A food crush, to me, is that moment when flavor, texture and craftsmanship align so completely that you want to keep coming back again and again. Sometimes that crush comes from discovering something new. And sometimes, it’s an old favorite reminding you why you loved it in the first place.
I’ve been thinking about my most recent ramen food crush since I paid my check and walked out the door at Koyoté in Salt Lake City. Koyoté is the kind of place that quietly opens, lets the locals fall in love first, and then becomes very, very busy. Blink and you’ll miss it. Blink again and you’ll be waiting for a table in the Marmalade District, greeted by a sign at the door that reads: “You’ll be judged if you don’t slurp.”
While the menu offers plenty of temptation, including classic shoyu ramen and vegetarian and gluten-free options, there is only one correct order here if you want to understand what Koyoté does best. You want the Tonkotsu Tsukemen. You want the dipping ramen.
This was my first experience with tsukemen-style ramen, and the concept is simple but transformative: noodles and broth arrive in separate bowls. The broth is hot, thick and unapologetically rich, while the noodles sit at room temperature, waiting patiently for their moment. The noodles are bird-nested together on the side, in a perfect tangle for scooping up with chopsticks.
The etiquette = messy, big bites. You lift. You dip. You slurp. The pork tonkotsu broth coats instead of floods, delivering maximum flavor in each bite without dilution. The broth is finished with an umami-forward fish seasoning that deepens everything. It’s the kind of flavor that lingers, the kind you keep thinking about long after the bowl is empty.
Traditionally, tsukemen is considered a summertime dish. Cool noodles. Hot broth. Toppings are classic and generous: slices of chashu pork, a marinated soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, scallions. Everything is there for a reason. And if you’re tempted to skip the Gyudon umami fish seasoning, don’t. It’s the finishing note that pulls the whole dish into harmony.
While you’re there, get the Karaage wings—gluten-free Japanese style fried chicken wings, time-consumingly brined and coated with Japanese potato starch for a crunch for days. For the gluten free folks, it is fried in a designated fryer.
You may fill up on the small plates (I did!) and take some of the ramen home. But here is the magic: since the noodles are not submerged in the broth, they don’t get soggy and the broth and noodles are delicious the next day.
The true mark of a great food crush is this: I thought about the tsukemen the next day. Then I reheated it. And it was still excellent—proof that this isn’t just a novelty ramen format, but a deeply considered dish built on technique and restraint.
Koyoté may call itself a neighborhood ramen bar, but the dipping ramen alone is destination-worthy. Come hungry, slurp loudly and be warned: once you start dipping your noodles, there’s no going back.
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