If you’re one of those constantly refreshing social media types (or you happen to read this humble tome) you may have been one of the lucky few to catch the super-soft opening of Mensho (550 S. 300 W.) last week – one of my ones to watch from earlier in the year. The boutique ramen chain out of Japan have launched several international offshoots, with their San Fran outpost notably scooping star after Michelin star.
The mostly hush-hush unlocking of the Salt Lake City doors felt akin to grabbing Wonka’s golden ticket – the business flying in head honcho Tomoharu Shono; lauded as one of the leading lights of the *global* ramen scene. Shono was on hand, delicately plating and scrutinizing every bowl leaving the kitchen.
It’d be churlish to remark critically on Mensho at this stage. Fixtures and fittings were still going up, and the menu was a very early prototype. The restaurant expects to train, iterate and, finalize it’s Utah restaurant for several months. A full and true opening is expected by the Fall That said, if you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about, the early glimpse was enlightening.
Pictured top is Mensho’s Signature Toripaitan, an exercise in unparalleled umami. The heart of the dish is a rich chicken-derived broth. The menu lists shiitake, porcini, and kombucha as core components, but the beads of glossy fat swimming on the surface imply a good amount of rendered bone and fat.
A5 wagyu chashu, smoked pork chashu, duck chashu, spinach, truffle paste, fermented bamboo shoots, fresh and blackened green onion – all find their way on top. There is also ajitama, a sweety marinated egg, served halved yielding sunshine flurry. To paraphrase Nigel Tufnel – this one goes to eleven. The tangle of bouncy noodles within relies on Utah-sourced grains, one of the few nods to the local food landscape that Mensho employs at all their locations. Utah honey and salt will follow in time for the Beehive.
Now, if someone wants to mention to Shono our love for pastrami burgers, and see what happens next, I won’t be unhappy…
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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