Mensho Tokyo SF — Restaurant in San Francisco

I asked a fellow reviewer where their favorite ramen shop in the city was, in which they replied Mensho. Sold! Mensho is a chain of ramen bars from Japan.

It was 10:30pm on a Thursday night, a full 45-minutes prior to closing. I thought for sure there'd be no line. Surprise, surprise, we were greeted with a short line about 10 deep. Haters passed by, obnoxiously saying "OMG, it's noodles and water!?" And "This was the worst place I've ever eaten at!" Well, you know what? You don't know JACK, f'n top ramen haters!

ATMOSPHERE: The tiny shop sports 3 communal high tops and a low-seat counter for a grand total of about 30 warm bodies. You will wait and you will sit with, amongst, or even in between strangers. While hangrily waiting outside, I was getting annoyed at the patrons inside who were SLOWLY eating their ramen, thinking they were doing it deliberately. Explanation will be revealed below.

MENU: Ramen, mazesoba & aburasoba (soup-less ramen), rice, beer, sake. I didn't see tsukemen listed.

FOOD: Tori Paitan I've heard of this broth style and was anxious to try it. I added a shoyu ajitama. It's been a while since a bowl of ramen made me moan. Wow to the rich, thick, creamy and searing hot broth. I was expecting it to be white in color but it was tannish/light brown. The noodles were wavy and thick, cooked springy al dente and served piping hot too, YES! Included toppings were kale (which I could do without due to its tough stalk), bamboo, dried burdock shavings, green onion, pork chashu and something I've never had, duck chash that was amazing. Nearing the end of the bowl, you're so full from the broth's richness and thickness, you will slow down. Sorry for talking crap about those inside before me who I thought were table camping, lol. Highly recommended for the ramen connoisseur.

Enoki Mushroom Chips Yum, like mushroom tempura! The squeeze of lemon and sprinkling of a red spicy-looking salt really weren't needed.

Organic Shoyu Ramen I'm a shoyu broth fanatic so this was a must-try. The broth had a strong smoky-bonito flavor which I loved. Unfortunately they ran out of both miso & shoyu ajitamas 2 hours after opening, but I did get added bean sprouts and the included pork and duck chashu, bamboo, nori square and yucky kale, though the kale sprouts were good. The noodles in this version were flat and wide, still cooked perfectly chewy and came out searing hot. This ranks right up there for me with the version at Momofuku.

Spicy Lamb Ramen If you think the Tori Paitan is thick and rich, this sucker is beats it. It's a miso broth topped with ground lamb, pork chashu, nira (Chinese leeks) bamboo and green onions. No egg for my spouse either as they ran out, but he did receive burdock shavings. The spoonful of broth I tasted was intense and a bit like curry. Personally, I'd stick to the paitan for a rich broth, but he absolutely loved it.

SERVICE: No reservations are made. We were seated in about 35 minutes. The staff were friendly and professional, and food service was quick. The only hiccup was the absence of a requested glass of water.

TIPS: The menu posted at the sidewalk entry is less detailed than the menu given at the table (some ramen styles and toppings weren't listed).

There's an automatic 15% gratuity to all parties, something I despise. What a shame because I would've left 20%.

OVERALL: Was it worth the...

TLDR: Spicy Vegan tantanmen was average with very less veggies, other things ruined our experience. Poor value for money. I regret waiting 45+ minutes to taste this food.

Things we did not like:

This restaurant charges ridiculous amounts for almost everything you can imagine, I am surprised they don't charge us for the air we breathe.

1. They charge 1$ for hot water (first time in the US where we are charged for hot water).

2. They enforce a policy of one ramen minimum per person (a big shock for us!). We got to know this only after standing in the line for 50 minutes in the rain. This may not be a big deal for many, but my husband and I usually order one ramen bowl and share the ramen between the two of us. This has worked out for us in the past and has been fun. Because of this stupid rule, we are forced to spend 2x, stuffing ourselves until we are no longer able to eat anymore and stil forced to do takeouts. Again, ramen should be eaten piping hot and in-person, takeouts never taste the same.

3. They do not pickup the phone number displayed on yelp, repeatedly called them to ask if they will substitute toppings and to enquire about their policies.

