Shoku Ramen Bar is a hidden away little spot to get ramen and other delicious items for a price that won't leave a huge hole in your wallet. Nicely portioned dishes and a wide variety make Shoku a place that you should seriously consider checking out if you're in the neighborhood.
Food -
The man attraction at Shoku is the ramen. And of that they have many varieties. I tried the spicy black garlic chashu ramen tonight and it was excellent. The broth was spicy (but not overly so) and had a delicious richness that I felt elevated it. It was also packed with extras like seaweed, corn, egg, and more! Also on the menu is ramen with other proteins such as chicken, beef, or tofu. There's even a plain ramen if you don't want any of that for a pretty cheap price! If you're more of an udon fan... guess what... they have udon on the menu as well!
To go along with your ramen, you probably want some appetizers, and Shoku has them ready for you. Many of the mainstays are available such as edamame, wakame, and gyoza. The gyoza can be prepared either pan fried or deep fried. It was nice to have a choice and I asked for pan fried. In hindsight, I think the deep fried version would have been a bit more enjoyable. I'm a big fan of chicken karaage and gave that a try tonight. It had a different style of fry to it than usual. Not bad, but it's not the type I prefer. My friend saw that they had octopus on the menu and gave that a shot. She thought it was a little too sweet for her taste.
One menu item that I thought was very unique were the sandwiches they offered. You can select pork or chicken. The meat is served tonkatsu style with vegetables. It had a good size to it and I felt it could make a pretty decent meal.
Service/Atmosphere -
We came on a slow day of the week, so the servers had some time to really wait on us and make sure everything was good. The servers were excellent and talkative. It was great to ask them a little about the restaurant and their favorites on the menu. They were really awesome.
The restaurant itself has a cut look to it. It's not overly fancy, but the decor does the job well and the booths have a comfy feel to them.
Price -
Price is probably the best aspect of Shoku. The items are very reasonable. The ramen I ordered was $8.95 and that is the highest priced one. I mentioned already that it was full of good ingredients and can fill you up. I thought it was a great deal! The sandwich is also priced well at just $5. I'm not sure if they'll adjust pricing up soon, but if they don't, I'd say that Shoku has some of the best deals in town.
Special Tips and Recommendations -
I recommend the spicy black garlic chashu ramen that I ordered. In fact, both me and my friend ordered it as it looked the best. Our server came over and actually said it was her favorite as well. So with that amount of recommendation, I'd say it's the one to get! If you're afraid it might be too spicy... well... it isn't. It's an enjoyable amount of spice that only the extremely sensitive should be wary of.
Bottom Line -
A great price with friendly service and good portions makes for an excellent place to eat. If I lived closer to Shoku I could see myself stopping by quite often for a nice lunch!
Letter Grade
B
Gyoza that was pan fried. Deep frying also an option.
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