TL;DR: If you have ever been to one of Taro's Ramen places around town, you know exactly what you are in for. Otherwise, this is a people's ramen place where they can customise it to their heart's content from an already impressive range of choices. The pace is more leisurely and relaxed, especially in using touch-pads to place orders, and even the service has had an upgrade. All the charms of the old Taro's are right here, and it might even have its mojo back.
An institution among itself Taro's is, something had really needed to fill up the space below the office building around here after so many failed ventures. Kudos for trying something different all the way, but what was needed is something which would have that sort of "it" factor. Few places have that better than the titular ramen bar, and has it really gotten into its own groove after all these years. This might be the nicest of the bunch, and the food is still as good as it was the first time.
After getting a coffee before a meeting, I figured a bit of time was left to get something to eat. Standing on one side of the street, it was one option or the other in which after a flip of the coin - it was off to here for some grub. Being a big fan of ramen (even in it being hard to list my favourite food, what I certainly know is that the titular noodle soup would be definitely be among them), I had heard that there was a new branch of Taro's around here and it was only going to be a matter of time before stumbling upon it. Perhaps it could be said that it was meant to be, and the time was right then. Whatever the case was, some good and filling fare was nigh.
For anyone who has been a fan of Taro's Ramen from its earlier days, or at some of the other locations, the first observation that is going to pop into their heads will be just how much bigger it all is. That is all-round bigger with operations - the menu is slightly bigger with some more options, this is the biggest store they have regarding spaciousness, and even the operations at more of a management level. It almost makes the Edward Street one look like a template, with this being more of the finished product. And for that alone, the staff here deserve to be commended.
Firstly with the space, they have more seats here than any of the other places. Many a ramen bar have a rough looking way of service with getting the bowls of soup to the clientele (which is secretly brilliant, they just have to make it look that way), but here it is much more professional. Every table has a touch-pad on it, in which clients scroll through all the options before deciding what looks good, before sending the entire order off to the kitchen. Unlike many other ramen places, they do take their time here making the vibe a little more relaxed (the lighting certainly helps, a subtle detail at that), and bringing the soup to the table has a bit of a professional flourish to it. Alongside the orders, they give you a number to take up to the counter afterwards to pay for it all.
When it comes to what they offer, the good old lot of ramen is still there. The famous tonkotsu, as well as shoyu, and shio ramen all make themselves present. It also had the beauty of having each bowl be customisable with up-sizing, adding on extra noodles, plus all other sorts of additions both meat and vegetable to plump up the soup. It does not stop there though.
Several donburis are also on the menu, mainly different kinds of curries. Whether it is the curries, or the ramen, something about having a little more on the side as a bite more often than not sounds appealing. They have that demand covered right here. Several pieces of izakaya are there, hot and cold, to either order of the side or get a round of. And speaking of all those izakaya, it can't be forgotten about the range of drinks they have on offer. Plenty of beers, wines, spirits, sake, and probably even some sodas while you're at it - this transforms it from something you eat at the bar in a rush, to one you can look forward to having at the end of the day while winding down.
One other aspect about the menu they have is on the odd occasion there will be a special for the month on a limited offer. Every day of that month, only a few bowls of the soup will be readily available so it pays for customers to come in quickly and get it. I was very close to ordering one of the standard ones, but with the indecisiveness I have there was a bit of going back and forth with the options. There is also the perpetual eye out for trying new foods, and in the month August 2018 this was one that I had not had - hailing from Yokohama.
This was an "Iekei Ramen", a chicken-based one. On top of the general tonkotsu soup, a small layer of chicken oil was drizzled, with big, thick noodles making much of the body, along with the general garnishes of seaweed, bamboo shoots, spinach, charsui, and an egg. Like with most of the menu at Taro's, the soup base is tonkotsu. Along with that, there were the extras of some more seaweed and half an egg to put on the side. In addition to the soup extras, for something else to eat I went with the trusty old takoyaki.
This was a nice bowl of ramen, hitting the spot just as expected at the time. I am used to getting it much spicier than this special version was, hence it was a big chance of pace in many ways. The soup had a milder flavour, having the flavours be coming from a long-cooked pork bone, and quite a bit of soy in the mix as well. Lots of noodles were at the bottom, well cooked and going down a treat. The bits of pork meat in the soup were tender, buttery and added well to it all. All the other trimmings in the soup did their job - the egg was cooked to the right degree, absorbed the broth well and was soft. Personal preferences in foods pop up, and something about the seaweed after being drowned in the soup does it for me, plus the other extras like bamboo shoots and charsui create those levels of flavour and aroma that most great dishes know how to do.
What more can be said about the takoyaki that has not already been said dozens of times, and I might have even type that in a previous review. Whenever going out for Japanese, it is always a good choice and winds up being selected. That is because of how tasty they are, especially the unique sauce that is often poured on top - it is unlike any other one I can think of. Plus, in taking a bite of the ball, there is usually a creamy sauce in the middle plus the bits of octopus go down a treat. Kudos to the aesthetics in how it is presented, and each morsel is pipping hot from the cooker.
Just looking at this place, and remembering what Taro's Ramen used to be like all those moons ago, it has come a long way. From the old days when many office folks, students, and gourmands would sit in the windy courtyard, it has in many ways been upgraded with a nicer look, pleasant aesthetics, and right here gotten an ingenuous upgrade. Through all of that, it has that same philosophy, that same inviting charm, and the ramen is just as good as it has ever been. It was at this place that I really started to get into ramen a whole, and it has been a good go-to option between times needing sustenance. That is Taro's as a whole.
With this particular location, the idea and layout is a unique one to give it a lot of character, and I reckon it could work out well for it. Right here, I can see it being much more of a social hub than the others on a few fronts. First comes down to the layout and the seating, with the next step having the great combination of izakaya and numerous beers and such on tap. Plus, the touch-screen mode of ordering just streamlines the experience a whole lot more. This really shows how Taro's Ramen has managed to spout its wings, being able to fly into another part of town and adapt accordingly. It still will accommodate well to the office worker, with the set up allowing them to waltz on in and take a seat - even getting a better ergonomic design all up. The vibe is suitably more relaxed with it heading into West End, and having it be snuggly in the corner with the allusion of being much away from traffic. I will be impressed to see what is next in store from the ingenuous folks behind this operation.
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