MC Slim JB on YumeWoKatare

For those who have yet to wait over an hour at YumeWoKatare for a slurp of ramen, MC Slim JB walks you through it. His latest column in The Phoenix begins by wondering, as everyone must, "Is it worth it?" In short, yes. For starters, this is a unique opportunity: "Yume Wo Katare is different, doing a style rarely seen in the States called jiro ramen." Which entails "a pile of thicker-than-usual noodles, a smaller-than-usual amount of broth enriched with emulsified pork fat, a dollop of bean sprouts and bok choy, thick slices of fatty pork, typically from a rolled roast of pork belly, and an optional load of minced fresh garlic." For Slim, the quality of the experience outweighs the wait. "Yume Wo Katare offers a rare glimpse of a gifted artist executing one very specific thing, albeit an admittedly humble thing, extraordinarily well." [TP]

For its suburban location - in Newton - Farmstead Table is off to a strong start from the Boston food media, including this week's two and a half star review by the Globe's Devra First. "Ever had to tangle for reservations in Newton in the middle of the week before?" she notes. Cocktails are "well-made" and the menu strikes a fitting balance: "not too formal or rich, but not home cooking, either." Main courses "let the ingredients shine." And this must certainly warm the owners' cockles: "The only misstep the Burnses may have made was in not opening a bigger space." [BG]

It's not that Richard Chudy of Boston Burger Blog is against fancy schmancy burgers flat out: "When successful, the 'high end' burger is a divine treat; examples being Craigie on Main, Back Bay Social Club and Radius." But he does not include The Butcher Shop in that category after experiencing "easily one of the sexiest looking burgers I've seen" there. (Price tag: "$18). Meat: "mildly beefy, unevenly cooked (beyond my ideal medium-rare) patty with a pretty solid juiciness factor... It crumbles and has virtually no structural integrity." Bun: "ideal chew and tenderness.. but it's disproportionate to the patty." Conclusion: "a sort of satisfying yet very expensive lunch and not much more." [BB]