Ramen @ Menya Musashi, One Utama, Petaling Jaya

It has been too long since my last ramen post. And there seems to be a new contender for my 一番大好き spot. As this place is getting more and more traction, I gave Menya Musashi a try.

Where the action happens.

The place has a typical ramen restaurant vibe to it. Not the authentic feel, as ramen shops tend to be just a bar and quick fix meals rather than a proper sit down experience here. But at least there are Japanese patrons. If its good for them, it has to be good for us right? And like always, you have to sit by the kitchen counter. Not only is it tradition, but it is better you see your food being prepped before your eyes no? 

As dark as my soul

I got myself the black oil with egg ramen (kuro ajitama) which stood for RM25. When I saw that they use black oil, I got intrigued as my favourite condiment is black oil. For the unaware, the black oil is made out of deep fried garlic that is almost burnt into a crisp and then blended in the oil it was fried in. When the bowl came over, it looked promising. It had everything a ramen bowl should have like toppings and of course, that glistening from that layer of grease on top. Ramen rarely is a healthy meal. Lacquered with something like black tar, which is not, the black oil adds a smoky depth to the overall dish. it gives it a distinctive colour and also that smell of burnt garlic gives it a dimension similar to a roast dinner. It may not be for everyone's liking. It fits mine though.

Meh

The soup is quite decent and it packs some serious punch. There is a creamy texture to the soup and there is somewhat of a cloying stickiness. It would probably be from the collagen of the pig bones. Some people do like it, some don't. I particularly do. Although I have to say that the flavour is not very balanced. There is alot of salty porky intensity but then not much else. I can get hints of garlic and soy though. Like some meathead from the gym that does nothing else except working out, it has great strength but not much personality.  The tare sauce needs some tweaking that is for sure. 

This was actually pretty good. Would be perfect with rice. 

The charshu is kinda decent. Braised strips of pork, infused with lots of shoryu, mirin and sugar, it does combine sweet, salty and tartness quite well. It does not break apart easily, but that is ok. It has a decent meaty bite. And the fat does lend a hand in giving it a buttery and slippery feel, which is a good thing. That is to be expected though in any ramen shop though. 

Noodles were spot on. 

The noodles are top notch. Firm and smooth, it latches onto the soup quite easily. There is a great bite to it, having a snap when you go through it with your teeth. It has somewhat of a pale tone to it, probably from the use, or lack thereof of alkaline. Speaking of which, it does not have that cloying or metallic feel you get when you have wan tan mee or cheap yakisoba, which is usually attributed from heavy use of alkaline. 

This reminds me of breakfast, and that is not a good thing. 

The egg however, was not that great. It looked very nice but it was severely under-seasoned. Rather, I think it was not seasoned at all, and felt like a soft boiled egg that I usually have for breakfast. A clear misfire here. 

The rest of the premises. 

As you can tell, the place is alright but it is not spectacular.

Perhaps I have become a ramen snob? Or that I have tasted so much ramen that I know what is good, great and the mediocre? Who knows? But that is my opinion of Menya Musashi. Then again,  I would probably come again if people would invite me for a bowl of noodles. Do not get me wrong, this place does have its merits as it ticks all the boxes, which it succeeds in doing but just barely. Well, except for the egg which does need some serious overhaul. 

Front of the house. 

But I think it does deserve a visit if you are a fan of ramen. If you are somewhere in the One Utama mall, there do drop by. It is located near the Isetan and it is hard to miss.