In Japan, they take their ramen bowls very seriously. They are constructed like works of art, a feast for the eyes and then the stomach. But in recent years, the rise of Jiro-style servings has taken the food to a whole new height of popularity, with Elon Musk and Keanu Reeves even said to be big Jiro-rians.
Jiro is, in short, a mountain of noodles, vegetables, pork belly, garlic and broth, served in a huge bowl with a ladle and some chopsticks.
Critics say it is “too much of everything” – lacking the finesse normally associated with Japanese cuisine. But as someone whose eye-to-belly ratio is constantly being called into question, I had to give it a try.
Shoryu at Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester has been serving up Japanese lunches for some 16 years, greeting every guest through the door with an “irasshaimase” and tap on the little taiko drum on the wall.
They are an established go-to for quick and tasty meals in a part of town where you rarely get a chance to sit down for more than a few minutes to gather your thoughts.
Where better to launch the UK’s first authentic Jiro ramen bowl? Or to challenge punters to consume it in double-quick time, thus earning themselves a whole year’s worth of free ramen?
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I arrived with the intention of breaking a record. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, or lunch, and though me and my son had shared some edamame beans (£5.50) by way of a starter, there was plenty of space left for the main event.
My son ordered from the main menu, a hefty portion of kimchi prawn tonkotsu (£17.50) along with some crispy Takoyaki (£9.50) – aka octopus balls – which, trust me, are tastier than they sound.
I went for the Jiro (£23). Seemed rude not to.
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Eight-hour roasted kakuni pork belly, extra seabura back fat, a mountain of beansprouts and pak choi laid on a nest of thick futomen noodles and submerged in a salty broth.
I asked the waiter what was the fastest time on the board, and nearly lost my appetite. Some gannet had managed to consume all this is four minutes 59 seconds.
I entertained tackling the challenge for a brief second, then thought better of it. Instead, I secretly tried to eat at a decent pace, just to check if I ever had a chance.
Just under 20 minutes later, I ladled the last of the broth into my mouth. I never had a prayer of topping the leaderboard but I had enjoyed every morsel. I had officially joined the Jiro cult.
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The pork was melt-in-the-mouth tender but the real takeaway from this meal was the unapologetically strong garlic which made for a deeply satisfying and slurp-able experience.
There was still room for a small dessert. I went for a yuzu sorbet (£6.50), my son a trio of the mochi ice creams (£9.50) – and it was exactly the palate cleanser I needed.
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Jiro might have ruffled some foodie feathers in Japan but consider my boundaries pushed. I’ll be having this again, and taking my time about it too.
While the challenge has finished, the Jiro Ramen dish has been extended until December 31, due to popular demand. Visit shoryuramen.com
AloJapan.com