Trio Ramen took over the spot that was once occupied by Hurts Donut in Middleton, returning the space back to a dine-in restaurant (e.g., a previous tenant was Blue Spoon Cafe).
The ramen was fine but seemed overpriced. The base order ($13.95) comes with your choice of broth (tonkotsu, miso, shoyu or vegetables), one protein (pork belly, pork loin, pork chashu, chicken or tofu), scallions and cabbage. Thank goodness I added tamago (egg) and fish cakes for $1.95 each, as the pork belly was so small that it only took two bites to eat it. If you have any bit of appetite, you’re going to have to add more items–others include shrimp ($5.95), cheese ($3.95) and bamboo shoots ($1.95)–like I did, and your bowl of ramen will be around $20 as a result.
At least the tonkotsu was hearty and rich. Meanwhile, the noodles were more al dente than I would have liked, and the blackened sesame seeds were unnecessary, as they brought a weird texture to the bowl.
Fortunately, I liked everything else I tried. The shrimp fried rice ($16.95) is a delicious and busy plate. Besides the excellent rice and limited amount of baby shrimp, the dish has seaweed, corn, sesame seeds, onions, scallions, a trace amount of egg, mushrooms and beansprouts. It’s also served with a satisfying bowl of miso soup.
I recommend ordering the takoyaki ($9.95 for eight). The fritters had a wonderfully soft interior and a slightly crispy exterior. The toppings of onions, scallions, seaweed and okonomi sauce further enhanced the flavor profile.
Another appetizer I tried was the kaarage ($9.95). These fried chicken nuggets are tender and juicy. They were a little bland, but the tasty spicy mayo makes up for it.
Other items on the menu include the unagi don rice bowl ($18.95), the chicken katsu curry ($15.95) and the vegetable yaki soba ($13.95).
Trio Ramen is open every day for lunch and dinner.