4. They charge ridiculous amounts for the topping (extra noodles 5$, even togarashi costs 2$, while other premier ramen restaurants charge half the price for these things).

5. They do not allow for substitutions, despite charging a very high price for the ramen.

My problem with this place more than the cost per ramen is the poor value for money and the ridiculous charges for anything and everything and forcing customers to order one ramen per person. Atleast for the price they charge, I expected a decent restaurant experience.

Food: We ordered the Spicy vegan Tantanmen. The broth had a very interesting smoky flavor. If you don't like mushrooms, avoid this place- they have mushrooms in most of the vegan broth for umami and mushroom heavy toppings). I liked the smoked nuts and the minced soybean but there were no other veggies excluding some leafy green, everything is 2$ extra. They charge 2$ extra if you order the spicy vegan tantanmen instead of the vegan tantanmen

If you would like a "wholesome" vegan tantanmen with reasonable veggies, be ready to spend 30$ per person.

Ambiance: This restaurant is located in a very sketchy area of SF, with homeless folks everywhere on the street. The restaurant can seat 25-30 people max, so everyone else has to wait outside on the street. It was drizzling when we stood in the line and there was no cover or waiting area. It was a surprise that we did not get mugged while standing on the streets. The restaurant was also very cramped - they had a large table and used acrylic/plastic dividers to divide between tables. There was no place to keep/hang coats, barely to even move around. Would not recommend this place for claustrophobic people.

Service: We got an asian lady as the assigned waiter and her communication was very poor. We asked for forks and small spoons repeatedly and she kept attending other tables while our ramen was cooling down.

For a michelin starred restaurant, this place was very underwhelming...

A Tale of Two Menshos : SF vs. Oakland (Garlic Knock-Out Edition)

We've been loyal fans of Mensho for a while now, frequenting the Oakland location regularly. This weekend, we finally made it to the San Francisco branch for the first time--little did we know it's been around for years! Naturally, I had to do a side-by-side comparison, especially since I always go for the same dish: the Vegan Garlic Knock-Out.

Let's start with the garlic. Wow--SF did not hold back. True to its name, the ramen packed a serious garlicky punch. In Oakland, I've never quite gotten that same intensity. It feels like either they skip the raw garlic or just go lighter on it, which makes it noticeably milder. Still delicious--but not quite the same level of "knock-out."

Broth-wise, both are rich and creamy, although I've noticed the Oakland version has recently become a bit thinner, almost watery. That's actually what brought us to the SF location--we were craving that OG creamy texture. SF delivered.

A few more ingredient differences: SF still includes sweet potatoes, which Oakland sadly removed recently. That was always a highlight for me. On the flip side, the corn in Oakland is char-grilled, giving it a nice smoky bite. In SF, it's simply cooked--not bad, but lacking that depth. Oakland also added some new mushrooms, but I'm not a fan. They felt rubbery and overwhelming, kind of clashing with the noodles. Honestly, I miss the old Garlic Knock-Out in Oakland--it was more balanced and more in line with what SF is still serving.

One more thing worth noting, Oakland does serve a small additional variety of sushi and aji fries, which is a fun bonus if you're craving something extra or dining with someone not in a ramen mood. It's a nice touch that adds a bit more versatility to the menu.

Atmosphere comparison: Oakland wins in terms of vibe. The space is bigger, dimly lit, and feels super chill. Bonus points for beer on tap (Asahi and Fieldwork!) and more seating. SF, on the other hand, is tighter and brightly lit, with more of a fast-paced energy. But it gave off nostalgic Tokyo ramen-ya vibes--cozy, cheerful, bustling. Definitely a different, authentic experience. The long line at SF had us questioning whether it was worth it on a late Saturday night, but we were pleasantly surprised: they kept it moving and managed to seat everyone even close to closing time.

Big shoutout to the SF team--the staff was incredibly hardworking, friendly, and just nonstop. Their hustle and smiles didn't go unnoticed. Definitely tip them well--they deserve it.

Overall, both spots have their charm and unique take on the same dish. But if I had to choose based on the Garlic Knock-Out alone, SF takes the crown for now. I really hope the Oakland location brings back the original recipe--it made them stand out, and I'd love to see that version return.

Can't wait to go...