Our FAVORITE ramen restaurant in New Jersey opened a new location in Summit! YAY!!!!
We have been fans of Ani Ramen ever since we came back from our trip from Japan in January 2015. The original location is in Montclair. I reviewed them on the blog years ago. The review can be found HERE. Since then, their popularity has EXPLODED. They opened a second location in Jersey City in 2017, and then announced multiple new locations all over New Jersey, including Summit. When they initially made the announcement, E and I were giddy with excitement. While we love the Montclair location, parking in Summit is infinitely easier and is SO MUCH closer to our home.
The Summit location opened its doors in March, and E and I made sure to be there opening weekend, with the kiddos in tow. Nathan is just as obsessed as we are! We arrived at 5:30PM for an early bird dinner. It is the only way we can dine out and make it home in time for the kids’ bedtime. It was already pretty packed. The Summit location is much bigger than the Montclair location. SO MUCH MORE SEATING! Praise be. Thankfully, we were seated pretty quickly at one of their communal tables. We scanned the menu (which is pretty similar to the Montclair location, with a few new additions), and we ordered their cucumber salad (a new recipe), tofu buns, a vegan ramen (for me), and a short rib ramen (for E). The service was quick and everything was delicious!
Last weekend, E and I were craving ramen (as one does), so we headed over to Ani for lunch. It was actually a pretty hot day outside, so we figured that there wouldn’t be a wait for a table. We were right! We walked right in and sat down at a communal table. Are we the only weirdos that like to eat hot food on a hot day? E and I each ordered a yuzu lemonade (so incredibly refreshing), an order of the tofu buns (one of my personal faves), a vegan ramen (for me), and a short rib ramen (for E). This time, I brought my fancy camera and snapped photos of the restaurant and all of our food. It was A LOT of food but somehow we managed to eat it all. When we initially sat down, they brought over an empty steamed bun for Nathan to eat, and he inhaled not just one, but two of them! It really helped keep him busy and distracted until our food arrived. Nathan also really enjoyed the tofu from our buns and noodles from my vegan ramen.
Luigi’s Ice Cream is opening up right next door soon! The Jersey City location also has a Luigi’s Ice Cream shop paired with it. When you are done with your hot ramen, you can cool down with a little ice cream for dessert! A brewery is opening up next door too! Since Ani is BYO you could (when they open) stop in for a growler or some cans and drink them with your meal. Drinks AND dessert just feet away. Talk about a match made in heaven!
If you are in the area, I HIGHLY recommend that you stop into Ani for some ramen. You will not be disappointed!
Ani Ramen, 427 Springfield Ave, Summit, NJ 07901
*This post is NOT sponsored by Ani Ramen. They did not comp our meal. We are just HUGE fans!
