I've been dreaming about a hot bowl of delicious ramen for soooooooo long. Seriously, why does Calgary have so many legit ramen places? I call bull. Oh well, just gives me more reason to visit/move here. I decided to try Menyatai Japanese Ramen for the first time and arrived on a late Friday afternoon. Holy crap, the place was packed and it was well past the lunch rush. Clearly, they know what they're doing. The interior is very Japanese - modern, bright white walls and oozes of friendliness. Even though it was packed, the mood was very serene and enjoyable.
- Seaweed salad ($4.50) -while I waited patiently for my ramen, I ordered a seaweed salad. It was light, crunchy and refreshing. A nice contrast to the ramen actually.
- Spicy tonkatsu ramen ($12.95) - a rich, flavourful pork broth that made you want to lick the bowl clean. I couldn't stop myself from devouring the whole thing. Ahhhhhh, ramen cravings satisfied.
This bowl consisted of bean sprouts, a soft boiled egg (done absolutely right, so soft and yolky), green onion, black mushroom, sliced pork, corn and dried seaweed. Let's talk about that sliced pork - holy crap, I wanted more. It was grilled/charred beforehand and wow, was it ever delicious. Melt in your mouth, just the right amount of fat to accompany it. Too bad it was only one slice...
Menyatai is legit. Japanese speaking staff that are super friendly and provide great service. Water was constantly filled. Take a seat at the ramen bar and take it all in. Can't wait for my next visit!