Yesterday, I satisfied my Ramen cravings with a piping hot bowl of Benkei's Akaoni (Spicy Miso) Ramen. It was especially wonderful after a long day of (very unnecessary but exciting ) shopping on Robson Street with Ms. Song! :)
We endured the never-ending trek all the way down Robson and braved the howling and chilly Vancouver wind. But once I settled down to devour my bowl of Akaoni aka Spicy Monster, it was all worth it :) You cannot imagine my immense happiness the moment it was set down in front of me.
Look at that beauty! I know it looks intimidating with all that red broth but it's just amazing. Even more so on a cold day. So, the Akaoni is made up of a miso broth but with a whole lot of spice and garlic, giving the dish a much needed kick! It consists of chewy ramen noodles, minced pork, vegetables (the kind of which I am uncertain), beansprouts and my favourite bamboo shoots!! Also, it is essential that the boiled egg is added in. It is so tasty and unlike any eggs I have ever had before. The egg white is firm yet the yolk is mushy--almost like its half-cooked. Heavenly. Thumbs-up from everyone who has had it before. I have tried 4 out of the 5 kinds of ramen served at Benkei and this has to be my absolute favourite! But of course, I like my spice. This is definitely not for the faint hearted.
An extremely satisfied me. ( I do not know how I managed to contain my hunger as I took all these endless photos. Haha.)Verdict: 4.5/5
Sarah's Miso Ramen. Notice her look of delight just as she is about to pounce on her noodles! The Miso Ramen consists of roughly the same ingredients as its spicier brother, the Akaoni, except without the spice and it comes with chasu (pork slices) instead of minced pork. Sarah's was missing the latter as she cannot consume pork. However, the waitress was nice enough to let her switch the chausu for the boiled egg (which in my opinion, is even better!) Sarah commented that the miso broth was rich and flavourful. And of course, the egg received raving reviews as well :)
Verdict: 4.25/5
So, that was my fun and eventful Saturday afternoon, with a definite drain on my dishwashing money.
Till next time! Toodles!- Sara
Benkei Ramen
1741 Robson St.
604 688 6980
$7-$8 per bowl
