Formerly known as Ramen Garage, a pop-up that took place in—you guessed it—a garage, Ramen Del Barrio is a stand at Hana World Market in North Austin slinging out some of the most inventive Mexican-Japanese fusion dishes we’ve come across. And while the dining area has all the expected sex appeal of a grocery store food court, Ramen Del Barrio has its counter fully decked out to feel like a ramen stall, complete with bench seating and hanging paper lanterns. The star of the show here is the carnitas tonkotsu bowl. The broth has all the creaminess of an excellent bowl of tonkotsu, plus tender chunks of slow-cooked pork belly and buche. Squeeze a lime over it all and it’s like eating the taco-ramen hybrid we never knew we needed. 

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary