The Other Critics

Roth Reviews Ramen Shop and Men Oh; Miller Finds Southpaw Much Improved

Also on the ramen trail with Kauffman this week is his successor Anna Roth, who submits a dual review of Ramen Shop in Berkeley, and Men Oh in the Richmond. She’s most impressed with Ramen Shop’s vegetarian miso ramen, and the tantanmen ramen she found there on one visit (the menu changes often), “a voluptuous, spicy pork broth studded with tender hunks of spit-roasted pork, a shoyu-marinated egg, baby bok choy, and a shower of cilantro.” But she doesn’t quite get the accompanying cocktail bar, saying, she just wants “a straightforward beer” with her noodles. At Men Oh, she’s a fan of the pork-rich tonkotsu ramen, and their Tokushima ramen served with a raw egg you crack into it, adding “silkiness without too much weight.” [SF Weekly]

Virginia Miller pays some return visits to Southpaw (2170 Mission), which she was disappointed in early on when it first opened, but which she now finds “improved under [chef Max] Hussey’s watch.” She likes Hussey’s “tender, aromatic, addictive” ribs, and his brisket as well. Like we did, she applauds the creativity of the pulled goat appetizer, and says the Natchez (kind of like Southern nachos on potato chips) are “divine bar food.” And for the sides, she’s a fan of the cheddar grit cake, and the creamed chard and kale too. [SFBG]

Roth Reviews Ramen Shop and Men Oh; Miller Finds Southpaw Much Improved