Only two area ramen shops—Monta and Sora—participated in the recent ramenfest at the annual Las Vegas Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival. That’s a shame, because there are lots of great soup noodles that deserve some shine. Shoku and Tatsu, to name two, but also the tiny and versatile Fukumimi. This unassuming east-side eatery blends tonkotsu (pork) broth with salt, soy and spicy miso broths, serves a chicken-based ramen, and all summer long offered cold tomato ramen with chilled pork soup, sesame sauce, vinegar and vegetables.

Fukumimi’s flexibility continues with its non-ramen dishes, ranging from chashu pork or curry rice bowls to deep-fried agedashi tofu ($3.90). Then there’s one of the Valley’s best versions of karaage ($3.90), juicy scraps of dark-meat chicken deep fried in a light, cornmeal-laced batter. All it needs is a quick squeeze of lemon, but I experimented with dunking the chicken in my spicy soup broth. Is that against the rules?

Fukumimi Ramen 4860 S. Eastern Ave. #2, 631-2933. Daily, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.