Ooink

Ooink

Description on Ooink Ramen website: OOINK’s preparation is simple & traditional, with the number one focus always being, “respect the ingredients.” The pig is often the star of the show, but every ingredient that enters the OOINK kitchen is given the chef’s full attention, leaving nothing to waste & no detail overlooked. The preparation is classic in style & one that has been tested & tried over & over; always striving to achieve perfection, a labor of love you can taste in every slurp.  So please, sit back… enjoy a drink, let the broth warm you, the flavors comfort you,
& please slurp. No other sound could be a better compliment to the chef & OOINK team.

Neighborhood:Capitol Hill

Address: 1416 Harvard Ave, Seattle, WA

Type: Ramen

Music playing: None

What we ate/drank: Kotteri Ramen(Pork broth, Hawaiian sea salt with pork chasu, bamboo shoots, aji tamago(marinated egg), scallions, garlic chips, black garlic tare

Comments: In our Battle of Seattle Ramen post, Ooink made the field, but didn’t make it past the first round. It’s not that Ooink is not good, it’s just that the influx of really good ramen restaurants the last few years in Seattle, has made the competition fierce.

Ooink is located in Harvard Market, a little shopping center located in Capitol Hill right on Broadway Ave. It’s not exactly the most posh looking place, but for a relaxed informal environment it’ll do. Just a warning, if you plan to come here during a busy lunch or dinner time, don’t come here with more than two people. You might be waiting awhile. There are about 8 small tables that seat two, so parties bigger than that will have to wait for two tables to be moved together.  The only other seating options are 3 stools at a high counter by the front on either side of the door. There’s also a small table right next to the cashier. In total, it probably fits 20 people.

You get a menu with an accompanied sheet to mark what meal you want to order and any extras or exclusions.   I was told the Kotteri Ramen was the most popular, so that’s what I got.  Some callouts:

• Noodles were a bit on al dente side, which is fine.
• I found the egg a bit on the small side.
• The char siu pork is something you don’t normally find in ramen. I’m used to seeing it in Saimin.
• The broth is really flavorful, but not salty.
• I noticed the spoon is smaller than normal ramen spoons.
• They have aprons hanging on the wall that you can put on so you can slurp away without having to worry about hitting up the dry cleaner after your meal. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen that, but it totally makes sense. I wonder why other ramen places don’t do this?

I like ramen places that really focus on the ramen and don’t have a lot of other dishes. Ooink serves only ramen with the exception of a few small dishes-gyoza, mapo tofu + rice and ayam goreng, which is fried chicken.  All the other ramens are either traditional(Shio, Shoyu, Kotteri), vegetarian or with a modern twist(Mapo Tofu, Mala w/umami chili tare).  They also serve beer and sake.

One thing that Ooink does that I’d like to give them props for.  There’s been a trend to include tips or service charge into the price of meals.  You can debate about the merits of this all you want(I briefly discuss this here), but when restaurants do this, I appreciate that they highlight it and bring it to your attention. I hate restaurants that have tiny fine print on their menu about the service charge/tip being included, are very discreet about it on their check and then include an additional tip line even when tip is included!  I get that people may want to include an additional tip if they received exceptional service, just don’t be shady about it.  At Ooink there is no mistaking that the service charge is included because they highlight it on the bill and there’s no line on the bill for tipping. I applaud Ooink for doing business this way.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: 3.75

Service: 5

Food/Drinks: 4.75

Bang for the Buck: 4.25

Overall:  4.50

Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.

• • Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
  • Most locals know about it
  • Locals “in the know” know about it
  • Only those who live close by know about it.
  • You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!

Eavesdropping Convos:

Related:

• Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Best Ramen in Seattle
• Battle of Seattle Ramen Restaurants 
• Kamonegi – Best Soba in Seattle
• Kokkaku