Ki Ramen Versus Yuzu Kitchen - Who Has the Better Ramen

Ki Ramen

Within the last several months both Yuzu Kitchen and Ki Ramen have opened in Pittsburgh. Prior to their arrival it is hard to say that Pittsburgh had much of a ramen scene. Ramen Bar has been open in Squirrel Hill for the last several years and the now defunct Salt of the Earth once had a Ramen brunch, but the dish does not seem to get a lot of love from native Pittsburghers.

If you break ramen down to it's most simple components it consists of a broth, Chinese style noodles, some type of protein and toppings. The real magic of ramen is it's simplicity and elegance as a comfort food.

Between Yuzu Kitchen and Ki Ramen, Ki is easily the more celebrated of the two establishments. Lawrenceville currently has this aura surrounding it that seems to draw the majority of the media attention. Basically, everyone writing about food in Pittsburgh has a hard-on for Lawrenceville.

My Shoyu ramen at Ki had soy braised chicken, kikurage, scallion, egg, cabbage and bean sprouts. I also added the shitake butter bomb and  chili paste.

The noodles at Ki Ramen were my favorite out of the two restaurants. However, I was disappointed by the flavor of the chicken and the broth in general. It's worth noting that Ki Ramen is currently undergoing a soft opening and they are yet to announce a final menu. They were also offering a few different appetizers during our visit, but we felt that their menu could greatly benefit from a few additions such as some lighter appetizers, some grilled meats and some salads. Also, we would love to see a happy hour special.

My friend old pappy Bucklaw loved the inferno Ramen and mentioned that he was still thinking about it several days after our visit to Ki. The steamed pork bun I tried was remarkably good and was in and of itself worth the visit. Also, it is worth mentioning that Ki Ramen had a great staff that accommodated us without hesitation.

Yuzu Kitchen

Yuzu Kitchen currently presents a much more polished concept than Ki Ramen. (Ki has not announced an official opening date.) Yuzu offers a full menu, happy hour discounts, a special happy hour menu and a less crowded atmosphere. You can expect discounts on some great appetizers such as tempura, gyoza, and fried chicken and squid. 

If you put the two restaurants next to each other, I think Yuzu would put Ki Ramen out of business in about six months. However, this is Pittsburgh. People will give Ki Ramen a higher level of deference due to it's location and the notoriety of the owners.

Miso Paitan

Overall, Yuzu had the better ramen despite Ki having the better noodles. At Yuzu I had the Miso Paitan and added some mushrooms. Their Miso Paitan came with pulled chicken, pork marrow/chicken broth, 30 minute egg, bean sprouts and scallions. The dish worked in a more harmonious manner than my ramen at Ki. The ingredients seemed fresher, and I thought the overall dish just had a better flavor.

I expect good things from both restaurants moving forward. It may be unfair to compare the two restaurants in their current state of infancy, but Yuzu is the clear winner.

Social House 7

White Fish Carpaccio

The first thing that struck me about Social House 7 was the unique name. I found it intriguing and reminiscent of the Vonnegut novel Slaughterhouse Five.

The next thing that stood out was the decor. It is immaculate. I really love how they've made the place up. (See if you can find the koi fish when you walk in.) I firmly believe that Social House 7 was created because someone at the AMPD Restaurant group said, "how can we capitalize on the success of Nakama in the Southside. "

Social House 7 has a more grandiose decor than Nakama and an overall better aesthetic, however, the food is roughly the same in terms of quality.  That is to say - it is not very good. You can check out my 2012 review of Nakama here. I honestly don't think I've been back to Nakama since that visit.

The AMPD group's Steel Cactus appears to be an attempt to similarly capitalize on the success of Mad Mex. When did ideas for restaurants become so scarce? I guess Pittsburgh restaurateurs are running out of steam like the 70's steel industry.

My first concern regarding the establishment was very grave. The girl next to me at the bar ordered a sake and they stated that it could not be done as the sake machine was broken. The bartender's explanation for the lack of sake made absolutely no sense and sent me into a tailspin of panic.

My concerns were confirmed by my $15 white fish carpaccio dish. (Pictured above.) The fish was not cut thin enough to be marketed as carpaccio and the plate was simply too barren for the price point. It is worth noting that I have also had the eel roll from Social House 7 twice and I thought it was perfectly acceptable. This is the nicest thing I have to say.

Previously I had used the spelling of carpaccio from the Social House 7 menu in this review, which turned out to be incorrect. A special thank you to my foodie friend Nik H. for pointing out the error of my ways. (You should be concerned about eating carpaccio at a restaurant that does not know how to spell carpaccio. You should be equally weary of any food blogger that also cannot spell carpaccio.)

This was my coconut fried rice with fish sauce, cilantro and coconut milk. For an up-charge they will also put some really bad chicken on top of your rice haphazardly. The rice itself was actually pretty good but the chicken was overcooked and tough. (Possibly definitely koi fish.) From my two very brief visits I have to say that the street food seems to outshine the sushi. I will be going back to confirm that this is the case and to see if the giant koi fish in the doorway live through the lingering winter.

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