College kids and ramen go together like peanut butter and jelly (which, now that we think of it, students love too). Tempe's favorite noodle bar is conveniently located on University Drive in the heart of ASU's campus, serving ramen, udon, rice bowls, and drinks like boba slushies, tea, beer, and sake. And this ramen is nothing like the plastic package you paid a handful of coins for. Republic Ramen & Noodles injects four varieties of broth — miso, shoyu, shio, and spicy — with meaty flavors and spices and lets it simmer for hours. When served, the noodles pool at the bottom of the bowl, and succulent toppings like fatty pork, hard-boiled eggs, naruto fish paste, tofu, garlic purée, and bean sprouts are added on top. For a cheap, light meal, the Japanese restaurant also serves appetizers for three to four bucks, including gyoza (fried dumplings with pork, scallion, and ginger), shrimp purses, seaweed salad, squid salad, and vegetable tempura. Read our
review.
