When Jinya Ramen Bar made its first North American inroads a decade and a half ago, ramen was still a novelty to many of us on this continent. Noodle guru David Chang wasn’t yet a household name. To many of us, “ramen” was something cheap you got in a supermarket. You opened the packet, added hot water, and, voila, cheap lunch.
But, as the chain extends itself into Canada, ramen is now something with which most of us are familiar. And, a lot of us are fans. So, as the Edmonton location held its media sneak preview Sunday night, and opened its doors to the public on Monday, it enters a city that’s well versed in Japanese soup. Jinya is not introducing us to ramen, but instead has to prove why it deserves our business, when we have some pretty great options already in place.
The first thing: Jinya is a hip, loud place. It’s an open, airy space, with high ceilings, which amplify noise and conversation. This is not not a quiet date spot. And, yes, it makes you feel like ramen has entered hipster territory. There are cocktails such as Crazy Momotaro, which combines whiskey with roasted peaches and quite a bit of cinnamon, and the Lycheetini (I feel dirty just for writing that), a fruity, syrupy concoction that comes with a smoke bubble perched on top, a bit of showmanship to start a meal.
There are a slew of appetizers, but the highlights were the Jinya Bun, a steamed bun filled with tender pork, and the Salmon Aburi Oshi Sushi, a seared piece of fish, with jalapeño, over pressed rice. The Brussels Sprouts Tempura made for a great sharing snack.
But, in the end, Jinya is not going to be judged on its cocktails and appetizers — ramen is why we were here, and why you’d go to visit.
We got the Original 2010 ramen, named for when the chain first came to North America. We also got the Spicy Chicken.
The Original 2010 was a bit of a surprise. The broth was very creamy, and a had a big salt profile. The noodles were very wide, bigger than I’m used to. Someone here at the office asked me if I’d ever brought scissors to a ramen place; well, I might consider it if I ordered this bowl again. But the broth is why you care, and it’s rich and powerful.
The Spicy Chicken Ramen felt like a bit of a food oxymoron, because you can order a “mild” version. I’ve had chicken broths where pork chashu is still used, but this was a chicken soup all the way, with hunks of white meat and green onion.
Jinya started off as a concept that was on the cusp of a big food trend. Now, it’s got to to prove it’s still a major tastemaker. The full-court marketing press was on with the Sunday “influencer”night and then a Monday event where 100 bowls of ramen were given away. In the end, it all comes down to the broth.
Jinya Ramen Bar
Downtown | 10037 109 St NW, Edmonton | 780.249.6658 | jinyaramenbar.com
