In the comments of my most recent post on Karami Ramen, superstar "FOY" (friend of yoso) Junichi mentioned the Negi Pon form Menya Ultra. And while Junichi said it wasn't quite as good as Tori Nanban, I was intrigued. The Missus recently requested the Ramen Kit from Menya Ultra; so I thought I'd give it a try. I had always thought the marinade for the Karaage at Menya was pretty good; though in terms of texture it often wasn't crisp enough and was sometimes a bit on the tough side. Still, scallions, ponzu oil, and mayo? Since we'd be having the ramen for dinner; I thought what the heck and ordered the five piece Negi Pon ($6.95) to have for lunch.
I wasn't sure how it would hold up on the drive home; but it did quite well.
I didn't expect it to be particularly crisp; but it was not bad; the savory-saltiness of the marinade used for the karaage was nicely balanced out by the acidity and mild pungency of the scallion. The mayo added a rich-creaminess which might be a bit much for folks. The chunks of chicken were fairly generous and after a while all that mayo might have been a bit too much of a good thing for me.
It did help that I ate it with some kyuri and takana (mustard greens - which always remind me of my grandmother and mom who used to make the stuff); which really helped to balance the richness of the dish out.
While I still probably enjoy the Tori Nanban from Okan more; there's no way I'd do takeout with that. I'm not opposed to having this again; it's not bad at all.
Thanks for the recommendation Junichi!
Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
858-571-2010
Hours:
Daily 11am - 2pm, 5pm - 8pm
Have a safe week everyone!
I've also become a fan of the negi pon from Menya though sometimes the ponzu can be a bit too sour. I've heard that EE Nami has a good karaage but it's only served for dinner so I haven't tried it yet.
Posted by: Derek R | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 09:52 PM
I meant to say karaage with tarter sauce (like the one from Okan)
Posted by: Derek R | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 09:53 PM
have a safe week!
Posted by: kat | Monday, 19 October 2020 at 12:12 AM
Hi Derek - I tried the Karaage at EE Nami when they had it on the takeout menu....nice to know they have Tori Nanban. Yamadaya used to have Karaage Tartar which was sort of like Tori Nanban. So, I'll definitely look for it when we're ready to dine-in.
You too Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 19 October 2020 at 06:27 AM
Glad you liked it!
Posted by: Junichi | Monday, 19 October 2020 at 04:57 PM
it was pretty good Junichi. I'll definitely have it again. Thanks again for the recommendation.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 20 October 2020 at 05:52 AM