My review is only based on the food as I went on their soft opening day.
I like ramen. I don't care if it's a chain or a mom and pop shop as long as it taste good. I learned that Jinya is a chain but I've never been to their other locations so I was excited to try their version. First glance at their menu: large selection of ramen and snacks.
Short blurb about each dish we tried:
Jinya bao: thick slab of fatty pork belly tucked inside a soft, pillowy bun. Oh it was so good. Fatty, sinful, deliciously good.
Side salad (combo with ramen) was a standard spring mix but the dressing was very salty. We gave feedback to the owner and he said it is a recipe from head office but will look into it.
Gyozas were housemade, dainty and flavorful.
chicken karaage were crispy, juicy and lightly fried.
The ramen: I went with the classic tonkotsu and loved how flavorful the broth was. It had a rich pork taste but was not overly salty. The thin noodles (my preference) was cooked perfectly and had great texture. The soft boiled marinated egg (ajitama) was seasoned nicely with a perfectly ooey, gooey yolk.
Hubby went with the spicy umami miso ramen and said he really liked it. I did try the broth and it had some heat to it.
Desserts (panna cotta and mochi) were your standard fare but a nice way to end your meal.
We had an opportunity to chat with the owner afterwards and learned quite a bit about opening a Japanese owned chain! But from that you can expect quality control and consistent taste of their food across all their locations. I thought their prices are pretty similar to other ramen shops in the city. I am anxious to return to try their other ramen but will wait until the crowd dies down a bit before I haul my two kids there. Oh check out their kids combo - spectacular value!!