Miki Japanese Ramen

*Restaurant is closed*

Once again, I was in search of a quick meal. You see, it is my son's birthday and I had to buy a whackload of stuff from Costco. However, I was not really in the mood to grab anything from the food stall at Costco (although it can be pretty good occasionally). So on my way from work to the new Costco on Willingdon, I was planning on paying Miki Japanese Ramen a visit. Driving across the Queensborough, I had 2 options - go up Griffiths via 20th or go up Royal Oak via Marine Way. I decided on the latter and for the love of... I hit a major traffic jam on Marine Way due to construction. Now I'm in more of a rush than before! Even doing the "drive through the strip mall and cut back in" routine did not save me much time. Finally, arriving at Miki, it looked good for a quick meal since there was only one other customer. However, something seemed a bit odd...

After I put in my order, the sole waitress did a sprint to the kitchen and disappeared for awhile. I heard some cooking and then my Miki Ramen arrived. Apparently their self-proclaimed "most popular item", it consists of a miso ramen with pan-fried chashu, bamboo shoots, corn, kimchi and Ajitama Egg. The first thing that struck me was how greasy the broth felt in my mouth. Either the broth itself is oily or the panfried items (with its oiliness) integrating into the soup. The broth itself was actually alright with a thick richness to it. However, it was a bit bland (could be good for those who don't like salt). The ramen itself was cooked perfectly al dente with a nice rebound. I also liked the Ajitama Egg. I added a Chashu Rice and the small portion was perfect as a side to my ramen. Once again, the waitress disappeared and re-emerged with a fatty piece of pork (yet curiously dry) rested atop slightly dry rice. However, there was a nice amount of shoyu penetrating the rice which provided the necessary moisture and flavour. Even with some shortcomings, I enjoyed the rice.

I wasn't planning on ordering anymore food but there was BBQ Beef Tongue on their specials menu. If you know me, if there is tongue, I'll eat it. I love tongue. However, I wasn't really all that enamored about this tongue. It was not moist; rather it was quite dry. I don't like dry tongue! Although, the accompanying "takoyaki-like" sauce did help with that somewhat. Overall, the food here at Miki is passable. It does not compare with the big boys in Downtown; but it is better than Kawawa Ramen nearby.

The Good:
- Noodles are cooked properly
- Friendly service
- Passable for Burnaby

The Bad:
- Broth is a bit greasy
- Not sure if the waitress doubles as the chef all the time...
- A tad pricey