The chili goma ramen at Shiki Menya is as flavourful as it is gorgeous

I hate waiting in line at restaurants. But I’d been warned that if I wanted a celebrated bowl of ramen at Shiki Menya, in Calgary’s Bridgeland neighbourhood, I’d better join the line before the doors opened. Or risk them running out of liquid gold.

So to my surprise, when I showed up in parka at 11 a.m. sharp on a winter weekday, I was the first in the door, with no one behind me. Let me tell you, it was well worth the (non) wait, with the day’s first cauldron of chili goma ramen sliding onto my little table.

To my surprise, the wildly popular restaurant is empty when I arrive

Now, you might consider $22 a tad steep for a bowl of soup. But here’s why you should splurge. The bowl is humongous and gorgeous, brimming with house-made ramen noodles and an artful topping of ground pork wrapped in scallions. The real secret is the sesame, pork-bone (tonkotsu) broth that’s been simmering for 24 hours. It yields a complex, rich broth that rivals just about any soup I’ve had.

Here’s where the magic happens

Shiki Menya can be challenging to get into… and out of. That’s because it’s dine in only, with no takeout containers offered. In a world awash in takeout and delivery, it’s refreshing to read: “For quality reasons, ramen is designed to be enjoyed immediately upon serving.”

These doors can be hard to get in and out of

But lest you think they’re a pretentious lot, the website offers a few reviews, including this: “Food wasn’t what I expected, choice of music is horrible, poor service, can’t split the bill, bathroom music was even worse.”

Shiki Menya
824 1 Avenue NE, Calgary
Monday to Saturday 11 am-3 pm. Closed Sunday
403-454-2722