SOME London trends take longer to transpose to Manchester than others. Just as the best Ramen bone stocks take an eternity – but it’s worth it. That’s why ToM offers a belated welcome to Shoryu Ramen, a Japanese restaurant specialising in authentic Hakata cuisine.
The 55 cover restaurant, the noodle chain’s first outside of London, will open in One Piccadilly Gardens from Wednesday, November 30 (after a two week soft launch), offering its signature Hakata tonkotsu ramen, Shoryu buns with a choice of six fillings and Gekkeikan Royal Warrant Sake.
ToM is licking its lips most at the prospect of ‘testunabe’ gyoza – a Hakatan version of gyoza, filled with pork and served in a sizzling tetsunabe cast-iron skillet, a dish only served this way by Shoryu in London and now Manchester.
With Indian veggie/craft beer bar Bundobust also imminent, it marks a shift upscale in the Gardens’ food offering (sorry, Subway).
Shoryu’s credentials couldn’t be more authentic. It’s owned by Tak Tokumine CEO of the Japan Centre in London’s altogether more gastronomic Piccadilly. In four years of existence it already boasts six restaurants plus Shoryu Go, a dedicated tonkotsu ramen take-out bar.
Hakata tonkotsu ramen originates from the Hakata district of Fukuoka city on the southern island of Kyushu. Hakata tonkotsu ramen is a style of ramen made with a thick, rich, white pork soup and thin, straight ramen noodles.
Creating tonkotsu pork stock takes over 12 hours cooking at a rolling boil. Traditionally the bone stock is then combined with 'motodare', a concentrated base to create the final soup. Shoryu’s motodare is made using the best soy and spices from Japan. For the noodles, Shoryu have worked extensively with a UK based Japanese noodle-making master, using strong Cotswold flour to create the perfect original hosomen (meaning ‘thin noodle’) for their ramen.
The final component are the toppings – Shoryu use Burford Brown eggs to make their nitamago, soft boiled eggs marinated overnight in soy, mirin, sake and ginger. Pork, marinated and slow simmered for 4 hours in soy, kikurage mushrooms, spring onion, sesame, ginger, nori & mayu (caramelised black garlic oil) are also added.
So we can expect authentic sake too? Yes. Shoryu’s Mimi Tokumine (Tak Tokumine’s niece) is one of only a handful of sake sommeliers in Britain and helped shape their extensive sake offering plus cocktails including the Yuzu Mojito – a mix of strawberries, lime, mint and sugar with white rum and yuzu citrus umeshu over crushed ice.
The Manchester interior has been designed by Blenheim and will feature an alfresco dining area, an open kitchen and a mini dining pod for smaller groups.
Tak Tokumine says: “UK noodle culture has really become more sophisticated in recent years. As the British market has become more accustomed to noodles, we're able to introduce very specific dishes, such as Hakata tonkotsu ramen, for those looking for the real deal. I want to make sure everyone can experience real flavours, real dishes on their doorstep.”
Shoryu is Observer food critic Jay Rayner's favourite recent ramen outlet in London. Read here.
For news on soft openings follow @shoryuramen. Shoryu will be offering 50% off during its soft launch period until Sunday 20 November.
