You'll find a little amore inside Crop Kitchen's beef udon noodle bowl ($16). Chef and partner Matt Anderson blends Italian influences into the Japanese dish, proving that the two cultures make for appetizing allies. He starts with a house-made dashi broth brewed from bonita (a smoked, dried tuna used for flavoring), seaweed, soy sauce and water before adding seared Ohio beef, shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, chewy udon noodles and tender bok choy. The rich concoction then gets a generous helping of fresh basil and Parmesan cheese for a global partnership we can endorse. "The Parmesan helps thicken the broth up a little bit," he says. "It also adds a salt level to give it that umami." 11460 Uptown Ave., Cleveland, 216-696-2767, cropkitchen.com
Best of Cleveland 2015: Beef Udon Noodle Bowl
Trot along the globe and taste the influences from different cultures and cuisines in this traditionally Japanese dish.
