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Renowned Tokyo ramen shop Mensho Ramen opening first US shop in SF this weekend Feb 6

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X

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blo...ensho-ramen-opens-this-week-in-san-francisco/

After multiple delays, the first U.S. outpost of Tokyo’s Mensho Ramen will finally open its doors to the public this Saturday, February 6.

The brains behind uber-popular ramen chain is chef/owner Tomoharu Shono, whom Inside Scoop first spoke with last spring.

Shono, who has six ramen shops in Tokyo, considers himself to be a ramen creator (the title is even on his business card) and is known for his inventive ramen dishes, like foie gras tsukemen. In fact, each one of his restaurants offers a different theme when it comes to ramen, including one called Gotsubo that’s all vegetable-focused.

For San Francisco, the chef is importing a number of ingredients from Japan, including kombu (seaweed) and dried katsuo (skip-jack tuna) for making dashi. Shono also plans to make use of the abundance found in the Bay Area’s local farmer’s markets, which the chef likens to Disneyland.

Assisting Shono with the U.S. opening is business partner Abram Plaut. Originally from the Bay Area, Plaut has lived in Japan since 2004, where he’s made a name for himself as a ramen critic for Tokyo’s Weekly Playboy Magazine. This is how he and Shono first met.

Shono will be on-site for the next week or so to finalize the opening, then return to Japan. Plaut will also be dividing his time between Tokyo and San Francisco. Overseeing the kitchen when Shono’s not on-site will be Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, one of his former Tokyo ramen chefs.

As the restaurant gets up and running, the menu will have a limited number of items, including a small starter ramen, which is served by combining kombu dashi and kastuoboshi dashi via a coffee siphon, which will be poured over fresh noodles — served in a martini glass of all things. A ramen amuse bouche, if you will, Shono describes this dish as a “mini welcome” to all his guests.

One thing that won’t be on the menu just yet is Shono’s tonkotsu ramen. To make the broth properly at home in Japan, the chef cooks it for about 8-10 hours then removes it from the heat to age another 8-10 on the stovetop. With our strict safety regulations here stateside, that won’t do, so he’s currently perfecting a version that ages the broth in the refrigerator instead.

Shono has also imported a large noodle maker from Japan to make their own noodles, but the team is still building out the noodle room in the restaurant’s basement. Look for house-made noodles to debut in about six months or so.
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Shono and Plaut also point out that ramen is meant to be enjoyed fresh and fast, so there will be a one hour time limit for dining — this should also help with the guaranteed lines — and will encourage guests to eat their noodles on-site and not take leftovers home.

Plaut says that if the San Francisco shop does well, there will likely be more Mensho shops to come stateside. (A Paris outpost was also in the works, but was scrapped following the terrorist attacks last November. Shono is also working on opening a ramen shop in Turin, Italy.)

Hours to start will be Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday from 5 p.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday until 2 a.m. (This weekend only, the ramen shop will open at 6 p.m. rather than 5 p.m.) The hours may shift in the coming months and will eventually include lunch.
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Tqnf8nV.jpg
 
M

midramble

Pizza, Bourbon, and Thanos
My wife is going to be super happy. As soon as she gets here from Tokyo, Tokyo ramen will be waiting. (Though I still like ramen underground)
 
E

ezekial45

Banned
The lines are gonna be ridiculous for this, especially during Super Bowl weekend. >_<

I'll go another day, though. This looks really cool. I've been getting really into Ramen recently, and I want to try another place out.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Jelly New Yorker checking in.
 
X

Xelinis

Junior Member
Really glad the SF ramen scene is growing so fast. Orenchi Beyond and Iza Ramen are still my gotos, but I gladly welcome more.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya in Austin still blows away anything here. Come on SF, step it up!
 
I

Izuna

Banned
I've been to some great ramen places in Tokyo. It's really... a dish that can be "good" enough. I think ramen is about the love when its made, and that simply has to be consistent for a shop to be so renowned. You're certain it's going to be good.

I imagine people will expect some god-tier tasting ramen that shits on everything they have had and be disappointed.
 
X

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
BronsonLee said:
foie gras tsukemen sounds like death
Click to expand...

Rich, delicious death.

izunadono said:
I've been to some great ramen places in Tokyo. It's really... a dish that can be "good" enough. I think ramen is about the love when its made, and that simply has to be consistent for a shop to be so renowned. You're certain it's going to be good.

I imagine people will expect some god-tier tasting ramen that shits on everything they have had and be disappointed.
Click to expand...

But you'll also likely have a lot of people who have only had the instant noodle variety and a high profile shop opening may get them to finally try out a real ramen place.
 
A

Alric

Member
Definitely like to try it out. Luckily in NJ I have several Ramen Shops. Ani Ramen in Montclair, and Fort Lee has several, as well as Mitsuwa a japanese supermarket.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Alric said:
Definitely like to try it out. Luckily in NJ I have several Ramen Shops. Ani Ramen in Montclair, and Fort Lee has several, as well as Mitsuwa a japanese supermarket.
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I was just about to post bitching about how there aren't nearly enough of these Ramen shops on the East coast. May have to may a small trip to go to some of these places on the weekend.
 
