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| - My first experience with authentic Japanese ramen, and I was not disappointed. Prior to Monta, the only types of ramen I ate were in packages, cups and bowls, usually Korean in descent and instant in nature. So I was surprised, in a good way, when I discovered that Japanese ramen is nothing like the ramen I've eaten before.
My boyfriend was craving ramen for dinner, so I immediately suggested Monta Noodle House after remembering all the positive reviews on Yelp. We entered the restaurant and, thankfully, they had a table for two available. The restaurant itself is small, reminiscent of an authentic ramen house in Japan (at least in my mind). Service was friendly and quick given the ratio of servers to customers.
After reading over the menu, he ordered the Miso Ramen with extra char siu and a Mini Mentaiko while I ordered the Tonkotsu/Shoyu Ramen and an order of Gyoza. Here is the breakdown of the food:
Gyoza- Hot pan-fried pork and vegetable dumplings with just the right amount of crisp from the charred skin which contrasted well with the soft and juicy meat filling. Overall, very good and savory.
Miso Ramen- He enjoyed his ramen, saying that it tasted very authentic. I tried some of his ramen, and while I preferred the broth of his ramen, I liked the thinner noodles from my ramen more.
Mini Mentaiko- He enjoyed this as well. I think it was the perfect light contrast to the heavy ramen.
Tonkotsu/Shoyu Ramen- Delicious! The noodles were perfectly cooked, and the vegetables added texture and mildness to the rich broth. My only complaints are that the broth was just a tad too salty for my taste and the char siu lacked the meatiness I wanted.
Overall, we enjoyed dinner that night. I enjoyed my experience there so much that two days after my initiation into the Japanese ramen world I went again with my mom.
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