Last March, Nite Wolf – the ramen pop-up at Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern, 234 E. Vine St. – became a permanent offering at the Brewers Hill eatery.  And (confession time here), after a visit to indulge in the offerings this past weekend, I wondered what had taken me so long to give it a try.

Behind the ramen is Chef Elijah Loebbaka, an industry veteran whose Japanese heritage sparked an interest and passion for ramen that led him to not only pursue a side hobby mastering ramen, but also seek out opportunities to work with practice ramenphiles like Chef Mike Satinover in Chicago. [Read more about Elijah & Nite Wolf here.]

Truly, it’s not just the ramen that will draw me back to Nite Wolf. There are also compelling starters that I haven’t been able to get out of my head all week.

Eat eat eat

That includes the Kyabetsu Caesar salad ($10), which is a big fat beautifully overdressed take on the classic Caesar salad that starts with fresh crisp shredded cabbage and reels you in with a dressing that’s packed with umami flavor thanks to miso-infused dressing, aromatic yuzu and the most singlehandedly addictive katsuobushi croutons I think I’ve ever eaten. 

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The salad is big enough to split, or (if you’re not in the mood for ramen) you could eat it alongside a chashu bowl ($10), which is topped with housemade chashu pork, soft egg yolk and scallion. It’s great on its own, but you can customize with various add-ins including chili crisp, furikake, kewpie mayo and more for a slight upcharge.

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The pork gyoza are also delicious ($12). Each sports a deliciously savory pork filling and a beautifully crispy crust on its exterior. And the aged dumpling sauce, while it makes them saltier, is delicious in its own right.

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As for the ramen, I tasted three bowls: the shoyu chintan ($20), gyokai tonkotsu ($23) and the special green curry ($21). All were served with thin noodles that were cooked to the perfect consistency - smooth with a springy, yet slightly chewy texture that held up without getting soggy.

The shoyu chintan was the lightest of the bunch, though the notably clear broth was dark and filled with rich umami flavor. The slightly salty chashu pork was complimentary, as were the other add-ins, particularly the beautiful ajitama (soy egg), which was spot-on custard-level creamy on the inside.

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The gyokai tonkotsu, a variation of the classic enriched with flavor from seafood, was a lovely tribute to the cloudy, rich style of ramen that’s prevalent in the U.S. The broth was rich, slightly sweet and meaty with a silky texture that made it feel indulgent. On top of everything, it was enriched with a shoyu tare, chashu pork and all the delicious add-ins.

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Last but not least was the green curry ramen. Taking advantage of the “punk rock” element inherent to ramen, this fusion offshoot captured both the brothy texture and umami of ramen broth with the fresh herbal notes of lemongrass and ginger. The broth held some spice, but not enough to be off-putting, and a bit of cilantro and scallion brought everything together.

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Words of advice

Now, all that said, do not do as I did and order all these things on one visit, even if you’re dining with a hungry friend. It’s a lot of food. And – as much as I’d like it to – ramen just doesn’t perform well as leftovers, even if it started as some of the best in the city.

You should, however, save room for dessert. The offering on our visit was a lovely affair featuring silky ube glacé served with strawberry compote, lime coriander oil and delicately crisp shards of coconut meringue.

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Check out the menu at thenitewolf.com and then plan your visit. Walk-ins are generally available, but I’d recommend making a reservation if you can. Nite Wolf is open Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 9 p.m.