Bone Daddies: Japanese Soul Food

By Uswa Ahmed, BA World Philosophies

‘Japanese Soul food’? Well that’s what this restaurant chain claim to have
on their hands. This little Ramen joint first opened their doors in Soho back
in 2012 and now have 4 locations dotted all over London. I’ve heard the buzz
around this place for quite a while now and I knew I had to check it out. Upon
entering, my attention was immediately stolen by the fully visible kitchen
where food was being prepared. This served (no pun intended) to further build
my anticipation. As I was seated and handed a menu, I ordered the infamous
T22 (chicken ramen) which consisted of pulled chicken, ‘cock scratchings’
(crispy bits of chicken skin), onion, bamboo, nori, shiitake mushrooms and a
Clarence Court egg. I also ordered the Korean Chicken Wings. There has been a lot of hype about this Ramen joint but the food fell short of my lofty expecta-
tions. The Ramen was unlike any other Ramen I had had prior to this experi-
ence. The oily broth contained a gelatinous bone quality, which some may findrefined or tacky – depending on your tastebuds. The richness of the chicken overcompensated for its lacking flavour. The taste of bone was prominent and overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients. While the noodles were cooked to perfection, they did not make up for overwhelming taste of bone. I turned to the Korean Chicken wings coated in a deliciously enchanting and somewhat hypnotising sweet and spicy sauce topped with sesame seeds. The creamy and flavourful tomato-based sauce consisted of the perfect blend of spices which ticked the tongue.

While I do not claim to be an authority on Japanese food, I do believe what
I had was maybe a distant cousin of ‘Japanese Soul food’ but did not live up
to my expectation of the real thing. But if your not a fan of the Ramen, the
scrumptious chicken wings are enough of a reason to pop into Bone Daddies.