O.G. Ramen opens in Babylon

What makes ramen … well, ramen? Is it the broth, or the flaps of pork belly, or the creamy egg and the little fish cake, or the way these disparate parts come together for quick, satisfying bowl of Japanese-style noodles?

Salvatore Bono has untangled this question over the last three years, ever since he first encountered unfamiliar terms while ordering ramen in Orlando. "We went there for noodles, but were sitting on our phones Googling names," he said, as the server was challenged to explain things such as Ajitsuke tamago, or the gooey seasoned eggs that come atop ramen. His next thought: Ramen "is limiting for anyone with dietary restrictions."

Three years later, and Bono's impulse to deconstruct ramen has culminated in O.G. Ramen, a new Babylon shop that he opened with his brother, Frank Bono earlier this month. "I studied the recipes and reworked them," said Sal Bono, 33. While at first glance, the bowls of noodles at O.G. Ramen resemble their brethren across the land — meat or tofu, vegetables, mushrooms and garnishes artfully arranged atop noodles — there's a lot of Macgyvering under the hood.

Instead of soy, O.G. Ramen relies on a "faux shoyu" and teriyaki sauce based on coconut aminos, and chickpeas for housemade tofu. Instead of creamy, pork-based tonkotsu broth, there's bright yuzu-laced chicken and vegetable broths, simmered using heavily filtered water. Where salinity is called for, Himalayan salt stands in. The kitchen also uses cold-pressed instead of refined oils. "I just stuck with my gut. It was a mad science lab," Bono said.

Both Bono brothers grew up in Bay Shore and spent their formative years around their grandmother's Babylon restaurant, Tre Amici. Frank Bono, 31, also owns Primi Italian Steakhouse in West Islip. It's safe to say O.G. Ramen is unlike either or those places, at least out front, with a minimalist, modern, fast-casual aesthetic (bright white walls, pale wood chairs and tables, window counters). Behind the scenes, though, are long simmers and involved processes — six hours for some of the broths, for example, and two days for the seasoned eggs, said Bono.

While the ramen bowls use fresh noodles with gluten (Bono prefers to keep the source private), other dishes cater to gluten-free and vegan eaters, among them rice bowls ($14 to $16) of sushi rice and proteins such as shaved short rib, chicken teriyaki (sans soy), or chickpea tofu, plus vegetables and garnishes.

First among the five ramens ($12 to $18) is the classic, a citrusy yuzu-chicken broth with noodles, shredded chicken, seasoned egg, wood ear mushrooms, scallions, baby corn and a crumble of fried garlic. Its cousin in the almost-traditional-ramen department is the original, which has a faux-shoyu-broth and pork belly, plus fried onions in place of garlic. Kale noodles and a yuzu-vegetable broth are the foundation of the vegan, which also has tofu and veggies; when ordered as takeout, the piping-hot broths come in a separate container.

By the second week of business, Bono was continuing his research process in real time, with real customers; he said he had already removed a few dishes, and test drove gluten-free noodles that he ultimately rejected. "I'm very particular," he said, outlining the differences between rice and potato-based noodles but still on the hunt for a replacement. Sushi rice stands in for now.

What will linger on the menu: A dairy-free green-tea pudding with blueberry-yuzu topping, a choice of three hot green teas (sencha, hojicha and genmaicha) as well as Japanese sodas and other soft drinks.

O.G. Ramen is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 14a Railroad Avenue, Babylon. 631-620-3680; ogramen.com