On my most recent trip to Texas I made ramen a priority. Tiger Den is known as one of the top ramen restaurants in Houston so what better place to try than Tiger Den itself. When I lived in Houston, I heard a lot of hype and thought it would cool down, but here it is a few years later and hotter than ever…
Yakitori.
Spicy Cucumbers.
Spicy Shoyu Ramen.
Fried Doughnuts and Pandan Custard.
Tiger Den is located in the hottest strip mall in Chinatown, Houston amongst the some of the best such as ShareTea, Kung Fu Tea, Juicebox, Fu Fu, and many others. There was a clipboard where you could sign your name on a list, but we waited no more than 10 minutes at 9 o’clock on a Sunday night. The restaurant has a darker, bar-like feel that is immediately brightened up by their enthusiastic servers. We were seated on a long community table but there were booth and table options as well. Loved it!
The menu consists of a number of appetizers as well as an extensive Yakitori menu, which makes this a great spot for bar hopping. Yakitori literally means “grilled bird”, but as the menu states, the more modern interpretation of yakitori could be any type of protein grilled on a skewer over a charcoal grill. We ordered the Chicken Wings yakitori with soy marinade. These wings were a treat! You could really taste the chargrilled flavor!
The spicy cucumbers are a must-have. The spices appeared a bit overwhelming, but the cucumbers were light and refreshing, a necessity for a balanced ramen meal.
I can’t enjoy my ramen without a bit of kick so I opted for the Spicy Shoyu Ramen. The broth was well-balanced with the right about of spice and the perfect amount of richness. I find that ramen restaurants tend to veer towards an overly rich broth, but Tiger Den does it well with the perfect mixture of richness and depth.
I’m not finished yet! The Fried Doughnuts and Pandan Custard were amazing. It’s a simple and fairly “light” end to a great meal. Excellent job Tiger Den!
Regrets: Not trying the Tsukemen, dipping ramen noodles. It was highly recommended but we weren’t in the mood.
Rating: 5/5 spoons!