I grew up on the West Coast eating in authentic Japanese restaurants from the time I was a little girl. I have to admit, over the years I have grumbled about the Americanization of most of the Asian food I have had in the area. That is changing. And Brother’s Noodle Bar is a welcome addition to the options.
On a recent dark and stormy night, I wandered into the restaurant. When I got there about 7:00 p.m., they were semi-busy. A pleasant young man came over to my table almost immediately and asked what I’d like to drink. He was attentive my entire stay.
Brother’s is a ramen bar. Ramen is a Japanese comfort food, kind of like American macaroni and cheese, but a bit healthier. They offer an extensive number of options. The problem is that even with my glasses on I had a really hard time reading the menu. Small print and reverse type. While it is a ramen bar, I admit I tried the Chicken Curry Rice. It was delicious.
My father was a huge curry fan, and a gourmet cook, so I ate lots of it. I have tried all different kinds. This was a mildly spicy dark curry served over tempura chicken and served with sticky rice. It is more than enough for two people. The tempura chicken was tender and slightly crunchy, a perfect foil to the thick and creamy sauce.
The three gentlemen next to me started their meal with a serving of pork dumplings, which are doughy buns filled with spiced pork and served in a bamboo basket. Most of the time the flavor is on the sweet side. They seemed to be enjoying them.
Being a ramen bar, most of the people around me were having that. The ramen is served in a tall cone-shaped pottery bowl. I saw many people taking home about half of their portion. The bowl is quite large, and a little over half full. They offer an assortment of options, such as Chicken Broth, Tonkotsu, Tan Tan, Kaisen, and Gyuniku. If you wish to build your own bowl, there are many items you can add, like mushrooms, jumbo shrimp, half a soft-boiled egg, and even more noodles.
For those like me who wanted something else, Brothers offers Don Buri, Gyu Don, Cha Smu Don, and Veggie Thai Fried Rice, along with the curry.
Appetizers include edamame, takoyaki (a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan filled with octopus), yaki gyoza (veggie or pork fried dumplings) and more. They also offer ice cream and tempura ice cream for dessert. Besides soft drinks, Brothers offers several Japanese drinks that are imported, as well as coconut juice.
The atmosphere is very modern and contemporary. Lots of wood, some paper lanterns, and a few pillows and banners with Japanese prints. It is located in the old Your Pie location on Medical Center Parkway.
They opened in April with a few kinks according to their website, but they seem to have worked them out. When I left, the place was full, with several large families.
As I came in a family was leaving and one of them said that a friend had come thinking that they would not like the food, but ended up coming back three more times in one week.
Brother’s Noodle Bar
1970 Medical Center Parkway, Suite R
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37129
615-962-7122
http://brothersnoodlebar.com/
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
*While there were a number of families at the restaurant, there is no children’s menu, and portions are large.
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