Jikasei MENSHO — Restaurant in San Francisco

I have been wanting noodles for awhile, so I stopped by Jikasei Mensho to get some ramen.

I hadn’t been here in a long time so I was surprised to see abura soba on the menu. It’s a soupless ramen, which was perfect for me. I do like their broths, but I’m not really a soup person. Though, I did order a side of chicken broth because it’s been cold here in the city lately.

They no longer have those sheets of paper to customize your order. There’s one kiosk to place your order and pay through Square. Unfortunately, there’s no other place to look at the menu other than the kiosk, but they don’t have an extensive menu anyway.

The abura soba was delicious! It is very rich with pork fat and sesame oil. It has a lot of umami flavor. The chili vinegar you get on the side adds a low heat and acidity that’s needed to cut the fat. Though, I could’ve used more acidity. The noodles chewy and had a good bite. It’s topped with seaweed, chashu pork, green onions, bamboo shoots, and one fish cake.

And it’s a big portion! I saved half for dinner and added an egg, adding to its richness. I should’ve tried it with mirin since I needed more acidity, but perhaps a rice wine vinegar would’ve been better (which I don’t have in my kitchen).

As for the chicken broth, it was very comforting with loads of green onions. I’m not big on green onions, but they added a lot of flavor to the broth instead of salt.

The Market is struggling a bit, a shell of its former glory days. Because there aren’t as many dining options as before, there’s plenty of seating. It’s kinda dark, though it was cloudy today but I don’t think that area gets a lot of natural light due to the height of the buildings. Plus, the music was too loud (or maybe I’m just getting old). Jikasei Mensho has its own music, or at least it sounded like it but The Market’s speakers overpowered it. I think calmer, ambient music would’ve matched the vibe, but they can’t help that they’re located in a grocery store.

I’m glad Jikasei Mensho is still here. Their sister restaurant on Geary is only open for dinner with a very long wait. Jikasei Mensho is a good lunch option if you’ve always wanted to try their ramen without waiting for at...

This used to be the most amazing ramen spot around the area. Would come here all the time and literally crave it in my sleep. They recently changed their menu and only offer noodles with a side of soup- no more ramen. Price is still the same as the ramen, without the ramen. Can’t do $20 for a bowl of noodles unfortunately. :(

Edit* the menu has changed again, almost back to the original menu of ramen. However, this time they only have plastic bowls and spoons, which negates a bit from the quality of their food. The bowls seem to lack some of the previous ingredients that were included by default in the ramen.

Thank you for listening to...

Wait time of ~30 minutes for 2 bowls of ramen is a bit ridiculous. I've only ever seen 1 employee working at this shop, so nothing against the employee himself. Perhaps a second person should be hired during lunch rushes.

The Ramen X broth was very, very cumin-heavy. The noodles were decent, and its portion was large. However, there were barely any toppings. Also, I am used to being able to add toppings such as green onions and eggs, but there's no such option at this restaurant. I don't think I've been to a ramen restaurant without...