text: Ramen is a noodle dish near and dear to my heart There are few noodle dishes out there that can satisfy the palate as well as a solid bowl of ramen The key to good ramen is the excelling of three primary ingredients the noodles the broth and the protein nnThe noodles here are very well made with good consistency texture and fantastic compatibility with the broth The broth itself has that signature creaminess saltiness and thickened smoothness that ramen broth should have It gives the noodles a fine delicious dressingnnAlas the chashu pork is where the dish fails to amaze While the BBQ flavor of the pork is adequate CherryBlossom chooses to go the lean route in the preparation The result is a piece of pork that is thick and devoid of fat This flaw is a fatal one Ramen noodles were designed in such a way that its fullest potential can only be achieved with fatty pieces of meat In a true ramen dish one seeks out the fatty piece of meat and treasures every bite as it enhances the richness of the broth and is counterbalanced by the starchiness of the noodles CherryBlossom foregoes this authentic vision and opts for a healthier alternative While it still delivers on most fronts my inner samurai still desires that extra reach of flavornnOther reviews on Yelp also recommend their banana bread However I must condemn their banana bread and anybody else on Yelp who sponsors it Their banana bread is incredibly dry and has a grainy texture quality to it The flavor itself is very bland and the banana element is barely detectable A shamennHowever the dinner rolls that do come with your meal are quite good They have a softness and fluffiness about them that nearly rivals Hawaiian rolls Freshly baked and packed with flavor An unexpected surprisennAt the end of the day the entire experience was pretty good but far from great CherryBlossom offers an eclectic mix of different cuisines and dishes Though the ramen could not satiate I am willing to return to test the other dishes To be continued