In terms of interesting service models, conveyer belts were an official trend for a good bit. Like a buffet that comes to you, the service model leveraged a table-side conveyor belt to circulate wares past diners, tempting guests with impulse commitments.
But innovation in the world of restaurant automation has moved far beyond the conveyor belt. We’ve entered into the Age of Robots.
Of course, we’ve entered the age tentatively. Hiro Ramen on Bethel has been running orders with robots since the beginning of this year. And our robot masters don’t look much like the robot models predicted for the future in the ’50s. They’re not humanoid things with legs that ambulate. No, the robots have wheels. They’re more like anthropomorphized, oversized, remote-control toy cars. Or perhaps like a tall, pre-programmed Roomba.
The robots at Hiro have wheels and blue glowing eyes, and what makes the eyes non-creepy is that they blink. Little touches like that make the robot overlords feel more fun than foreboding. Guests place orders with a QR code, and soon enough, the robot wheels up, almost cheerfully, to the table, and diners transfer their food from its sturdy serving shelf to the table. Easy peasy.
About the Ramen. It’s competent. Available in a variety of variations, the Tonkotsu ($13) makes a classic start. Based in a broth rendered from pork bones, it’s aggressively savory in a way that is not subtle, but hits a downscale craving. All in, the order yields a large bowl of entertainment: heavy loops of noodles, pork, chewy wood ear mushrooms, an egg, wilted bok choy and bits of brightness from corn and scallions.
If soup seems like too much for the hot summer days, there are plenty of non-soup rice and noodle options as well. That same sort of elemental enjoyment found in the ramen offerings can be scored in something on the lines of a bowl. The Grilled Chicken ($11) version delivers perfectly sticky rice as a foundation for a delightful mix of seaweed salad, with lightly pickled cucumbers and carrots, plus ample chicken that is a little on the processed side, but not to the point of nuggets. The treatment is more to the point of giving it a good dose of seasoning.
For plant-based dining, there are tofu options. Case in point: the Curry Tofu Bowl ($11) replaces the chicken element in the aforementioned bowl, with tofu bearing a crispy fried finish and a pleasant coconut curry sauce.
It’s hard to walk away from any opportunity to score cheese fries. Even when they seem like a conceptual mismatch. Here the Pork Belly Cheesy Fries ($9) await: Classic fries with glowing cheese sauce, crisped pork belly, and the extra (on-theme) appeal of a okonomiyaki sauce and spicy mayo. No apologies.
Of course, you can explore more theme-appropriate appetizers, such as shrimp tempura or gyoza dumplings. And there are robust fruit and milk tea scenes as well. Hiro also hosts a carryout operation, although that seems to not include robots, and it would be an absolute shame to miss the fun.
It all resides in the shell of a former Burger King at 4800 Sawmill Rd.
For more information, visit hiroramentea.com.
All photos by Susan Post
