distracted with other eating opportunities.

Anyway the ramen is back and so was I, so let us eat 😎

SET LUNCH MENU

We were here to take advantage of the Lunch Deal of a Bowl & Snack for £16. While there were other ramen bowl options we could have chosen in the end we selected the same thing ordering the SHRIMP CRACKERS as the snack and the 'NEW WAVE' GARLIC TONKOTSU as the bowl

I briefly toyed with the thought of having the TAN TAN with the pulled lamb shoulder just because I had a Tan Tan last time I was here and really liked it. I also contemplated the SHOYU with DUCK & CHICKEN BREAST CHASHU and DUCK LEG MEATBALL as that just sounded such a good combination and it was a clear soup broth instead of creamy one.

But the truth was that I had slurped down a few other Tonkostu Ramen recently and just wanted to compare them against Everyday People to see where they all ranked (in my mind at least) and which ones I liked better. Lets call it research although some people might call it an excuse to eat Ramen all the time😂😎

NEW WAVE' GARLIC TONKOTSU

Officially my chosen Ramen was detailed on the menu as 'NEW WAVE' GARLIC TONKATSU - 'Pork Collar & Belly, Creamy Soup, Shio Tare, Thin Noodles, Cabbage & Bean Sprouts, Ramen Egg'

The photograph probably doesn't do justice to the food as they seem to like a dimly lit level of ambience here even in the middle of the day. So forgive the somewhat beige appearance of the ramen bowl.

I liked my strands of noodles, they were thin, a little chewy with some stretch to the bite. The soupy broth wasn't exciting me as much as last time I was here but as described it was creamy with notes of garlic. I did slurp most of it down after I had eaten all the contents so it was a decent soup.

I enjoyed the Pork collar, it was quite a thick slice and was tricky to break up with my chopsticks so I employed a grabbing and perhaps stabbing motion to slice it up with the fork that the server kindly gave me. The Pork Belly was just charred on one side so felt a bit fatty and flabby in texture which I normally like but today I felt that it could have been firmer.

The ramen egg with that soft almost opaque egg yolk is a little bite that I love to enjoy. It doesn't seem to appeal to everyone or the uninitiated which is fine as I got a second one to cherish from my dining companion who was less keen 😍

The chopped up greens added some crunch and texture to the bowl and perhaps a hint of freshness, its a garnish really so lets not over think it I tell myself

'NEW Wave' garlic TONKOTSU RAMEN AND SHRIMP CRACKERS

The Snack of Shrimp Crackers that came served alongside my bowl of ramen with a pot of Sweet Chilli sauce were a nice accompaniment. I would have loved one of the Everyday People famed Corn Dogs and I would have happily paid a small premium to have secured one but today I had to make do with a more simpler bite.

I should perhaps pay mention to the rather tasty MIKKELLER RICE LAGER that I was enjoying supping. It was very refreshing and a little more rounded that a traditional lager with perhaps a note of maltiness which went well with my meal. I could have downed several but it was lunchtime

Thinking back on the Ramen noodles I wasn't sure what the 'New Wave' referenced so I did the usual google to learn that this is a style of ramen more often made with chicken broth as opposed to a pork broth that has become popular in recent years.

Reading the menu here at Everyday People I couldn't discern if this was the case here as it just said 'Creamy Soup'. If I was sitting there now I would have asked lol. For the record the broth tasted more porky than chicken but who knows? (well EP do lol)

Either way as a Lunch time treat I thought that the £16 was pretty good value (£21 if you add my beer) and I did enjoy my meal overall.

I think that I have been spoiled with Ramen Noodles across my dining adventures in recent months and I will need to plan another visit to Everyday People in the Evening to take advantage of all their offerings and explore some of the other Ramen styles on the menu.

Everyday People is located at 12 Byard Lane in Nottingham, NG1 2GJ just a short walk from the Lace Market Tram stop and about 10 minutes from the Old Market Square.

It is probably best to book at busy times, the first time I booked but didn't really need to, this last time I didn't book but needed to and had to wait a while for a table. I guess it is just a gamble you may or may not want to take but would be a shame to miss out if you don't

If you want read that review I wrote last year click here or Check them out on their Website and on their Instagram page for lots of pictures of their food