Ramen scene just got real in Montreal! Schlouppe Bistrot Nakamichi opened its doors in January 2016 and is bringing their ramen recipe straight from Japan.

If observed diligently, there is “est. 1956” written on their window. But wait, I thought this is new? Then, the waitress explained that the chef worked at Nakamichi in Japan and told the original owner that he would bring it to oversea. And here it is, being realized!

So just how does it taste like?

The menu is simple, but a little help is needed to explain the Japanese terms. What distinguishes Nakamichi from the other ramen restaurant is that their broth is made of chicken bones. I had mainly tasted ramen with miso base (that excludes obviously instant noodles).

So to try a little bit of everything, we had their combos, which include an appetizer, a ramen and a dessert.

Appetizers

Green salad

A great way to digest some greens before the hearty bowl of ramen. The dressing was especially delightful. Simplicity is the perfect adjective to describe this salad.

Mentaiko and takana Donburi

This is a bowl of rice with Japanese marinated roe of pollack (mentaiko) and pickled mustard greens (takana). With the help of the takana, a bigger appetite is easily triggered.

Toripaitan

A vegetarian version is also available.

Daku

This is a more classic ramen, where slices of pork are served. Unlike my past experience, these slices of pork are almost like spam/ham like! They are just cooked differently to arrive to this smooth texture. The broth is rich and dense. The noodles are exactly how I expect a ramen to be. It provides enough bouncy texture.

Nouveau classique

This is a ramen served with chicken, a less common meat served in ramen. The broth is crazily creamy. Think of Alfredo, but with a little more water.

If I had to choose between Daku or Nouveau Classique, I would opt for Nouveau Classique for its unique broth texture.

To finish off, we had their home made matcha ice cream! I can easily order a container to go…

Schlouppe Bistrot Nakamichi definitely changes the ramen scene in Montreal and it seems like more competition is to come with Kinka bringing Kinton ramen in a few months. Regardless, Schlouppe Bistrot Nakamichi brings in new experience to Montrealers by introducing chicken broth which is rarely seen in other ramen shops in Montreal.

Zuuchini