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Union Republic, Jersey City

Union Republic, Jersey City

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with ramen. I’m sure it’s not hard to imagine how excited I was to discover Union Republic. Finally a good ramen restaurant on my side of the river! Located in the historic downtown area of Jersey City, UR is a New American cafe featuring ramen. It’s clearly not your traditional ramen-ya, but the fresh, contemporary interiors immediately won me over.

Union Republic, Jersey City

Sunshine pours through the large storefront windows, and as long as you’re not sitting directly in the sun, it’s a really nice dining experience. I’ve always dreamed of having a farmhouse dining table lined with Eames eiffel chairs, so visiting UR was almost like a little glimpse into my dream house.

Loved the green walls, and they also had some cool artwork up on the walls. Not too crazy about the stools at the bar tables, mainly because I suffered through 5 years of architecture school where we had to sit on those stools in studio for long hours. Having a quick meal on those stools probably isn’t so bad though.

Union Republic, Jersey City

Now on to the ramen! John and I both ordered the Alpha & Omega ramen ($13), the vegetarian ramen at UR. It can be made vegan, which probably just means that they omit the egg. The broth seemed to be entirely made of veggies. I didn’t bother asking the waiter if the broth was vegetarian. We’re vegetarian, but the occasional meat based broth or trace of meat isn’t a dealbreaker for us.

Vegetarian Ramen, Union Republic

Wild mushrooms, braised collard greens, sugar snap peas, roasted cauliflower, garlic, scallions, nori, and a soft egg. The noodles were a bit too firm at first, but once they had soaked in the broth for a few more minutes, they were the perfect al dente. Boy, do they pack a lot of noodles into these bowls! The veggies were fresh, colorful, and flavorful. The mushrooms and cauliflower were clearly the star here. The broth was tasty, heavy on the garlic, but I have no complaints about that. UR, I’ll definitely be back for more!

Vegetarian Ramen, Union Republic

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No Comments

  • Reply
    Sandhya
    at

    I love Ramen too! UR sounds like a great place! Thanks for posting the review.

  • Reply
    annie
    at

    i’m literally drooling on my laptop atm. wow full of veggies, just how i like it!!

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      Haha, I love a good bowl of veggies too. So delicious! :D

  • Reply
    Mitzie Mee
    at

    Looks like a nice bowl of ramen. You know what I’m looking forward to the most when visiting New York next time? It’s actually the ramen joints! Probably among the best found outside Japan:)

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      Remind me to send you a list of ramen joints we could go for our ramen date! :D

      • Reply
        Mitzie Mee
        at

        YAY!!! You know I tried a couple of ramen restaurants last time I was in New York, but till now I still think Hide-Chan has been the best one. Which one is your favorite? Let’s go there:) Btw. is there an Ippudo around?

        • Reply
          wazwu
          at

          Hmm, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite! Too many to choose from, but I’d love to go back to Ippudo. I’ve only been there once and thought their food was really refined. We should show up just a few minutes before they open to avoid a long line. :)

          http://letsnomnom.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/ippudo-ny/

  • Reply
    2014 Recap | Let's Nom Nom!
    at

    […] all about “new age” ramen. Classic ramen flavors with a twist. Mok Bar, Ivan Ramen, and Union Republic were my favorites of 2014. Also, the vegetarian options at Ivan and UR are vegan without the […]

  • Reply
    Union Republic, Jersey City | Let's Nom Nom!
    at

    […] my previous visit to UR, I fell in love with their Alpha & Omega ramen ($13) and contemporary space. There are […]

  • Reply
    NYC Veggie Ramen Roundup – Let's Nom Nom!
    at

    […] Alpha & Omega Ramen, Union Republic Fine, this is in Jersey City, but you can easily get there on the PATH using your MTA card. A veggie heavy ramen bowl that’s heavy on garlic, and I mean that in a good way. Journal Square, unionrepublic.com […]

  • Reply
    Veggie Ramen Roundup, NYC – Let's Nom Nom!
    at

    […] Alpha & Omega Ramen, Union Republic Fine, this is in Jersey City, but you can easily get there on the PATH using your MTA card. A veggie heavy ramen bowl that’s heavy on garlic, and I mean that in a good way. Journal Square, unionrepublic.com […]

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