A bowl of miso ramen and a takoyaki appetizer at Mic Ramen in Pordenone, Italy, about 20 minutes from Aviano Air Base. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Living in Italy, you can throw a stone in any direction and hit a restaurant that serves pasta or pizza. But what if you want noodles doused in broth instead of sauce?
In that case, the drive just got shorter for the Aviano community. Mic Ramen opened in September as Pordenone’s first ramen restaurant. It’s a sister location of the Mic Ramen near the Army garrison in Vicenza.
A street view of the new Mic Ramen in Pordenone, Italy. The restaurant opened the doors to customers on Sept. 10, 2023. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
The social media reviews thus far were raving about it, so it was time for me to check it out. On a Wednesday at lunchtime, most of the tables were occupied in the anime-adorned, two-story restaurant.
Owner Nicole Chen is a fan of Japanese animation and said she thought customers would embrace it as well. If you’re a fan, you’ll recognize what you see immediately.
The wall surrounding the staircase between the first and second floors of Mic Ramen is adorned with figurines from Japanese anime movies and shows. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
A cafe and bubble drink bar is the first thing customers see when they enter Mic Ramen in Pordenone, Italy. The restaurant is a 15-20 minute drive from Aviano Air Base. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
I’ve eaten ramen in a few different places, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try it in Japan, so I asked for a recommendation.
I was directed to the miso ramen, which is widely available throughout Japan. But Japanese people most often associate it with the northern island of Hokkaido. As with barbecue or pizza in the United States, most regions in Japan have their own styles of ramen.
The bowl in front of me included noodles slightly thicker than most spaghetti, a large piece of pork by ramen standards, sprouts, half a marinated egg and a sheet of nori.
I know this will probably make some curse me. But every time I’ve had ramen in the past, the first thing I did was add soy sauce. I guess after many of the flavorless dishes I’ve had, I always expect I will need it.
Not his time, though. The flavor was a delightful balance of savory and slightly sweet notes, harmoniously blended together. The toppings added freshness and crunch to the dish.
I also ordered takoyaki, fried pastry balls typically filled with a small piece of tako, or octopus. It’s another widely found dish in Japan, but it’s probably most famous in Osaka.
The set of four had octopus and mayonnaise, topped with tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes and seaweed powder.
If you’re shy about a strong taste of seafood, you don’t need to worry with takoyaki. The zesty flavor was more about the dough and the mayonnaise.
The menu has two children’s options as well as appetizers, bao sandwiches, rice balls and a few dry noodle dishes if you are looking for something other than ramen.
But while I might try some of these other items when I return, I won’t be skipping the main event.
Mic Ramen
Address: Viale Marconi 14/A, Pordenone, Italy
Hours: Wednesday through Monday, 12-3 p.m. and 6:30-10:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
Prices: Appetizers from 3-6 euros. Main dishes range from 5.80-14 euros. Drinks range from 3-6.50 euros.
Information: Phone: +39 388 852 0205; Instagram @micramenpordenone
