Budget Bites: Good Ramen Isn’t Cheap, but Wabi House Has a Lunch Deal for Noodle Cravers

It’s not hard to find a good ramen joint in Dallas. There’s probably a ramen shop within walking distance of your apartment. Contrary to the stereotype, though, eating ramen every day may burn a hole in your wallet. Sure, you can buy several blocks of Maruchan ramen for 25 cents...

By Alex Gonzalez

February 20, 2020

Wabi House’s spicy miso ramen — pricier than Maruchan, but you get what you pay for. Alex Gonzalez

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It’s not hard to find a good ramen joint in Dallas. There’s probably a ramen shop within walking distance of your apartment. Contrary to the stereotype, though, eating ramen every day may burn a hole in your wallet. Sure, you can buy several blocks of Maruchan ramen for 25 cents each, but if you want something authentic, you must shell out some bucks. Luckily, Wabi House won’t break the bank too hard during lunch time.

On weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., customers of Wabi House can enjoy ramen bowls for only $8. While this may not sound like a steal, many of the bowls cost $10 to $13 outside of normal lunch hours.

On cold days, a good choice is the spicy miso ramen, which normally costs $12. The spicy miso ramen consists of minced pork, bamboo shoot, scallion, rayu, chili strips and a poached egg. The spice levels aren’t unbearable, but you can feel the heat coursing through your entire body with every bite. If that’s not hot enough, perhaps pair it with a hot sake ($8). Hey, you’ve got to stay warm somehow, right?

If you’re fairly new to the exciting world of ramen, perhaps you should try the shoyu ramen. This bowl is filled with chashu (braised pork belly), bamboo shoots, a marinated egg, enoki mushroom, scallions and garlic oil. This may be one of the simplest of the ramen dishes, but it’s certainly not lacking in flavor.

Looking to keep it at least semi-healthy? Wabi House offers a veggie ramen made with vegan noodles, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, snap peas, bok choy, corn, scallion, bamboo shoots and mayu oil. It may be packed with sodium, but it’s totally vegetarian.

There are countless ramen places in Dallas, but if you’re looking to get a good deal, you won’t find one better than Wabi House’s lunch bowls.

Wabi House, 1802 Greenville Ave., Suite 100 (Lower Greenville) and 1229 8th Ave., Suite 227, Fort Worth. Lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

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Alex Gonzalez has been a contributor to the Dallas Observer since 2018. He is a Dallas native whose work has appeared in Local Profile, MTV News and the Austin American-Statesman. He has eclectic taste in music and enjoys writing about art, food and culture.

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