New noodle joint in St. John's inspired by 'symphony of slurps and burps'
Ramen restaurants popular across the world, owners hope N.L. no different
Don't let the name fool you — Bad Bones Ramen in downtown St. John's has a lot of heart behind its plans to serve up the "weird and wonderful" dish that is considered must-eat cuisine in other cities across Canada and the world.
"People continuously [are] asking me where to get some good ramen," says chef and co-owner Adam Gollop, on one of the reasons why he decided to open the new dining spot.
He said while it's a flexible dish, since you can use a wide variety of ingredients, there are several common denominators among each bowl of ramen.
"You've got your soup, you've got your noodles — which are usually the star of the dish — you've got your base agent, be it soya or miso or whatnot, you've got your garnishes and voila!" Gollop said.
Gollop has been a chef around the downtown St. John's restaurant scene for 14 years, but decided to give ownership a go, thanks to some noodle inspiration.
"I got into it from cooking it at home, making it for friends and family. I mean just the symphony of slurps and burps around the table made it worthwhile for me," he said.
"That's what I do — I'm a chef, I'm there to satiate people and bring them together. Bring up old memories and create new ones. That's what I hope we do here as well."
Noodle niche
Jasmine Kean, co-owner of Bad Bones Ramen, said the province was missing out.
"I thought it was long overdue … I just thought there was a niche that needed to be filled," she said, noting that many cities have multiple noodle shops to call their own.
The pair is hoping Bad Bones Ramen on Water Street will open June 15.
Its business hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., except for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when it will stay open until 3 a.m. in a bid to capture the late-night crowd.
And yes, both Gollop and Kean said they're aware of the challenges associated with opening a new business during tough economic times.
"I think it's actually going to be a saviour for people finding it tough during this economic period," said Gollop.
"You can come in, get completely satisfied with something nutritious with a bowl of ramen and a beer and get change on a twenty."
Kean is hoping the food and vibe ultimately catches on.
"The beauty of this place is, it's not your typical restaurant," she said. "It's quick, it's fast, it's affordable — it's fun."
With files from Ariana Kelland