Latest news with #Mensho
Time Out
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Eat Ramen Fest slurps back into town
If you've ever dreamt of eating your way through Japan without leaving Bangkok, this is your moment. Hosted by the beloved Thai TV show known for spotlighting Thai culinary gems, Khrua Khun Toi, it will take place on July 18-20. The event is Eat Ramen Fest, a three-day noodle-fuelled celebration that gathers over 16 of Thailand's top ramen vendors inside Samyan Mitrtown. Think of it as your golden ticket to noodle paradise. For three straight days, the ground floor of Samyan Mitrtown transforms into a ramen arena filled with some of the country's most respected ramen chefs and a few international legends. They will be serving up their signature bowls, exclusive festival-only creations, and steaming, soul-warming goodness from 11am to 9pm daily. This isn't just any ramen roundup – Chef Jo of Shindo Ramen, Chef Shono from Tokyo's cult-favourite Mensho, Chef Sakamoto of Menya Itto and Chef Kurihara from Toyama's Iroha Ramen will all be dishing out their best bowls. Eat your way through the stalls and collect stamps from five different ramen vendors to unlock the chance to win a reservation at No Name Noodle – the elusive, reservation-only ramen bar helmed by Chef Shin Inoue. No Name Noodle doesn't advertise, doesn't do walk-ins and doesn't take new bookings lightly. Got a bottomless pit for a stomach? Take on the Ramen Kaedama Challenge. The ultimate endurance eat-off. Slurp your way through as many noodle refills as possible, and if you come out on top, you'll win round-trip tickets from Bangkok to Fukuoka, Japan's ramen capital. Yes, that's right. Win a noodle contest, fly to where ramen was born.
The Age
06-06-2025
- General
- The Age
Beyond the big bowls: Three extra-special ramens to seek out in Melbourne this winter
Melbourne's ramen love affair is evolving. For the past decade or so, the ramen scene has been dominated by franchises such as Hakata Gensuke, Ippudo and Mensho – places often with broad menus and flavour bombs to capture the masses. However, more refined, single-minded shops are beginning to emerge. These shops dive into one specific broth, sauce base, and noodles, based on regional produce in Japan, and you can expect nuanced slurps with personal inspiration from the chef. For monthly innovations and Ginza-esque cool: Suupaa Cremorne's brand new Suupaa, from the Future Future team, serves a monthly rotating ramen with a slick convenient store twist. Its current bowl is a chicken and pork broth mixed with a base of two types of miso rendered in pork mince and fat, and boosted by scallop powder. Wagyu brisket slices also make an appearance, marinated overnight in salt koji and slow-cooked for 36 hours. The black garlic and sesame tan tan, a soup-less 'abura' style vegetarian ramen with burnt-garlic chilli oil and crunchy broad bean furikake, is also a standout.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Beyond the big bowls: Three extra-special ramens to seek out in Melbourne this winter
Melbourne's ramen love affair is evolving. For the past decade or so, the ramen scene has been dominated by franchises such as Hakata Gensuke, Ippudo and Mensho – places often with broad menus and flavour bombs to capture the masses. However, more refined, single-minded shops are beginning to emerge. These shops dive into one specific broth, sauce base, and noodles, based on regional produce in Japan, and you can expect nuanced slurps with personal inspiration from the chef. For monthly innovations and Ginza-esque cool: Suupaa Cremorne's brand new Suupaa, from the Future Future team, serves a monthly rotating ramen with a slick convenient store twist. Its current bowl is a chicken and pork broth mixed with a base of two types of miso rendered in pork mince and fat, and boosted by scallop powder. Wagyu brisket slices also make an appearance, marinated overnight in salt koji and slow-cooked for 36 hours. The black garlic and sesame tan tan, a soup-less 'abura' style vegetarian ramen with burnt-garlic chilli oil and crunchy broad bean furikake, is also a standout.
