Jikasei MENSHO - San Francisco

My experience at this restaurant was a bit mixed. While the food was excellent, earning a perfect 5/5, and the service was outstanding at 5/5, there's a significant drawback regarding vegan/vegetarian options. FYI, they only have one vegan/vegetarian option on the menu, and the Google Maps menu is inaccurate/out of date. Despite this limitation, the overall atmosphere was rated a 4/5, and the wait time was non-existent.

My experience was amazing! Tens across the board if it weren’t so far, I’d go there all the time. I really should see about just getting it delivered. I ordered the spicy noodled extra spicy and it still wasn’t spicy enough, but literally amazing even after only being able to eat it hours later. It was well worth the journey.

I've been craving noodles for a while, so I stopped by Jikasei Mensho for some ramen. It had been a long time since my last visit, and I was pleasantly surprised to find abura soba on the menu. This soupless ramen was perfect for me, as I'm not a big soup person, though I do enjoy their broths. I did order a side of chicken broth because it's been cold in the city lately. Unfortunately, they no longer offer customizable order sheets. Ordering and payment are now done through a single kiosk using Square, with no other menu display available. While the menu isn't extensive, this lack of a visible menu was a minor inconvenience. The abura soba itself was delicious! It's very rich with pork fat and sesame oil, offering a lot of umami flavor. The chili vinegar provided on the side added a much-needed low heat and acidity to cut through the richness, though I could have used even more acidity. The noodles were chewy with a good bite, and the dish was topped with seaweed, chashu pork, green onions, bamboo shoots, and a fish cake. It's a generous portion; I saved half for dinner and added an egg, further enhancing its richness. I considered trying it with mirin for more acidity, but a rice wine vinegar might have been a better choice. The side of chicken broth was comforting, generously filled with green onions. While I'm not usually a fan of green onions, they added significant flavor to the broth instead of salt. The Market area where Jikasei Mensho is located seems to be struggling, a shadow of its former self. This means there's plenty of seating due to fewer dining options. The atmosphere is a bit dark, possibly due to the surrounding buildings and cloudy weather, limiting natural light. The music was also too loud, seemingly overpowering Jikasei Mensho's own music, which detracted from the vibe. Calmer, ambient music would have been a better fit, but the restaurant can't control its location within a grocery store. I'm glad Jikasei Mensho is still here. Their sister restaurant on Geary has limited hours and long waits, making Jikasei Mensho a good lunch option for trying their ramen without a significant wait.

My experience at Mensho Tokyo on Gear was centered around their specialty: ramen without broth. Unfortunately, I found it not that tasty and ultimately not worth a visit. The food received a low score of 2, and the atmosphere was also rated poorly at 2. While the service was slightly better with a score of 3, it couldn't compensate for the disappointing food.

My experience at this restaurant involved a wait time of approximately 30 minutes for just two bowls of ramen, which felt a bit ridiculous. I observed only one employee working, so my feedback isn't directed at them personally; perhaps hiring a second person during lunch rushes would be beneficial. The Ramen X broth was very, very cumin-heavy. While the noodles were decent and the portion was large, there were barely any toppings. I was also surprised by the lack of options to add toppings like green onions and eggs, which I'm accustomed to at other ramen restaurants.