Ramen Eats: Day 2 - Menya Musashi Tsukemen & Ramen

Image taken from the restaurant google post

Ramen Eats: Day 2 - Menya Musashi Tsukemen & Ramen

In 2018, I was an eager connoisseur of ramen throughout Washington state. I would travel around the state on weekends and eat ramen at a new restaurant. Soon, I could boast about eating at nearly 90% of the establishments around the state.

It is no longer 2018; I can no longer boast about this accomplishment. As of June 28th, 2024, I begin my journey to eat at every ramen restaurant in the state. I will track my progress in the form of this food blog and leave a review for others looking to eat the best ramen possible.

I will review the location, atmosphere, and food in these blogs for the best experience.

A new rating system developed by my wonderful wife will be included soon.

Day 2 —

For Restaurant #2, I chose to Eat at Menya Musashi Tsukemen & Ramen in Federal Way, Washington. The address is 31829 Gateway Center Blvd S, Federal Way, WA 98003. I arrived around 13:30 for lunch with my wife.

Location —

Overall, parking was good. Plenty of spaces are available, and it's a short walk to the entrance. The restaurant is located in a shopping strip with other uneventful storefronts. This will be a trip solely for ramen.

Atmosphere —

Once inside, a waist-high wall separates the entrance from the seating. Come in, take a seat. One detriment to the interior is the arrangement of seating. Two long tables take up most real estate while two and four-person tables ring the outside, creating a crowded space.

Beyond the cramped seating, the restaurant was quiet and empty after lunch. It's a great place to talk with your date or a wonderful place to take a business partner to lunch for a quick bite to eat.

Service Quality —

With attentive and curious staff, I felt welcome to dine and enjoy my food. Drinks were prompt, and the wait for the food was within 10-12 minutes.

Gyoza was hand-made and delicious, but you get four pieces rather than your typical five. It arrived several minutes before the ramen. However, it took my wife finishing her plate to have both bowls brought to the table. Courteous and helpful.

Broth —

This broth is by far some of the best I have ever had. I ordered the Black Ramen with a Tonkatsu base. The level of deliciousness in this bowl was impressive. I drank nearly half of the broth before starting on the rest of the bowl.

The menu selection for broths is small. You have two, a Tonkatsu Broth and a vegan veggie broth. Yet this is not a mark against the restaurant. By limiting the menu, they emphasize their quality.

Noodles —

When selecting your ramen, you will find a large selection at the bottom of the menu. This section contains addons. I recommend getting additional noodles. I came hungry and left a peckish. Other toppings did little to supplement this.

Luckily, the noodles are cooked al dente, added to the broth, and some additional cooking is done. As I have stated before, I like my noodles on the more done side, so I do not hold it against the restaurant when they come out in the typical ramen fashion. My wife was a big fan, polishing off her bowl thoroughly.

Toppings —

This is where the restaurant lost points majorly during my visit. I will start with what is done wonderfully and touch on the parts that need improvement.

The pork belly is by far the best I have had in some time. Thick and fatty, it is melt in your mouth tastiness. You only get a slice of the pork, yet this is much more than other ramen joints typically give. Expecting standard rolled pork belly of subpar quality, I ordered a second piece.

Now, to the detriment of the food for me, ramen eggs are cold and refrigerated, then tossed in the bowl. This is a practice that I am not a fan of. I expect consistent temperature throughout when I eat a steaming bowl of ramen.

The other toppings are sparse amongst the rest of the bowl. You have to order the egg as a side; luckily, it comes as a whole egg. Only two toppings come standard. Black mushrooms and pork belly. Realistically, it comes with spinach, green onions, and bean sprouts. Yet these are in such low quantity that they are not noticeable. Be sure to add some additional toppings for an extra charge. It's* Good taste; it could be improved a little.

Overall, I'm a big fan of the restaurant. My wife and I will return to try the tsukemen. When ordering a bowl in the future, I will have to add noodles, pork, egg, and some additional toppings to get my fill while there.

Additional Notes —

One additional point to note is that the menu is difficult to read and understand for a first time patron. Boxes are separated and not clear and the background images on the menu make it hard to differentiate the writing.

I give it ★★★★☆. Great quality food. Sure, it feels cramped, and it could use increased toppings. But I was happy with the taste, and the broth is seriously worth dying for.

Ramen Eats: Day 2 - Menya Musashi Tsukemen & Ramen