It all starts with the stock, for a lighter, more subtle flavour
Mark Laba
Province
Yoshiko (left) and Chisa of Motomachi Shokudo restaurant with one of their specialties, Bamboo Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen soup. Photograph by : Arlen Redekop, The Province
Motomachi Shokudo
Where: 740 Denman St.,
Payment/reservations: Major credit cards, 604-609-0310
Drinks: Beer and soft drinks
Hours: Open Thurs.-Tues., noon-11 p.m., closed Wednesday
Stupid soup,” Peaches is fond of saying.
“What is it with you and soup?” I ask her.
“I just don’t understand it. Soup? What kind of food is that? I go out with a friend at lunch, they order soup and I think, what kind of meal is that? I mean, you throw some crackers in and at least you get something solid to eat but really, soup? You eat that stuff when you’re sick.”
Which is exactly the reason why I took Small Fry Eli and not Peaches along to this new ramen-soup experience from a master noodle-soup maker and owner of this establishment, Daiji Matsubara. The Law also came along to carry Small Fry Eli’s bag of toys, mandatory when dining out with a four-year-old.
It’s a very cool space, a kind of stylish tranquility like something you’d see on a Japanese feudal castle during the samurai reign.
Inside are three small tables, counter seating and one communal affair in the centre, all fashioned in a rough-hewn wood, as if a lumberjack with design sensibilities ran amok through the place. Stalks of dried wheat run the length of the communal table so that you’re not face-to-face with fellow noodle slurpers. I think of it as a Saskatchewan splash guard. Cool jazz on the airwaves.
We took the counter seats facing the kitchen and perched on the odd chairs that really resemble shoeshine-box constructions. Small Fry Eli began populating the space with toys and even donned a recent obsession of his — woodworker protective eyewear.
“Good thing you brought your gyoza goggles,” I say as he dug into a plump, pork-filled dough body that we enjoyed as an appetizer. “Never know when these doughboys are gonna explode with minced pork shrapnel.” Very good gyoza indeed ($3.75) with a soft but sturdy pan-fried exterior and delicious interior. A harmonious blend of all the right textures and flavours, which is pretty much the anthem of this noodle paradise.
Besides the few appetizers like gyoza, brown-rice veggie sushi, kimchee and barbecued pork ribs, this joint is really a one-trick pony. But what a trick it is. This is ramen heaven and Matsubara, who also runs Kintaro a few doors down, has opted for an organic chicken stock rather than pork-based broth, which makes this soup feel lighter and, I think, imparts a subtler flavour. The texture of the noodles is magnificent.
Sampled the spicy miso ramen creation ($9.65) with organic chicken, lotus root, cabbage, spinach, onion, carrot, mizuna (a Japanese mustard green), dried bamboo, corn and hot chili sauce. There was more stuff bobbing around in this broth than bodies from Mob hits in the East River.
The Law took a risk with the esoteric Bamboo Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen ($9.75) that included a soft-boiled egg, Japanese leek, barbecued pork, sliced chili pepper and actual charcoal stirred into the broth. The result is a grey mire that smells like a campfire and tastes a lot better than it looks. The charcoal is supposed to aid digestion and I’ve noticed this same effect when I’ve eaten the ash-charred carapaces of roasted marshmallows. You wouldn’t believe soup could carry such layers of flavours, but with building blocks like Himalayan or Mongolian salt, various miso blends or raw, unpasteurized soy sauce, not to mention the excellent meat and veggie additions, this soup is as smart as a noodle whip.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
A ramen noodle tongue-lashing.
RATINGS: Food: B+ Service: B+ Atmosphere: B
© The Vancouver Province 2008
