Soup Shack Porter (Cambridge) — Restaurant in Cambridge

Fried oysters, service, portion sizes: 5 stars Noodle soups: 4 stars

I wasn't expecting much from Soup Shack given their diverse menu (ramen, pho, thai noodle soups), but I was pleasantly surprised. The fried oysters were excellent -- freshly fried and crispy, large juicy oysters. The thai iced tea was pretty standard. The Pho Tai (rare steak) broth was good, but the steak was a bit lean and tough. The shoyu ramen had a decent broth though a bit porky for my tastes -- I asked for the least sweet of the ramen broths and it definitely wasn't sweet so that was nice (they said that all of their other broths were sweet to some degree)! The portion sizes are huge and I left clutching my stomach. The bok choy side addition ($3) is generously sized and fresh. There are tons of noodles and a decent amount of other toppings as well. The broths are good but not amazing, and the noodles and toppings are also standard.

Overall I would rather go to Yume/Tsurumen/Santouka for ramen, and Le's for pho, but if your group is craving multiple types of noodle soups, this is definitely a solid place with reasonable prices! If I came again, I would get more of those delicious fried oysters and try some of their...

Arguably one of the best ramen places in the Boston area. I know that is a big statement but for the incredible price it deserves considering. I went there with my friend in the afternoon and it was almost empty and food came out within ten minutes. The ramen was very delicious but maybe a little heavy on the ginger. I would definitely suggest eating here if your looking for something quick. We were surprised that the boba tea was canned and not made at the restaurant, especially with the price. The ramen was relatively cheap for the quality. Other dishes are served including curry. One of the only negatives was the atmosphere. When dining in it feels like you are in the kitchen and doesn’t feel very cozy. This place would be perfect if it had better seating and atmosphere. I do think the food makes up for it, I just don’t think you should come here if your looking for a nice sit down. I have gotten food delivered from here before and it was just as delicious and quick service. It honestly feels that they capture more to take out instead of dine In. A...

TL;DR ICE COLD RAMEN

My fiancée and I came here to try out the new soup place and ordered a seaweed salad, a karaage fried chicken, and two bowls of of tonkotsu ramen. The service was amazing and the seaweed salad was good, but the other parts of the meal ruined the experience. the karaage chicken was decent, but the spice profile and soggy breading reminded me of McNuggets more than anything.

The dealbreaker though was when the soup arrived to the table. the toppings were ICE COLD. the broth was piping hot, but the noodles were all congealed together at the bottom of the bowl and all the toppings were right-out-of-the-fridge cold. In addition, the broth was broken; the oil was very separated from the other ingredients, not cloudy at all like its supposed to be.

We attempted to warm up the meal by submerging the topping; aka the technique for putting half effort into making your packet of instant ramen at home while drunk in the early hours of the morning. It didn't work.

Hopefully our experience wasn't the norm at...