Soyokaze : Immaculately presented authentic Japanese food
Address: 13 St Giles St, Norwich NR2 1JL
Sushi & Ramen
No matter where I am in the UK (or anywhere in the world for that matter!), I always find myself craving sushi or ramen. Mostly always BOTH. And, while I have attempted to cook my own ramen (sushi is something I have yet to challenge myself into making), there is nothing better than having the real deal served to you on a cold wintry day.
After reading the excellent reviews about Soyokaze on TripAdvisor, I decided to try the place out for myself once those aforementioned crazy ramen cravings hit hard in between that awkward post-christmas but pre-new year window.
Sushi: Comes from the Japanese word meaning ‘sour rice’. A dish made up of small balls or rolls of rice served with a garnish or vegetables, seafood or egg.
First Impressions
In truth, I nearly walked right by and missed Soyokaze, with its unassuming restaurant front. What caught my eye instantly however, was the familiar sight of someone hunched over a big bowl of broth and slurping down noodles with chopsticks through the window.
Upon entering, the atmosphere is relaxed and quiet. There is a very minimal feel to the interior design, which I wholeheartedly appreciate for its cleanliness and elegance. The waitress who served us was friendly and warm, and my boyfriend and I placed our order for ramen and some spider rolls (lightly battered and deep fried soft shell crab, salad, avocado, fish roe, mayo & sweet chilli sauce) without wasting any time!
Our bowls of fresh ramen took approximately 10 minutes to be served (they only served tonkotsu ramen here btw).
Tonkotsu : A broth made from pork marrow originating from the Kyushu region in Japan and translates to ‘pork bone’.
Taste Test
I will say the bowls seemed smaller than what you might get in London’s Shoryu or Bone Daddies (and perhaps a few pounds more expensive!), but tasted amazing none-the-less! The seaweed, perfectly cooked noodles, pork and soft boiled egg worked together perfectly. I am a big fan of a ‘no-frills’ ramen as it really shows that the dish is made well. Soyokaze’s ramen certainly falls into the ‘made well’ category.
The restaurant has a small downstairs space with more tables in a room on the floor above. While we waited for our food to arrive, we noticed the restaurant filling up fairly quickly and it was full by the time we left to leave, which shows how popular it is.
Our spider rolls came promptly once we finished our ramen and I have to admit were beautifully and thoughtfully presented. I absolutely love how appetising sushi looks in general – like a mini work of art that looks too good to eat almost! You can imagine that the four rolls did not last long… It was a great way to round off our late lunch.
If ramen or sushi isn’t your thing, Soyokaze also make teriyaki, tempura and other traditional Japanese dishes that can be taken away too. Something to note if you’re looking to try something new!
Would I Come Back?
I will end my review as I always do, by asking myself if I would go back, as this is the ultimate test of any restaurant in my opinion.
And the answer to that is, I would. And you should visit too!
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
