Yume Wo Katare

I had such high hopes for this place, and came away very disappointed. We had heard that lines get very long, so we came close to their opening time of 5pm and stood in line for about 20 minutes. The ramen shop is very small so the line doesn’t move quickly. The inside is almost like a classroom — customers sit at long wooden tables right next to each other facing the chefs, and there are framed pieces of paper on the wall where people have written their dreams.
As you enter, you are greeted and asked what type of ramen you would like. There are only two options: ramen with 2 slices of pork for $ 12, and a buta ramen with 5 slices of pork for $ 14. Both broth bases are pork-​based and there are no vegetarian substitutions. The chef also asks you whether you would like garlic — if you say yes, you get a heaping pile of garlic that will stay on your breath for the rest of the night, but I think it does elevate the ramen flavor.
I got the standard ramen with two pieces of pork. The pork was delicious — tender, chewy, and flavorful — and the noodles were cooked to a nice al dente softness. However, I really did not like the broth. The broth was essentially all pork fat and grease, and I could barely finish more than a couple of sips before I felt sick to my stomach. The broth coated all of the noodles and the pork with a thick layer of oil that made the entire bowl unappetizing after a couple of minutes.
Everyone is given the option to stand up and announce to the room what their «dream» is. At the end, the staff come around and grade you on how much of the ramen you ate — anything from a «PERFECT!» (finished all the ramen and the soup) to a «try again next time». The atmosphere is a little kitschy and for how ill I felt for the rest of the night from the grease, I probably won’t be back.

Been here a couple times (far fewer than I would like) and it is, unequivocally, the best ramen I’ve encountered in the greater Boston area to date.
The atmosphere is friendly and casual (the small space all but forces a communal experience) portion-​to-​price ratio is generous, the noodles are plentiful and hearty, the pork belly is tender and tasty and you can add a small handful of garlic to each bowl (and why wouldn’t you?). All that aside, the broth is by far the star and on both visits I drained the bowl entirely.
Yume Wo Katare does one thing and does it very well, which is possibly my favorite business model when it works out. Good on you, folks!
Only gripe: due to the small space, I felt a pressure to finish my meal and move out to make room for the next patrons. This wasn’t explicitly stated and may have just been conjured by my own imagination, but it’s an impression that stuck.

**cash only location**
I lived half my life in Japan and am very picky when it comes to Japanese cuisine.
I’ve tasted many ramen which have been considered «authentic» or «the best». These have always let me down. Most other shops have a random broth (not Japanese ramen broth) combined with noodles and then they slap the label of «ramen» on it. However, I can say comfortably that this location serves authentic ramen, the closest I’ve seen to a real Japanese taste.
This ramen would not compare to many of the famous ramen shops in Japan, but I can safely say this is one of the best in the US.
The noodles are unique, thick, and lightly wavy. The thickness was a great choice as the soup is very heavy. It survives the soup better and helps the heavy soup to cling on it rather than just fall off. Combined with the waviness, this allows the eater to get much of the soup while only just eating the noodles.
The soup is heavy and is a big punch of flavor.
If you’re a fan of garlic, you’ll love this. The head cook will ask you if you’d like shaved garlic so be sure to tell him yes! Garlic is always great with meat based dishes as it boosts the depth and flavor of the meat.
The chashu, or the thick slices of pork, are just melt in your mouth and juicy. These are pre-​cooked so they are a bit cold. Make sure you let them sit in the soup a little to boost the softness and flavor (chashu is pre-​cooked anywhere/​everywhere as they take a very long time to make).
Once again, it’s not anywhere close to the best in terms of Japanese ramen in Japan. However, this is probably some of the best ramen when it comes to ramen in the US.
Ignore when people complain about the following:
— Weird atmosphere: It’s true, this isn’t the sort of place that you can just walk into. You need to be prepared for what to expect. However, this shouldn’t dissuade anyone from going to this place. The concept is that the owner had a dream and with this ramen shop, realized it. He wants for the ramen shop to be a boost in people’s lives and be their moral support in making their dreams come true. Upon walking in, you’ll be asked if you’d like to share your dream. If you agree to it, after you eat your bowl, you will be asked to stand up and share your dream with the rest of the shop (including other customers). Your finished bowl will be labeled as «good job» if you finished everything except the soup and «perfect» if you finish everything.
— No takeout, no left over take home: It’s ramen, you’re supposed to eat it when it’s served fresh. There is an extremely short period of time that ramen is good. Anyone looking to take it home with them clearly do not eat good ramen.
— Too much garlic. Right before the ramen is served, the head cook asks if you want additional garlic. So anyone complaining about the garlic wasn’t paying attention to that.
— Eating pace is too fast: Ramen has always traditionally been a dish eaten quick. The main reason is that the quality of taste drops fast. If you’re looking to eat slowly, go elsewhere. You won’t find a ramen shop in japan that is slow paced.

I would sum up my experience here by quoting the great Chris Traeger from Parks & Rec by saying that this place is «phenomenally great». It is worth every bit of waiting outside and smushing your face up against the glass window to peer in as others down their HAND-​PULLED ramen with roasted pork loin and an abundance of garlicky goodness.
The set up is efficient, and means business. When you enter the small space, you pay your tab at the register up front and then take a seat and mentally prepare for an out of body experience to arrive in front of you. When it does, be ready. That bowl is massive and I’m gonna tell you this up front, you don’t get a «good job» nor get to share your dream otherwise – bring your mental toughness and empty stomach.
The noodles are PERFECT – you will never go back to anything but these, you’ve just been converted to hand-​pulled heaven. The pork is smoky, adds a sort of earthiness to the dish, the broth is one you would probably bathe in if you could and it’s rich, like I’d swap it for coffee in the am if I could. The only decision you will make once you sit down, is garlic or no garlic. They respect your mental prep time and that goes a long way here people. Get it with garlic, mix it in and let it meld with the pork and noodles flavor explosion.
Own that bowl like you have never owned anything before, bask in the greatness of everyone chanting at you and share your dream. Then, just like that, it’s over and you’re outside staring into the faces of those waiting, and you assure them, it’s all worth it.

Tasty Ramen with some public shaming (or glory!) on the side.
It was cold outside and I felt like ramen, but I did not know what I was getting into. Yume Wo Katare is not really your average place. There’s a lot of calling and responsing going on between the kitchen, the wait, staff and the customers. You also can stand up and share your life dreams at the end of your meal. The waiters will also announce to everyone whether you finished your meal or not, which will be challenging for some.
There’s only one item on the menu (ramen of course), and it comes in two basic sizes. I finished a large with some effort, but regular is probably the way to go for most unless you are extra hungry. Their pork broth ramen is serious business. Big and bold, lots of meat, lots of flavor, salty and oily, but ultimately pretty delicious. The pork itself was some of the best I have had outside of Japan. The broth was heavy, but flavorful. Make sure to have a glass of water handy. The noodles were probably what stood out the least. They were not quite perfect. A little too soft and brittle for me. Adding garlic was a good choice as the flavors worked well.
The whole shouting and sharing and other rituals seemed quite pushy to me at the beginning because I really did not know what I was getting into, but by the end it grew on me. It somehow seemed more communal and you felt like you got to know your fellow diners a little bit.
I will be returning. Definitely worth checking out.