Here’s a peek inside the hole-in-the-wall Mensho Tokyo (676 Geary St), one of Japan’s most acclaimed ramen (noodle) bars, this being the first one outside Japan. I read online that the place has been mobbed, ever since it had opened in February. About 50 people were patiently waiting outside on Wednesday night to get in, when I walked by. The text on the wall describes katsuo bushi, a stock made from dried bonito flakes. (Bonito is a medium-sized predatory fish in the same family as tuna and mackerel).
