While exploring the Bourbon Trail in Louisville, I randomly stumbled upon a restaurant called MilkWood. It happened to be a restaurant owned by Chef Edward Lee whose cuisine intricately pairs Southern inspiration with Asian flavors. Who would have thought a place called MilkWood in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky would serve ramen? But there it was, on the menu, a $16 bowl of ramen with spicy tare, pork belly, shiitake, scallion, and country ham. The broth was brewed from pork neck and country ham bones with Korean miso and lemongrass. Although the Korean miso added another layer of flavor, it also made the broth more viscous which was to my dislike.
I didn't get to meet Chef Lee, but instead met Chef Glenn Dougan who graciously agreed to conduct an impromptu interview with me. Apparently, luck was on my side because Chef Dougan reported that the MilkWood Ramen was initially only available on certain days of the week because they weren't sure if the dish would generate enough interest to be a regular item on the menu. Now, it's one of their most popular dishes. We had such a good time chatting about ramen that he treated us all to the "MilkWood Ramen Shot" which is made up of MilkWood Ramen broth + Jefferson's Chef's Collaboration Edition Bourbon and Rye!! Definitely not a shot I would routinely serve up at home, but on this occasion, it harmoniously blended our Bourbon Trail and ramen experiences together! I didn't pick up on the bartender's name, but him and Chef Dougan were amazing, generous hosts. They went above and beyond to make our first visit to MilkWood (to Louisville) a memorable one!