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Why Are Bostonians Such Ramen Fiends?

So hot right now.
So hot right now.

When Guchi’s Midnight Ramen launched, you would’ve thought Boston was getting its very own version of Shake Shack or something. The hype was huge. Still is. Of course, part of the excitement has to do with Guchi’s affiliation with O Ya, our swankiest sushi spot. (Yukihiro “Guchi” Kawaguchi and Mark O’Leary are chefs there.) But still, what’s so exciting about noodles in broth? The Guchi folks sat down with the Phoenix to explain ramen’s strange hold over us all.

Per cofounder Mark Leary: “Boston has good ramen, I think it just needs more places. There’s a deep culture here that loves noodles and loves ramen, and I think people just need more options. Sapporo Ramen, Ken’s Ramen in the Super 88 are both great bowls, but we just want to put our version out there and see how people respond to it. Guchi’s version is very different, and that’s the cool thing about ramen. It’s unique to different regions, to people, to the chef, and it could be anything.” Adds cofounder Tracy Chang: “No one can bother you if it’s just you and the bowl.”

So enthralling are the noodles that, according to Leary, when GMR staged their first midnight pop-up at Cambridge’s cozy Bondir, the dining room fell eerily silent as the bowls arrived. Who knew that ramen possessed such power? As we told you yesterday, the next pop-up happens on February 13, location TBD. And to think, we used to heat up salty, limp ramen whenever we wanted it, for free (but still), in our college dorm room. We didn’t know what we were missing.

Slurp Sesh [Phlog]

Earlier: Guchi’s Midnite Ramen Sets a New Date

Guchi’s Midnight Ramen: Who Needs A Publicist?

Why Are Bostonians Such Ramen Fiends?