The place
Praise be! Ramen in Shanghai is finally picking up some steam, after a long drought period when all we serial ramenizers had was Ippudo (yummy) and Ajisen (bleurgh).
There's been a couple new openings this year, notably Shaanxi Nan Lu's Ramen Shop, but nothing to get particularly excited about until now.
Ramen Samurai Ryu is not a Japanese chain, but a Hong Kong one, the first branch of which was established in 1961 by this guy:
Considered the ramen 'sensei,' in whose footsteps the chain's subsequent ramen chef's aspire to follow, Ramen Samurai Ryu is proud of its traditions and strives to uphold them, which is good news for you as it means the flavor of the ramen has not been 'adapted' (read: bastardized) to local tastes.
The food
Ramen game here is pretty simple, but the ordering page is currently only in Japanese or Chinese. Thusly, we've translated the words into English below – all you need do is tick the box on the form as to how you want them to prepare it.
There's three bases to choose from: original tonkotsu (原味，pork bone broth, RMB47), spicy (辣味，RMB49), and our favorite: black garlic (黑蒜味，RMB52).
After that you need to specify how thick you want your broth. 'Extra thick' （浓）was way too intense and heavy for most tastes, best stick to medium thickness （普通）, or light (淡) if you prefer a lighter base.
Next you can also say how you like your noodles: hard (硬)，extra hard (超硬) , medium (普通) or soft (软) Best avoid the latter unless you want them soggy af. After that choose your toppings. We went for extra shredded white scallions (白葱) and chopped green scallions (青葱), at no extra cost.
Flavor-wise, black garlic is the most intense and complex. There's still a strong undercurrent of pork bone in the broth, but the black garlic goes really well with the noodles. A big thumbs up.
Furthermore, the chashu (pork slices) were extremely delicious and sliced wafer thin. They literally melt in your mouth. Note that Ramen Samurai Ryu takes the time to lightly char the chashu slices (with what looks like a blowtorch) before it goes in the ramen, for added flavor.
The marinated egg was also eggcellent (sorry). Yolk still runny, good flavor.
Don't bother with getting the extras on the menu. They weren't that great, with the exception of fish roe salad dumplings (RMB18).
Ryu special deep-fried chicken (RMB28) – not crispy enough for our liking.
Sides, um, aside, Ramen Samurai Ryu makes a very fine ramen that is deeply satisfying. We'll definitely return again.
Food verdict: 2/3
Vibe
Casual, efficient and comfortable, this spot makes good use of its limited space with interiors that feel distinctly Japanese (probably because they're small). There's plenty of seating, both at the bar and at the back.
Best of all, Ramen Samurai Ryu tells us they'll be open for lunches AND until 3am for late night dinner! This is an exciting development for anyone who's ever been hungry and/or drunk and urgently needing ramen. No doubt this place will be responsible for preventing more than a few morning after hangovers.
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for money
Portions are big, prices are low, food is filling. It's hard to argue with the value for money aspect. Get the most basic ramen and drink the complimentary tap water, and you should walk out of Ramen Samurai Ryu with change from RMB50.
Value for money: 1/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 4/5
Price: RMB50-100 per person
Who's going: Locals and Japanese expats, mainly
Good for: Ramen, Japanese food, casual lunch and dinner, quick eats, late night
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