As a local NJIT student and self-proclaimed foodie I have a hard time finding chic places to eat on a student salary. This week I was lucky enough to find the Ani Ramen House, a traditional Japanese ramen place located in Montclair, NJ. This flavorful and cozy urban restaurant got me hooked and coming back for more, especially considering the affordable price for its deliciously aromatic ramen dishes. A warning to my fellow college students - once you've grabbed a bowl from Ani Ramen House you'll never settle for a Maruchan cup ever again!

This small but charming restaurant has a modern urban feel with artistic walls and dim lighting. When dining here you can choose to share a large table in the center of the restaurant with strangers, sit at more private tables for four, or eat by the bar style seating at the front window. The restaurant can be crowded during busy times, around seven or eight in the evening, but it is open late and accepts customers up to 15 minutes before closing time. The staff is very friendly and nice but sometimes is not the most attentive ever.

The magic of Ani Ramen House comes from its delicious ramen which comes in six different selections for 12 dollars each, ranging from vegetarian to chicken and spicy pork. additional toppings can be chosen and added to customize the ramen to your liking, however, this can add up and the original varieties are already really good on their own. The price of an average entree starts at $12 but can range depending on extra toppings each priced individually between $1-$3.

One of my personal favorites on the menu is the Spicy Miso Ramen. The dish itself was not too spicy and was made savory thanks to the roasted chili oil, and I was satisfied with the portions of chashu pork in the bowl. The mix of spices and seasoning made me took me away from Montclair for a second, to a homey place with a comforting aroma.

Appetizer at the restaurant are also quite delicious, six dollars will get you two medium pork buns, but these are not your everyday pork buns. The pork buns at Ani Ramen House are arguably some of the best I have ever had, the bun itself is not overwhelming the texture is perfect and the level of sweetness it brings to the dish compliments everything the other ingredients bring. They are also made with juicy pork belly and cabbage with a slight amount of Japanese mayo that leave you with a crunchy juicy and explosive flavor on this perfect bun. It is a very light and enjoyable appetizer. If pork just isn't your thing the shrimp buns are also great!

Average appetizers cost between $3-$6 mostly in the upper range.

As far as refreshments and drinks go, Ani offers several imported Japanese drinks or water and some types of teas, but the best feature is that the Ramen House is BYOB so you can feel free to bring some nice wine and unwind. Assuming you're of age to drink, of course. The restaurant is also BYOC in that they do not provide containers to go, you have to either finish your ramen or bring your own container if you want to take the rest home. The only disadvantages this restaurant has is that they're not open on Mondays and that they don't do delivery or takeout.

Ani Ramen House

973.744.3960

401 Bloomfield Avenue

Montclair NJ 07042

aniramen.com

info@aniramen.com

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LUNCH

Tuesday-Sunday

11:30am-3pm

DINNER

Tuesday to Thursday 5pm-10pm

Friday & Saturday 5pm-11pm

Sunday 5pm-10pm

Monday Closed