J

JoeyJungle

Banned
XiaNaphryz said:
Tqnf8nV.jpg
Click to expand...

I don't know how to eat this with chop sticks. Take a bit of meat and then a bite of noodles? What do I do with the stuff on the side (that's seaweed right?)?

I love pho and ramen but I kinda feel dumb every time I order it. For pho: Are you supposed to squirt the hot sweet and hot stuff into the bowl, or onto each bite?
 
S

SeanC

Member
I dunno. This Ramen shop down the street from me is probably the best Ramen I've had (and it's not even the main restaurant, that one is in Little Osaka). All from scratch as well. Going to be damn hard to beat. I just need good solid ramen and it delivers big-time.
 
S

SeanC

Member
JoeyJungle said:
I don't know how to eat this with chop sticks. Take a bit of meat and then a bite of noodles? What do I do with the stuff on the side (that's seaweed right?)?

I love pho and ramen but I kinda feel dumb every time I order it. For pho: Are you supposed to squirt the hot sweet and hot stuff into the bowl, or onto each bite?
Click to expand...

Yeah, take a bite of this and a bite of that, use the spoon to help support the noodles as you slurp if need, then slurp down some broth.

Lots of slurping.

So much slurping.
 
R

Resilient

Member
JoeyJungle said:
I don't know how to eat this with chop sticks. Take a bit of meat and then a bite of noodles? What do I do with the stuff on the side (that's seaweed right?)?

I love pho and ramen but I kinda feel dumb every time I order it. For pho: Are you supposed to squirt the hot sweet and hot stuff into the bowl, or onto each bite?
Click to expand...

You essentially have to use the chopsticks to eat the noodles ONLY. Make sure that once the noodles are completely done you take a sip of the soup BEFORE touching the chashoe (Japanese style pork; I've written it in romaji). From here feel free eat the meat, you can use a fork, the ladle or your hands if you want. The key is that the noodles are gone so you won't tarnish the pork each time you bite it. Also before you begin eating the meal make sure you say audibly "ITATAAKIMASS" within earshot of the head chef.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Resilient said:
You essentially have to use the chopsticks to eat the noodles ONLY. Make sure that once the noodles are completely done you take a sip of the soup BEFORE touching the chashoe (Japanese style pork; I've written it in romaji). From here feel free eat the meat, you can use a fork, the ladle or your hands if you want. The key is that the noodles are gone so you won't tarnish the pork each time you bite it. Also before you begin eating the meal make sure you say audibly "ITATAAKIMASS" within earshot of the head chef.
Click to expand...

notsureifserious.gif
 
S

SeanC

Member
Resilient said:
You essentially have to use the chopsticks to eat the noodles ONLY. Make sure that once the noodles are completely done you take a sip of the soup BEFORE touching the chashoe (Japanese style pork; I've written it in romaji). From here feel free eat the meat, you can use a fork, the ladle or your hands if you want. The key is that the noodles are gone so you won't tarnish the pork each time you bite it. Also before you begin eating the meal make sure you say audibly "ITATAAKIMASS" within earshot of the head chef.
Click to expand...

So you save the meat for last?
 
J

Jinaar

Member
I want that right now. RIGHT NOW!!!! Last year's experience in Japan and all the ramen I ate was mind blowing. Need so much more in my belly.

We actually got a really awesome ramen place recently in Edmonton.
Prairie Noodle Shop
 
J

- J - D -

Member
The location is not so far away from Japantown a few blocks down from it on Geary that it'd be difficult to immediately compare to some other offerings.

But many SF natives I know are always quick to say that there's "No good ramen in SF", that to find what you want you need to venture out to somewhere else around the Bay area. Always makes me wonder if standards are just impossibly high and how Mensho Ramen will be received.

I expect a convergence on yelp of 3 star reviews.
 
R

Resilient

Member
SeanC said:
So you save the meat for last?
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Always; the head chef usually spend 5-10 years training with his sensei in order to perfect the chashoe flavour and texture. It cooks further in the broth infusing with each of the flavours. To eat it first would be an insult to the head chef and his sensei.
 
B

BronsonLee

Member
Bronx-Man said:
The weeaboo in me wants this to come to the east coast :(
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East Coast ramen is better anyway, it's just how it is

Resilient said:
Always; the head chef usually spend 5-10 years training with his sensei in order to perfect the chashoe flavour and texture. It cooks further in the broth infusing with each of the flavours. To eat it first would be an insult to the head chef and his sensei.
Click to expand...

*uppercut*
 
S

Scavenger

Member
Resilient said:
You essentially have to use the chopsticks to eat the noodles ONLY. Make sure that once the noodles are completely done you take a sip of the soup BEFORE touching the chashoe (Japanese style pork; I've written it in romaji). From here feel free eat the meat, you can use a fork, the ladle or your hands if you want. The key is that the noodles are gone so you won't tarnish the pork each time you bite it. Also before you begin eating the meal make sure you say audibly "ITATAAKIMASS" within earshot of the head chef.
Click to expand...
This is how you eat ramen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9m6FoSw4jE
 
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