Monday, July 16, 2007

Menya Shinchan Japanese Noodle Restaurant

Soya Sauce Pork Bone Ramen Super Rich Sinjiro with Vegetables

I never even knew that these guys existed until it was pointed out to me some time ago. Tucked away from sight inside the Riverside View courtyard (30 Robertson Quay #01-05, 6732-0114) sat this little ramen shop with an extensive menu, not to mention a very well-stocked selection of condiments at every station. After looking through everything that they had to offer, I finally settled on the "Soya Sauce Pork Bone Ramen Super Rich Sinjiro with Vegetables," which is only available on weekdays.

GyozaI wasn't too impressed at first. This thing was loaded with so much cabbage that it reminded me a bit of champon, something that hasn't necessarily been one of my faves. It took quite some time to clear all of the cabbage and bean sprouts on top before finally reaching the noodles underneath, by which point I was a bit stuffed. The gyoza was a bit soggier than I was hoping for too, despite coming out with a potentially exciting skin from the bottom of the pan connecting all the individual units together.

The funny thing is though that I can't stop thinking about this place. Maybe it was those delightfully firm and thick noodles, or maybe it was those peculiarly placed drops of soy sauce on top of the cabbage. Maybe it was those tender chunks of chasyu, or maybe it was that surprising gyoza stuffing (was that some kind of fish or even bonito inside that I detected?). So despite not really liking it when I ate it, I want to go back for it again (yes, I'm puzzled too). They had some kind of cheese gyoza on the menu that sounded particularly interesting too.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you tried Waraku yet? It's been so touted by the other floggers that I finally did and the branch at Central served very disappointing food. Everything which could go wrong did - the houba leaf burnt (despite the claims that it would not) and the rice was mushy.

The manager thanked me for my "feedback" which she would "tell the kitchen" about, and that was it! No apology about false claims etc.

I think small shops like Shinchan would serve better quality food than say a large chain. There are a few more gems around the Robertson Quay area, walk around and follow your instincts.

Pity about your trip to Patara (most Thai joints truly suck here) and the money you wasted. Since you aren't so big on ambience, you could try First Thai at Purvis Street. It looked pretty good the last I walked by.

There are more places I'd tip you off to but I don't want the whole world stampeding there. Given that you may attract unwanted attention if you do leave an email address, I guess subtle hints would suffice for now.

Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Hello again :)

For more surprises in the Mohamed Sultan area:

try Wa Tei, a japanese restaurant located between Maru Korean BBQ and Banoo/Papi. You must try the unagi rice and sashimi promotion on weekday lunch (remember sashimi is freshest on fridays!)

JadedOne said...

Despite the amount of yucky veggies you found in your ramen that broth looks so good. It reminds me of my first bowl of Halu ramen. Little globules of fat floating about. Mmm.. *Homer drool*