01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
A red broth fragrant with chilli, made richer by the minced meat stirred through it: diners who have tried Showaken’s Taiwan ramen have also noted its moderate heat, robust garlic flavour and the crunch of the bean sprouts. The medium-thin straight noodles were described as easy to slurp, with a satisfying bite. Listed on the lunch menu at 1,000 yen, it’s an option for those after both spice and savoury depth.
Mapo tofu is another choice to have with rice, available as a set meal or in a rice bowl. Diners have remarked on the flavour of the fermented black beans and the taste of the broth; it may appeal to those more interested in layers of flavour than in intense heat or numbing spice. The mapo tofu set meal, served with pickles, soup and rice, is 1,000 yen. The mapo tofu rice bowl, which comes with pickles, a fried side and a small portion of rice, is 950 yen. Choose a full set meal or a rice bowl, depending on what you fancy at lunchtime.
Other set meals include twice-cooked pork, fried chicken with a tangy sauce, and sweet-and-sour pork with black vinegar, each listed at 1,000 yen. One diner who chose twice-cooked pork and mapo glass noodles for dinner said the combination had a satisfying level of spice and went well with rice. Another evening visit involved sharing mapo tofu and pork stir-fried with garlic between two people. Adding a few small plates is another way to sample several dishes.
Drinks include Tsingtao beer and the Dragon Highball, made by mixing Shaoxing wine with soda. There is also the Kinryu Highball, described as having a clean sweetness, offering another pairing for spicy dishes. Showaken in Jurakumawari Higashimachi is open from 11:30 to 14:30 for lunch and from 17:30 to 22 in the evening. It can suit a solo lunch over a set meal or dinner shared over a few small plates.
