Ramen master to open Menya Shono in San Rafael
Tokyo-based chef and ramen master Tomoharu Shono, owner and operator of the acclaimed chain of Japanese ramen bars Menya Shono, is bringing his meticulously crafted, umami rich soups to downtown San Rafael. Final inspections are nearly complete in the former Yuzu Ramen & Taproom space on Fourth Street; the grand opening is targeted for next week.
Shono, a self-taught chef who has achieved legendary status in Japan, opened his first ramen shop in Tokyo in his mid20s. Fifteen years later, his organization Mensho now operates eight restaurants in Tokyo; one in Bangkok, Moscow and New Delhi; and almost three in the United States — the latest in San Rafael; 5-year-old Mensho Tokyo on Geary Street in San Francisco (the only Michelin-rated ramen in the Bay Area); and one that is close to opening in the Twitter headquarters building on Market Street.
Each restaurant is uniquely conceptualized and offers a distinct menu of freshly prepared dishes. Shono’s accumulation of more than 300 innovative recipes are a keen extension of his acute palette and daily attention to research and development.
The Mensho tagline, hyper ramen creators, is fitting for a founder who began obsessing about noodle soup as a teenager, working in his home kitchen to perfect the process and gradually building confidence and capital to fulfill his mission to globally popularize ramen.
Here in the Bay Area, the theme is appropriately farm-to-bowl with an emphasis on incorporating local farmers market produce. The San Rafael menu will feature two broths — a rich tonkotsu pork bone broth and a vegan option. Noodles are freshly prepared from flour ground in-house on a stone mill.
The Marin menu will also debut Shono’s ramen burger for the first time in the U.S. This COVID creation he fine-tuned during the shutdown replaces bread and beef with noodles and chicken katzu.
The beverage menu includes Japanese tap and bottled beer and sake.
Menya Shono will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; and 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays at 908 Fourth St. Find more information at Menya-Shono.com or call 415-295-7112. I’ll announce the finalized opening date and time at instagram. com/therealdealmarin.
Cottage baking
While sourdough bread baking has become a symbolic downtime activity of the COVID era, it’s the mighty few that have continued to consistently feed their starter and the passionately committed who have made a business out of it.
Mill Valley resident and self-taught cook Stacey Waldspurger, of the new home-based Waldscraft Cottage Bakery, started making naturally leavened sourdough last spring, transitioning her prepandemic career to work around having her schoolage children distancelearning at home, and finding joy in sharing her baked goods with others.
“I love bread making for its primal basic foundation — the most amazing breads can come simply from flour, water, salt and fermentation,” she writes in an email. Her breads include whole-wheat honey oat, olive oil rosemary, light rye, Irish soda bread, and a country batard or round.
Waldspurger’s muffins (banana oat, blueberry cream and cranberry orange); apple cake; fig bars; fudge (brown sugar and chocolate), and granola bars have become equally popular, prompting her to purchase a commercial oven to help manage the demand.
Place orders at waldscraft.com for pickup at 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 57 Meadow Drive in Mill Valley.
Nibbles and sips
The Mill Valley Wine, Beer and Gourmet Food Tasting is back after its 2020 pandemic hiatus.
Although the 39th event naturally won’t be the tight-knit graze fest that annually draws a sold-out crowd of culinary revelers to the Depot Plaza each June, the virtual gathering scheduled for April 15 and 16 is worthy consolation and a great excuse to relish a collection of local goods.
It features two homebased, expert moderated tastings. The first at 6 to 7 p.m. April 15 is with Mill Valley brewers Chris Coomber and Rob Lightner of East Brother Beer Co., and Justin Catalana of Fort Point Beer Co. The second from 6 to 7 p.m. April 16 is with acclaimed winemakers from Hanzell Vineyards, Anthill Farms Winery and Saturday Wine.
A selection of complementary snacks from local food businesses includes Toma cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.; roasted sunflower kernels from IOTA in Tiburon; and canned mackerel, organic dried chili mango and breadfruit crackers from Sausalito-based Patagonia Provisions.
Ticket buyers receive the tasting kits in a reusable tote that holds either two bottles of premium wine or seven cans of artisan beer along with the food bites. These are available to pickup from 1 to 5 p.m. April 8 through 10, and 12 through 14 at the Mill Valley Chamber office at 85 Throckmorton Ave.
Beer ($39) and wine ($99) tasting tickets are on sale through April 12 at enjoymillvalley.com or through the chamber office at 415-388-9700. This fundraising event is sponsored by Mill Valley Market and supports the Mill Valley Chamber and Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation. Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer. Please email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with local food and restaurant news and follow Instagram.com/ therealdealmarin for updates on the reveal of the Real Deal Marin restaurant guide.