Anyone who’s been through 4th Avenue over the last couple of years is bound to have noticed a new restaurant emerge from nowhere — its development seemingly trapped in stasis as a result of the pandemic. People have been curious about what this long-gestating project has in the works, with the name “Whisky & Ramen” serving as the only hint as to what’s behind the curtain. The allusion to this unusual pairing initially struck me as a bit odd, but my interest levels skyrocketed once I caught a glimpse on Instagram of a lavishly designed interior, the likes of which Anchorage has never seen.
The prevailing question is this: when will they ever open? I’m happy to report they already have—in a sense. As part of their soft opening phase, Whisky & Ramen has offered limited reservations since July, with only a select few diners fortunate enough to get a sneak peek of the latest entry in the city’s ongoing ramen renaissance.
This not-so-eminent food critic and ramen aficionado was lucky to snag a table last week to assess whether Whisky & Ramen delivers on the immense hype ahead of their grand opening in September. Are they set to be the next illustrious jewel in Alaska’s culinary crown? Or do they need more time to mature in the aging barrel?
We walked through the obscured entrance and were immediately transported to an enormous dining hall. A long catwalk along one of the walls leads to a ramen bar with a grand stairwell leading down to a basement level equipped with communal tables, a dry-aging cabinet filled with massive portions of wagyu rib roast (surely a sign of exciting things to come), and a cavernous, dimly lit bar sectioned off towards the rear. Aesthetically, it was all very sleek and stunning, with the overall design centered around a theme similar to “Japandi” — a blend of Scandinavian and Japanese influences.
We were seated at the ramen bar with a full view of their kitchen. It was there we had the pleasure of interacting with a few of their staff, including their head chef along with the owner. We were informed that not only are all their noodles made in-house but the recipes for the few types of noodle varieties available were developed in Japan and honed to such precision that the water’s pH levels were tested to ensure consistent, supreme chewiness. The collective passion and enthusiasm of the staff for this ambitious venture were near palpable, and I appreciated the level of intimacy that the bar afforded.
After perusing the menu and seeing five different types of ramen available, I decided to cram as much as possible out of fear that Whisky & Ramen’s popularity would delay our return. So, we ordered three of their appetizers, starting with their whisky pork buns—three freshly-steamed buns filled with whisky-miso crisped pulled pork, pickled cucumber, micro cilantro, and okonomi sauce. The texture of the buns was pillow-like and not at all tacky, while the deeply braised, saucy pork was umami-laden, but balanced by the freshness of cilantro and lightly pickled cucumbers. These were tasty, and a great indicator that the kitchen isn’t holding back on flavor.
Next to arrive was the scotch tamago — somewhat of a straightforward depiction of the classic British staple served with micro greens and a dab of spicy mayo. The beauty here was in the flawless execution, for the egg was cooked to a perfect jammy consistency while the panko breadcrumb coating was skillfully fried, producing a veritable nesting doll of flavors and textures. I do wish they could’ve thrown in an additional egg for the price, but I guess that’s just upscale dining for you.
The last appetizer to hit our palates was a generous plate of chicken wings: twice-fried and served with a yuzu soy chili-crisp dipping sauce. Believe me, when I say you’ve never had wings this crispy before — in fact, these were so shatteringly crisp that I was tempted to gnaw on the cartilage on the ends of the flats (which I did). The meat was evenly seasoned, and the fat had rendered down to become the pure, essence of savory chicken flavor. You know these were some spectacular wings when it occurs to me that I hardly bothered using any of the sauce.
Having deemed that the appetizers were a resounding success, I simply could not contain my excitement any longer once our ramen bowls arrived. I had ordered The Dark Horse: made with a spicy burnt miso pork broth, wavy noodles, more of the whisky-miso pulled pork, a “6.5-minute egg”, and a mushroom ragu topping. The broth — widely considered to be the heart and soul of authentic ramen — was at first characterized by roasted, almost nutty notes from miso combined with the luxurious fattiness of pork.
As the elements dispersed and coalesced, I found that my ramen took on the unmistakable flavors of Lao Gan Ma chili crisp—perhaps one of the greatest condiments known to man, though it may have been a tad bit heavy-handed here. As for the noodles? They were as springy, resilient, and toothsome as I could’ve hoped for. The pork was gloriously tender when had along with the hot soup, while the thinly sliced mushroom topping was explosive in its own right—its earthy and meaty qualities having been amplified to register off the charts.
For thoroughness’ sake, I traded bowls with my dining companion to sample some of her Chintan ramen, dubbed the Sugamo Star, which came with a chicken dominant broth, pork loin chashu, menma, and black truffle. To put it simply, the broth tasted like an expertly roasted chicken in soup form. The shoyu tare helped inform the overall flavor profile, and while the stock was noticeably lighter and not as salty compared to my broth, I found it to be just as all-consuming and difficult to put down, except for a cocktail break here and there.
I would be remiss not to mention the exceptional craft of their in-house mixologist, whose array of creative cocktails exhibits an advanced skill level. Take, for instance, the Flowers of Edo — made from sesame-washed rye along with honey ginger syrup, orange bitters, and smoked oolong. Fat washing is an esoteric infusion process wherein oil is combined with a spirit to impart subtle flavor and in this case, lend a creamy mouthfeel to the overall body. As if that weren’t exciting enough, the smoked tea contributed a powerful bouquet from start to finish, one that evokes the scent of campfires. Out of the few cocktails I sampled this evening, the Flowers of Edo stood out as one of my favorite drinks in recent memory.
It felt surreal stepping back out to 4th Avenue, as if we were temporarily displaced to some divine food realm far removed from Alaska. It used to be that traveling out of state was my only option to enjoy such a captivating bowl of ramen. But I can confidently say that the years of hard work and dedication from the owners and company have unquestionably paid off in that they’ve renewed my hope for the future of Anchorage dining. When the floodgates open later this year and the restaurant begins catering to the masses, perhaps then, you too will come to realize that whisky and ramen might just be the perfect pairing after all.
