Today we were at Jinya Robson to try their latest feature menu. A new Chef Special ramen, plus a new beverage. We would try both, coupled with a few of our favourite Jinya specials for dinner today.
The Hokuriku Cabba-Chick is a silky chicken broth prepared with tender pork fat, salted tender chicken thigh, sweet cabbage, crisp sprouts, green onion, and a gentle hint of chilli from chilli thread. All this is served over delicate thin noodles. This is the kind of clear and comforting chicken broth you want and have when you are sick. It warms completely and ends with the sweetness of the cabbage at the back end. I specially enjoyed the lightness of the beansprouts for crunch, intermingled with the cluster of noodles.
The limited edition drink is a Salted Cream
Iced Matcha Latte, made with ceremonial-grade matcha and oat milk. It is lightly sweetened and finished with sated cream. This was a wonderful way to enjoy matcha for the warmer weather around the corner. I just wished the powder was better blended as I sucked a clump through my straw, and this gave me a punch of bitter. Otherwise the beverage is matcha at the forefront, with the salted cream not only adding a creamy body, but helping to exemplify the quality of matcha in contrast to the salt. I really liked this one as a stand alone drink.
For those who can’t have dairy, but still want matcha, then look to their Matcha Lychee Lemonade. This is exactly what the name states. The otherwise bitter matcha is balanced out by the sweetness of the exotic fruit and the sour snap of lemon. I especially loved the detail of branding the lemon rind as a great garnish. This was a refreshing beverage and another good one for a warm spring and hotter summer ahead.
For some more classic eats we started with their Pork Gyoza. Handmade pork potstickers with table side gyoza sauce to use at our leisure. I thought they had just the right amount of greasy and gristly filling, coupled with a terrific chewy and crispy shell surrounding it. There was plenty of flavour as is, and the vinegar-base dip provided some acid to cut into things.
And a staple for the fans of Jinya is their “JINYA Tonkotsu Black*. A rich pork broth ramen that is heaviest on the garlic, with garlic 3 ways. Pork chashu, kikurage, fresh green onion, nori dried seaweed, a seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion, and spicy sauce; Served with thin noodles. In comparison to our gentle chicken and cabbage broth above, this one was heavier, saltier, and bolder. I personally, would have liked thicker noodles to carry all this flavour. Whereas with the thinner noodles, I ended up biting my way through thick knots of starch, that felt lacklustre. With all the umami ingredients, between crispy onion and seaweed, I also found myself reaching out for our drinks above, as a way to refresh the palate in between bites.
In short, this was another great limited edition menu, and at this point I haven’t had a bowl from Jinya that I didn’t like.
JINYA Ramen Bar – Vancouver Downtown
541 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2B7
(604) 699-9377
jinyaramenbar.com
