I busted out of my diet today to check out the SF arrival of a new dedicated ramen-ya with a link to Japan. That would be Men Oh Tokushima Ramen (Geary near 15th Avenue) which is still in its "soft" opening period; the official Grand Opening is August 4.
Tokushima is a prefecture of Japan on Shikoku Island, and has its own characteristic ramen style, one of 20 cataloged in Nate Shockey's A Specifist's Guide to the Regional Ramen of Japan (Lucky Peach, Issue 1). Men Oh Tokushima Ramen is a leading purveyor of this style of ramen, with 12 locations in Japan and one other in the U.S. (in Union City CA).
Tokushima ramen features a tonkatsu-like broth (a legacy of the many ham factories on Shikoku Island) infused with dark soy sauce and uses Butabara (stir-fried pork belly slices) in addition to traditional chashu. Another feature of Tokushima ramen is the provision of a raw egg (still in the shell) for the diner to add to his bowl of noodles.
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As I waited for my noodles, the server brought me the tea I requested and a chilled egg in a little dish. It was stamped with a red "P" for "pasteurized." I took the time to ask her about the noodles. Were they indeed "house made" as the restaurant's website indicated? She replied that they were made off-site in South San Francisco, "where our headquarters is."
Soon after my bowl of ramen arrived, another server appeared with a side order of chashu. "We have to remake the gyoza," she said, and the extra chashu was complementary. I studied my noodles and went about the task of adding the raw egg. The hard part is choosing the most aesthetic location to plump it down.
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And oh, yes the gyoza. They arrived just as I was finishing my ramen, and were not particularly memorable, being a little too oil-laden. I'll be back when the takoyaki is up!
Overall, I found Men Oh Tokushima Ramen delivered a solid bowl of ramen at a reasonable price in an attractive environment with friendly service. I'm no ramen guru, but I predict it will be appearing on all of those "best" lists, and maybe even inviting comparisons with San Mateo and Santa Clara ramen joints.
Where slurped: 5120 Geary Boulevard near 15th Ave,, San Francisco
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