They say there’s a matcha shortage, but that doesn’t seem to apply to ramen…
Every year Mensho does a “Valentine’s Day” themed ramen. Normally it’s got chocolate, maybe something red, perhaps a western fusion riff. But this year it’s matcha ramen with cocoa noodles. And a diabolical amount of duck.
My favorite part was probably the noodles; it’s no small feat to use cocoa which normally results a crumbly dough - but with ramen you need bounce and cohesion. These danced between a soba/ramen/dare I say masa texture. Loved the originality.
And of course the duck was fabulous. Look at that crimson hue and rainbow of fat. Had to scarf them up real quick before they got any more cooked in the hot soup.
Speaking of soup, it was an EARTHY toripaitan chicken and matcha situation. Not sweet at all - like real matcha - and surprisingly emulsified. Would I eat this often? Nah. But thb again I don’t trend towards creamy chicken soups in the first place. But I can definitely respect it for what it is! It’s not entirely giving Valentine vibes if you ask me, but matcha is what gets the people going, so I can see the allure.
