Review of 'Shoryu'

I keep passing this place on the bus so finally was able to visit the other day. It is a small place on Lower Regent street that seats possibly 50-60 people. We visited on a Thursday night (late) and it was pretty much jammed. It has been full pretty much every time I see it. It is riding high on the recent craze in London for Japanese noodles…nothing like being trendy!

The small interior consists of bar-style seating on the left of the entrance with tables along the right hand wall. If it is busy it can be very noisy.

Shoryu main dish is home-made (of course!) Japanese ramen but they have a good separate offering of “Hirata buns” that should not be missed. Their menu is, thankfully, fairly short with just “ramen” and “sides” listed. The drinks menu looks fairly basic with only a few sakes listed (unusually).

We had never had “Hirata buns” so we decided to give them a try. At £7 for two (two for one on Tuesdays; £4 for one) they are not cheap but they are delicious - A white, soft, creamy steamed bun with your filling of choice which, in our case, was “chicken kare age” (deep fried chicken) which also came with just the right amount of mayonnaise. Not a huge portion but very, very delicious. The waiter also suggested the “belly pork” and “halloumi & shimeji mushrooms” options are very good as well.

For our mains we decided to go with the “Shoryu Ganso Tonkotsu” (£11) which is fresh ramen noodles cooked in a delicious pork broth with “bbq pork, nitamago egg, kikurage mushrooms, spring onion, sesame, ginger, nori & mayu (caramelised black garlic oil)”. The noodles were not overcooked and slightly al-dente - Amazing. The portion size was big but not enormous (though my dinner companion could not finish hers…so I graciously helped her out a bit).

At £32.63 for two of us (without any drinks) it is a bit pricey but very, very delicious. Yes, it is noisy and, yes, the food may be a bit unusual for some (haute cuisine this is not) but it would be their loss…give it a try!

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2014-05-15

Cuisine: Japanese (Noodle Bar)

Address: 9 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR

Public Transport: Piccadilly Circus

Location: London (England) - Piccadilly Circus

Map:

Telephone:

URL: http://www.shoryuramen.com/