A little ramen while you shop? Bowls of noodles may not be the first thing you think of while browsing through clothes at Nordstrom in Valley Fair mall, but the department store’s newest eatery, Raam, occupies a spot smack in the middle of the second floor.

The sleek and modern noodle bar serves a small menu of ramen and steamed buns. The signature items are two ramens, made with char siu beef or spicy red chile pork. Other items on the short menu include the steamed buns, made with either the beef or pork, but are also available vegetarian with shiitake mushrooms.

The red chile pork steamed buns (three for $8.95) were my favorite. Crisp cucumber bites and Granny Smith apple kimchi complement the spiciness of the pork. The green apple kimchi, which subs julienned green apples for the standard Napa cabbage, is available on its own as a tasty small plate ($1.95). The veggie steamed buns ($8.50) with spinach, shiitake mushrooms and a Szechwan glaze were also enjoyable, but if you’re split between the two, my vote is on the pork buns.

Now ramen is where it gets complicated—people will have their favorite ramen house in the Bay Area. And although Raam’s offerings may not necessarily compete with more authentic restaurants, but that doesn’t seem to be what they’re going for. Instead, Raam is a nice getaway from the often crowded Valley Fair Dining Terrace.

The steamy noodle soup is prepared to order with Chinese-style wheat noodles (slightly undercooked, that is the style of ramen not an error on the kitchen) in a hot broth with shredded beef, veggies and a boiled egg, the yolk still slightly runny.

Often, the broth is what makes or breaks a ramen dish. That is why popular ramen houses spend hours simmering bones, fat and spices in preparation of the perfect broth—even though ramen is traditionally served as a fast food dining option. The tasty beef ramen was filling but not overboard. The char siu ramen ($10.25) at Raam is predominantly flavored by sweet, peppery allspice.

Thankfully, someone had the foresight to install quality ventilation because, as fragrant as the noodle soup is, the scent does not waft into the women’s section at Nordstrom.