Lucky Cat Ramen finds a permanent home in Memphis
The ramen
Jennifer Chandler Memphis Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK – TENN.
For the past couple of years, Lucky Cat Ramen has operated as a pop-up restaurant, with chef and owner Zach Nicholson serving his ramen bowls and steamed bao sandwiches to Memphians hungry for authentic versions of these Japanese dishes.
Now, Lucky Cat Ramen has a permanent home. It opened Jan. 25 at 2583 Broad Ave.
The Weekly Dish Lucky Cat Ramen
The star of the menu is Nicholson’s ramen bowls.
It should be said, Lucky Cat’s ramen is nothing like the dried noodle packets many remember from their college days. Lucky Cat’s ramen is the real deal, similar to what you will find in Japan but with Nicholson’s personal touches.
Steamy bowls of ramen ($13-$14) are satisfying and packed with a depth of flavors. Choose from Miso, Shoyu, Yuzu Veggie, Tan Tan or Chicken. Each bowl is a generous portion. The flavors vary based on the kind of broth used as the base. The shoyu has a soy sauce-flavored broth, and the miso uses a fermented bean paste. Nicholson has mastered creating that umami characteristic that separates a stand-out from an everyday broth.
Toppings for his ramen bowls vary depending on the bowl, but you can expect to have a meat, fresh vegetables and a traditional ramen soy-marinated soft-boiled egg on top of the noodles and broth in each variety.
Nicholson’s spicy Tan Tan ramen bowl ($14) is topped with pork that has been smoked for 18 hours. Nicholson said he has received compliments that this pork is some of the best barbecue in town. Ingredients such as fish sauce, toasted sesame, ginger, salted peanuts, cilantro and chili oil give his version a Thai spin.
Rice bowls
Lucky Cat has several rice bowls ($11-$14) on the menu if you prefer rice to noodles.
On opening night, I tried the Crispy Mushroom Rice ($11) on Nicholson’s recommendation. I’ll be ordering this again.
Nicholson said he takes the previous day's rice and uses this driedout rice to create a patty that is fried until crispy in sesame oil. The result is rice that has a crispy topping with a soft, fluffy interior. He then tops the rice with a medley of grilled wild mushrooms, a ramen egg and a mushroom dashi, a type of Japanese stock. It is simple preparation that, because of the attention to details on each ingredient, makes a sublime dish.
“You get the crispiness of the rice, richness of the broth and creamy fat from the egg all in one bite,” Nicholson said.
To accompany your ramen, Nicholson offers a variety of options, some that have been at his popups and others that are new to his menu. These items are small plates that can be enjoyed as shareable appetizers or, if ordering several, could make a tapas-style meal.
Steamed bao buns ($4 each) are an item Nicholson served at his popups. Lucky Cat serves these pillowy, soft steamed buns with a variety of ingredients, including barbecue, pork belly and fried chicken.
On opening night, I tried the Fried Chicken Bao. A crispy and slightly spicy piece of boneless fried chicken was served with a sesame aioli and homemade pickles. The marriage of three different flavors and textures — the softness of the bun, the crispiness and heat of the chicken and the tangy and crisp pickles — made for the perfect bite.
Dumplings ($8 per order) are a shareable dish. The opening menu had two varieties: shrimp and pork. The pork dumplings are made in what Nicholson called “gyoza-style.” Steamed and pan-seared, they are filled with a pork blend from local farm Home Place Pastures.
Grilled yakitori skewers ($6-$7 per order) are also a new addition to the Lucky Cat menu, and Nicholson is excited about the offering. Octopus, chicken thigh and eggplant are the opening menu selections.
Sticky fried chicken wings are also a starter. Nicholson fries the whole wings naked (with no batter) and then glazes them with a fish sauce caramel. An order comes with four wings ($10).
The back story
Nicholson has worked in restaurants for years. He said one of his mentors is Erling Jensen, whom he worked for for eight years before he left Memphis for cities like New York and Austin. Nicholson met his wife, Sarah, while they were both working at a restaurant in New York City.
“I was the sous chef, and she was the executive pastry chef,” he said. After a stint in Austin, the couple moved to Memphis in 2015 to get married.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining Reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler @commercialappeal. com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.