Oodles of Noodles at Chi Fu Shi

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A Japanese friend once told us that foreigners may like ramen, but they could never truly understand it, because appreciating a fine ramen for a Japanese person was akin to foreigner appreciating an excellent steak. We're not necessarily sure he's right, but we do tend to notice that if the ramen shop we're in is frequented by Japanese clientele, it's usually a good sign you're getting into quality noodles. At Chi Fu Shi (which translates in Japanese as "Red Fuji," a phrase that connotes the sun rising over the country's most famous mountain) we were relieved to see tables of Japanese businessmen ordering up bottles of Asahi (¥20) and bowls of ramen. The décor is simple, and you can either sit at a table, or on cushions on tatami mats. The menu is entirely in Japanese and Chinese, with no pictures, so be prepared to utilize your skills in either language to get your bowl. The Chi Fu Shi ramen (赤富士拉面, ¥58) 8 has a Korean kick to it, with spice that reminded us of kimchi, and thick slices of pork that looked like they would be more at home on a Korean barbecue grill than in a bowl of steaming ramen. That and the tonkatsu ramen (猪骨拉面, ¥48) left us full and sufficiently garlicky for the rest of the evening. The bowls reminded us of ramen we've had at Gen Lai Ken, solid fare for a ramen craving, but nothing to write home about. The potato croquette (炸土豆球, ¥10) was unusually soft—we prefer ours to have a harder outer shell—and a bit difficult to pick up with our chopsticks. Service is polite and efficient, and we'll definitely be back.

Our rating: 3/5 stars

DETAILS

What: Chi Fu Shi

Where: B/1, Lucky Street, Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu

Tel: 5867-0245