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French Onion Ramen from Broth, on Green Street in Worcester, MA

With the success of The Hangover Pub – a bacon-infused restaurant adding a little crispy pork to everything from cocktails to dessert – Chef Michael Arrastia and partner, Jay Grey, bring the first ramen bar to Worcester. Opening today, Broth by The Hangover Pub is destined to bring a little Japanese culture to Green Street.

Thanksgiving Ramen from Broth, on Green Street in Worcester, MA (Submitted Photo)

“When we visited Momofuku earlier this year, we knew right away that Worcester needed its own ramen bar,” said Grey. Momofuku, owned by Chef David Chang – a favorite of Chef Arrastia – has gained worldwide recognition for their innovative cuisine and with Hangover Pub boosting creative cuisine in Worcester, it was a natural choice to explore the world inspired by Chef Chang.

Located in the same building as the Hangover Pub, Broth looks to give its customers a closer look behind the kitchen. “We want to give our customers an inside look into who we are and what we are about. We want everyone to feel like they are coming to hang out with us in a great environment,” said Arrastia. With an open dining concept, ramen lovers will be able to watch Chef Arrastia create their bowls firsthand as the bar and kitchen will be a combination centerpiece of Broth. “Everyone will be able to see me create their bowls from scratch and watch our bartender, Nick, craft their cocktails,” said Arrastia. “There is nothing like it in Worcester.”

Infusing an American twist to the traditional Japanese ramen dish, Broth by The Hangover Pub will offer flavors like chicken pot pie, French onion, and Thanksgiving – a ramen dish filled to the brim with Thanksgiving classics like turkey and cranberries. “We want the ramen bowls to reflect our New England flavors and the crowd has spoken about their appreciation of our concept as we’ve slowly offered a ramen dish or two at Hangover Pub for awhile now and they remain a house favorite,” said Arrastia.

Broth by The Hangover Pub is setting their sights on becoming another creative culinary treat for the foodies of Worcester. With an interior decor showcasing Marvel comic book characters – customized by the comic book illustrator himself, Mark McKenna – the personalities and energy of Arrastia and Grey can be seen in every aspect of their new venture.

deadhorse hill's new late night menu addition: Steamed Pork Bun

Executive Chef Jared Forman hopes you’ll stay late tonight. deadhorse hill is rolling out a few new menu items this evening intended to suit the after work crowd in addition to the customers looking for a quick bite after hours. “Even the busiest Worcester restaurants in Worcester seem to be dead most nights after 9 o’clock. I tried to think about what kind of food might keep me out,” Forman says. He settled on Korean Style Chicken Wings, Steamed Pork Buns, and a unique deadhorse Burger.

deadhorse hill's new late night menu addition: Korean Style Chicken Wings — deadhorse hill’s new late night menu addition: Korean Style Chicken Wings

“Come have a drink and a small bite instead of sitting in traffic,” urges co-owner Sean Woods.

Forman has been stockpiling wings from his Misty Knoll and Brookford Farm chickens in preparation for this night. The birds are responsibly raised, organic, pastured chickens. “Sriracha is a little boring for my tastes these days,” Forman says. His Korean Style Chicken Wings feature an artisanal gochujang sauce – a fermented pepper paste that carries a subtle spice along with light floral notes. Deadhorse uses a blend of four flours and fries the wings twice for a crackly skin that maintains its crunch for hours.

The Steamed Pork Buns are no surprise, given Forman’s history at Momofuku, the iconic restaurant that launched an international pork bun trend. “No one in this area is doing pork buns,” he observes. deadhorse hill will serve them sandwich style, filled with their own hot sauce, soy glaze, and fried pork torchon made from braised pork folded in with pickled mustard seeds and breaded in panko.

The deadhorse Burger is made sans horsemeat, perhaps to the chagrin of the adventurous chef. Full-blood Wagyu from Spring-Rock Farm will have to suffice. The burger is served “smash style” meaning the 6 oz. patty is thrown on the griddle and immediately pressed down for maximum contact. Smash burgers are intended to be cooked medium or well. “This is the best beef I’ve ever tasted in my life. Unctuous and rich,” Forman says. The burger is served with spicy mayo, made in house, cured cucumbers raw shaved white onions, green leaf lettuce, and local gouda, served on a pan de mie bun baked fresh daily at Crust Bakery.

At the bar, Woods promises vibrant warm weather cocktails as soon as the sun decides to come out. “Large format, lots of punch, with a focus on Mezcal, sherry, and rhum cocktails,” he says.

Tag: Momofuku

Broth: Worcester’s First Bar Dedicated to Ramen Opens On Green Street

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