Ben's Tune Up

I have no fucking clue how this tiny one horse town can sustain so many goddamn hipsters... How do they do it? It's like a friggin bearded terrarium. It baffles the mind. I need a drink, bad... But not another beer. Had so many damn beers in this town already, time to switch it up... How about sake? Yes, there is place in this town that makes sake, American sake... By ultra white hipsters. Fuck it, I will try anything once. Of course, this place was another hipster central. But this place was a throwback to the grungy, army boots, flannel, denim jacket, ripped jeans, dirty, greasy hair, shitty ugly hats, fake musician, surfer type of style... It all sums up to the image of a filthy Matt Dillion. And I kinda like it. It felt like I was on the set of "Singles", they even had Eddie Vedder playing in the background. They got a beer garden and a sake brewery and ramen! This shit was calling my name...

Ben's Ramen. House smoked pork, crimini shrooms, 63 degree egg, napa cabbage, carrot & scallion, rich pork broth. It ain't the ramen you're thinking of... It's the Americanized hipsterized version... And it's not that awful. Everything was as advertised but the 63 degree egg was cold in bowl full of hot or warm ingredients. You bite into the egg after you have just slurped a few bites of noods and broth and it's ice cold, it was like drinking a Slurpee real fast in the summer. If the egg wasn't ice cold it woulda been pretty nice, it had a real nice creamy and velvety consistency. The criminis were flavorful and the pork broth was salty but rich. The noodles were a bit curly and acceptable for the location. It is what it is for $12... But it will definitely fill you up. If you're drunk this would be awesome to you.

Ben's Sake- American Heavy, Natural Unfiltered Nigori, Pineapple Jalapeno. I was kinda intrigued with all the different flavors they had... I had to try a flight. The heavy was pretty dry and kinda dull, a typical generic sake. The pineapple jalapeno was interesting with the sweet and the heat, even though it wasn't spicy. The nigori was my favorite, shit, any unfiltered cloudy nigori style sake is my favorite.

I like this place, it's a cool little hangout... If they only served shitty beers and crappy burgers, it would still be ok but they make their sake and attempt to do Asian food on the menu which gives them some balls of respect. Midway thru my visit a party of 8 came in and they were senior citizens... I was like WTF?! That was pretty radical to see the blue hairs taking over the joint and showing off their saggy applesacks. Bad grandpa! Now, I would definitely go back again and try some other flavors of their sake.

195 Hilliard Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.benstuneup.com/