Mazesoba @ Menya Hanabi, Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur

With more and more eateries slowly opening up, it is nice going back to more food exploring like what I usually do. I will still bring about recipes from time to time, but for now, I am just glad I can delegate the cooking to some one else! And there is no better meal to delegate than a bowl of noodles. Well, instant noodles is fine occasionally, but if you are looking for true sustenance, then a proper noodle house is needed. 

Like an actual "menya"

Enter Menya Hanabi. Originally from Nagoya, this Japanese ramen joint is not your usual as it serves mazesoba, which is a dry version of ramen. Akin to chilli pan mee, this unique noodle dish has a different textural experience. Being a "dry" form of noodle, it would still require some liquid to have the flavours latch on. That is where a raw egg comes in, similar to chilli pan mee. And as it is without soup, the noodles are not as "slippery" as normal ramen bowls. Which is also similar to chilli pan me. And last but not least, you would need to break that yolk before eating, again similar to pan mee! But a Japanese clone it is not. 

Look at that combination!

The lacking of soup in turn changes the flavours too. The flavour in ramen mostly comes from the liquid of the dish (ie: the soup, the tare and abura, or seasoning sauce and aroma oil respectively). Instead, it goes all out in terms of the topping. If you are a fan of toppings, you will love this place. Loaded with minced meat, spring onions, seaweed and dried bonito shavings, there is alot going on. The mince meat was spicy, a little sweet and packs a whole lot of kick. The bonito flakes were a sleeper hit, but it was also the second attack to the senses, with its classic pungency and seafood profile putting your senses into overdrive. Then everything hits home with the seaweed and spring onions. And all of that was melded together with that creamy egg which acted like a glue to hold everything in.  

Messy!

The noodles were great too. Thick, chewy and a lot of bite, this was some serious eats. And for you serious ramen heads out there, as the minced meat was so flavourful, and loaded with juice and chilli oil, the tare and abura criteria is definitely ticked off. It is a little odd not to talk about soup for ramen, as it is usually a main star. They do have it in this outlet but since the mazesoba is their main attraction, why focus on the second fiddle? 

Round 2?

But if you have space for more, or you do not want to waste any of that glorious ingredients, you can request for plain rice FOC to scoop up any remainder of the eggy and meaty debris left behind. As Mom always says : waste not right? So a scoop of steamed Japanese rice came soon after. And even though it was mixed with the ingredients that I already eaten, the experience was different. It felt more like a porridge, seeing that Japanese rice has a more starchy construct, compared to the usual long grain rice we have on most days. Real awesome. And did I mention the rice was for free? 

A good PSA

There are some reviews that I have read that has critiqued that the joint lacked variety, and thus was given a thumbs down. But I have to strongly disagree. Japanese outlets, especially with origins from Japan directly, pride themselves in doing one or a few things great and leave the rest to someone else. As the old saying goes: "One who chases after two hares won't catch even one" or "二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず" for you language purists out there. 

Front of the house! I actually like the mascot, looks quite cute. 

Overall, I give this place a huge thumbs up. The food is good and  the experience is really like a proper rustic menya. Lastly, its not easy to get mazesoba, even in Japan, so this is a special plus. So if you are willing to make the trouble to finally go out and dine (while social distancing of course), why not put Menya Hanabi on the list? The address is as follows:

No 16, Jalan Radin Bagus 6, Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur

PS: they have another branch at the Arkadia, if that is more convenient for you