Time Out
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Mensho Tokyo
This Michelin-recognized chicken ramen chain has opened its first L.A. outpost in the heart of downtown Culver City, and the tori paitan is absolutely worth the hype. On my visit, I tried the signature tori paitan, which uses a creamy chicken broth base and adds three kinds of chashu (A5 Wagyu, fermented pork and duck), truffle sauce, burdock chips and more. I also ordered the Garlic Knock Out, which is Mensho's maximalist version of a spicy ramen, but ultimately preferred the milder signature, at least as a first-timer. The array of appetizers here are just as well considered, from buttery corn ribs to a tasty chicken karaage served with spicy garlic sauce or house fermented black vinegar. The Wagyu-obsessed will probably appreciate the A5 nigiri, which can be topped with scallions or ikura, but I found the dish to be rather underwhelming. The restaurant doesn't offer reservations or even a formal waitlist, and the queue can end up taking about 45 minutes or more on weekend evenings. For best results, arrive early, or try coming on a Tuesday or Wednesday night.
Eater
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Mensho Ramen in Culver City Could Be LA's Best New Noodle Shop
One of Tokyo's most celebrated ramen restaurants, Mensho Ramen, opened in Culver City on May 16 without much of an announcement beyond a subtle post on Instagram from its chef, Tomoharu Shono. The small space along Culver Boulevard has already drawn modest lines for its toripaitan-based ramen, housemade wheat noodles, and inventive topping combinations. Alongside its LA expansion, Mensho has already opened two outlets in San Francisco and one in Oakland to great fanfare stateside, which means its arrival in Southern California could spark a similar response in an arguably vaster and more passionate ramen scene. Mensho keeps it fairly straightforward with a creamy, chicken-based broth that is as rich as, or even richer than, Hakata-style tonkotsu, offering a subtle sweetness that balances the thick, mochi-like noodles. The shop's signature ramen ($28), topped with tender duck slices, A5 wagyu beef, fermented pork chashu, truffle sauce, mushroom menma, smoked ajitama egg, gobo chips, and hojicha, is a torrential cavalcade of umami-rich ingredients. The toppings blend together with the heady, aromatic, and textural pleasures on par with some of the best ramen bowls in Japan. Even among LA's crowded ramen market, this is one of the most impressive bowls already. Flavor combinations extend to the Garlic Knock Out, laden with various notes of the allium, including grilled garlic, black garlic oil, minced garlic, fried garlic chips, red onion, spicy gobo chips, and a subtle chile sauce. Think of it as a redolent cousin to Mensho's signature, with a lot more crunchy texture. An Old School bowl takes out the luxe duck and A5 wagyu, keeping the toppings more classic. A chicken and lamb-based broth comprises the final meat-based variant, with spicy ground lamb, eggplant, smoked nuts, and shishito peppers offering a truly gonzo permutation. Mensho also prepares three vegan ramen bowls (a take on the Garlic Knock Out, cauliflower tan tan, and yuzu) which employ a shio koji and dashi broth. Unfortunately, the shop doesn't offer gluten-free noodles yet. Appetizers are focused yet well-executed, including corn 'wings' meant to resemble ones made with chicken, karaage fried chicken, fried horse mackerel (aji), and a negi-ikura rice bowl topped with seasoned salmon roe. The restaurant's diminutive space, previously occupied by Sweet Lily Bakery, accommodates about 40 diners at a time, including those seated at a large triangular communal table, four-tops, and counter seating. Mensho's expansion appears to have been thoughtful and slow-paced compared to competitors like Jinya and Kyuramen, which have opened dozens of locations across the country in recent years. In Culver City alone, the ramen scene is heating up with nearby Ippudo opening last month, Afuri down the block, and Moto farther west. Mensho has five stores in Japan, one in Melbourne, and another in Bangkok, and just opened a restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mensho Ramen is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays at 9516 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232. Sign up for our newsletter.
