Momogoose

Where to Lunch: For Fast Asian Fusion

A colleague at my old office turned me onto the Momogoose food truck and we caught this mobile Asian Cafe down by South Station. If you've picked up on my love of Asian soups, you'll know this was a great lunch choice. I ordered a beef ramen that came in a plastic to-go bowl with chopsticks and a soup spoon. Very flavorful broth-- my first bite in, I hit a jalapeno! This soup cut through any congestion or case of the blues I had and filled me up quickly with a mix of veggies and beef.

Beef Ramen

The next time I ran into the red Momogoose truck, I ordered the same entree. I was surprised to find the soup totally different (but just as delicious.) Instead of jalapenos, there were crunchy carrot cubes, potato, zucchini, and broccoli. This nutrient-packed version of their ramen bowl was more akin to beef stew (not what I expected from ramen), but I happen to love a beef stew. The flavor was much headier and I only missed the spark of the peppers for the first sip or so.

Besides ramen, they also offer pho as well as create your own baquette or bowl entrees. Sides include crispy or fresh rolls, and check their twitter (@momogoose) for daily specials.

Momogoose 
Rotating Locations
Ate: Beef Ramen Soup
Total: $6

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Sakurabana

Where to Lunch: On a Rainy Day

Grey, rainy days like today are good for cuddling in blankets, a good book or bad TV, and soup. 

If you're stuck at work in Boston's Financial District, only one of those is feasibly within your grasp. Enter Sakurabana with a steaming bowl of one of my very favorite comfort foods: sansai udon soup.

Sansai Udon 

I used to find this pot of goodness at Ittyo, the last in a line of Japanese restaurants at the Porter Square Exchange. They recently had a change of management and, while they added all sorts of build-your-own noodle bowls, my beloved bowl of mountain vegetables (literal translation of sansai) is no longer a menu staple. True, I could probably build a better bowl, but at what price? (Two or three dollars more. It's a principle thing, really.)

Thinking I would be sansai-udon-less forever, I was happy to find Sakurabana on the corner of Broad Street and Milk Street. The name of this spacious Japanese restaurant translates to "cherry blossom." Hence, the pink blossoms on their awning and the small vases of pink flowers attached to the windows. It's a sit-down place, which means adding tip and tax into your meal, but it also means feeling snug and warm while watching the rain through the slotted window screens.

Edamame

I always, always go with the sansai udon, so I can't speak to the sushi. Though I'm not 100 percent sure what sansai are, I know there's mushrooms, carrots, and some green bits; the udon is chewy and the veggies are woodsy and together it's totally yummy. On a particularly chilly day, I add a cup of hot green tea (75 cents.) If I'm feeling like my pockets have some extra padding, I'll also do an appetizer of edamame or gyoza. The edamame is always fun to eat, though level of saltiness has varied with Sakurabana.

Lunchtime can get crowded so it's sometimes better to catch this place on an off-hour. Plus, then you can hear the Bedtime-Magic-esque soft rock they play as you fill your stomach with warmth and nutrients.

Sakurabana
57 Broad St., Boston
Ate: Edamame, Sansai Udon, and Hot Green Tea
Total: $16 (with tax, without tip)

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