Yasuke Ramen really hit the spot during week of isolation

This previous week was a doozy.

My girlfriend has been under the weather, and a pair of COVID-19 at-home testing kits proved inconclusive — or rather, too confusing for us.

To be safe, we opted to isolate for the week. I worked from home and tended to my girlfriend while she rested and focused on being beautiful and amazing.

In between my work responsibilities, I made sure that she was thoroughly hydrated with plenty of water and Gatorade, I made sure that she had plenty of tissues, I made sure that our Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer was blowing steam directly into her face at all times, and I also made sure that she was well-fed with a nauseating amount of chicken noodle soup (which I made and tasted amazing).

Being homebound and all, I found myself with a bit of a conundrum since my editors demanded fresh content. I would have to find a way to deliver millions who subscribe to The Monitor and MyRGV.com for the sole purpose of reading my words.

With a looming deadline and safety being a priority, I decided to cheat with this installment of South Texas Flavor. Well, sort of.

I decided to review Yasuke Ramen & Bar, but unlike the other eatery features I’ve done in the past, this is a restaurant that I have frequented quite often. Since it would be irresponsible of me to dine in a restaurant given the uncertainty (at the time) of what was ailing my girlfriend, I figured it would be best to keep this review simple.

Also, I just wanted some delicious ramen.

I ordered the spicy ramen, which comes with pork tenderloin, fishcakes, a poached egg, tempura crumbs, corn, spinach and scallions. I added some Katsu pork that was breaded, fried and sliced.

As a treat, or rather a reward for being such a great boyfriend, I decided to throw in an order of gyoza. They’re ​​pan-fried dumplings filled with pork and vegetables. I deserved it and would truly appreciate my gesture to myself.

While my girlfriend struggled to breathe in the bedroom, I set out my meal on the dining room table, cracked open a can of Liquid Death Rest in Peach tea, and put on some “Regular Show.” I ate like a king.

The gyoza (my girlfriend’s favorite) came in a styrofoam box with a small container of soy sauce. The dumplings were lightly fried, giving just a hint of crispiness. The pork filling was savory, and complemented perfectly when dipped in the soy sauce.

“Oh my God, this is so good,” I said loudly in between my girlfriend’s coughing fits.

The ramen from Yasuke is next to none, in my humble and righteous opinion. It is a kaleidoscope of flavors and textures served up piping hot. The noodles were springy yet durable and absorbed all the wonderful flavor from the spicy, savory broth. The crispy Katsu pork, an extra, countered the silky noodles and succulent pork tenderloin that had a hint of sweetness.

Overall, the experience was great, but it definitely would’ve been improved had my girlfriend been enjoying this meal with me. She’s doing much better now, so I’ll let her take me to Yasuke really soon.

Yasuke Ramen and Bar is located at 315 West US-83 in McAllen. They are open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.