Brave soul to open a new Japanese joint just after the Covid lockdown. But with everyone in recovery mode, people are hungry to try new places and eat out again so it might well be the perfect marketing strategy.

New Japanese restaurant Shin Haru Tei is offering ramen lovers another option in Jaya one, Petaling Jaya and may well be THAT OTHER Japanese ramen place to go to when my favourite place is full.

Over 2 visits, we tried out a range of dishes. The signature dish, Ooki Chashu Ramen, is noodles with the Japanese version of Chinese char siu – succulent pork belly marinated in soy and mirin – braised to perfection and chargrilled for that burnt, smoky flavour (RM18.90). Decadently layered with fat, the meat was juicy and lubricious, melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Four choices of soup available: miso, spicy, pesto and tonkatsu. But of course, we chose spicy – at the recommended mild level – as we were told “very spicy” will seriously damage our taste buds. The soup was surprisingly quite spicy, a slow burn and hits you at the back of your throat. WoW! Makes me wonder what “very spicy” would be like! We also had Tonkatsu soup, and the broth was rich and flavourful, and will be on the top of my list for my next visit.

Hiyashi ramen – noodles in cold broth with wasabi – was a little different from the conventional cold Japanese noodles I expected. Usually, ramen is dipped into a separate cold bowl of broth. This was an all-in-one dish, with onsen egg, pork slices, black fungus and seaweed. A nice balance of flavours, this was simple and subtle – I really enjoyed this refreshing ensemble.

No. 3 son had the Mentai Carbonara Ramen (RM18.90), a fusion pasta with cod fish roe and mushrooms which worked well with a light cream sauce that didn’t linger or cloyingly stick to the noodles. No. 2 had Shoyu Ramen, which was probably the most ordinary of all. This came as a part of a Set Lunch menu that comes with a salad and cup of green tea at a steal price of RM13.90.

Pesto Ramen (RM18.90) had similar ingredients as the other ramen – pork slices, seaweed, onsen egg and black fungus – but the delectable and strong, fragrance of basil stood out in the unique soup. I didn’t think it was possible for pesto to be a soup offering, but there you go.

Kakuni Donburi – slow braised pork belly, seasoned egg and salad, plus miso soup – is a good bet for those who cannot do without their carbo fix. Mind blowing that pork can melt like jelly, but in the hands of an expert chef, it’s possible.

Shin Haru Tei also offers a good selection of hotpot (nabe). I asked about the protein/ Western menu which apparently had hamburger and steaks, but for now it’s not available as they are unable to cope with churning out food for both menus.

What’s most attractive about this street-inspired Japanese restaurant is the prices. You can get a hearty bowl of rice or ramen from RM16.90 to RM19.90 which is rare and very affordable, compared with other places that charge closer to RM30 per bowl.

Add: 69-P1, Block D, Jaya One, Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya, Tel: 03-7931-9733