JINYA Ramen Explodes with Diversity

“Irasshai!” There’s no mistaking the hospitality as every guest is welcomed with this Japanese greeting upon entering the restaurant. And the “Arigato” when they leave expresses appreciation for their visit.

That’s only to be expected. After all, opening a ramen bar was the expressed dream come true for Daradee Olson, who fell in love with the dish in its many flavors during the eight years she lived in Taiwan.

When she unexpectedly rediscovered authentic ramen in the unlikely locale of Salt Lake City, she jumped at the chance to be a franchise owner and bring the dish she had so missed to share with others.

The menu’s variety is extensive: different broths, a vast assortment of toppings and, of course, handcrafted noodles, both thick and thin. The broths are simmered 20 hours to extract the fullest flavor from whatever the base is – pork, chicken, beef. And the vegan broth needn’t be only for vegans; its rich flavor enhances toppings from tofu to Brussels sprouts to ground pork to shrimp wonton.

JINYA Tonkotsu Black is one of the most popular ramen dishes, according to Olson, but her personal favorite, she shares, is the spicy creamy vegan ramen … with ground pork, among other toppings. Fully customizable from an impressive array of choices, like all the ramen, the Tonkatsu Black starts with pork broth, pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, nori dried seaweed, seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion and spicy sauce; it’s served with thin noodles.

While the ramen choices can fill several menu pages alone, there’s actually more palate temptations. Small plates include Gyoza, fried chicken, and the can’t-stop-eating-it Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura. Vegetarian dishes include Brussels Sprouts Tempura and Impossible^TM Bun (a plant-based bun wrapped around Impossible™ meat made from plants, guacamole, cucumber and vegan mayonnaise).

Plus sushi, salads, tacos, rice bowls and curry. Oh, and dessert: JINYA’s signature Matcha Green Tea Tiramisu — thin layers of matcha between the layers of custard and sponge cake, with colorful matcha on top instead of cocoa powder.

Olson recently opened her third JINYA Ramen Bar location, in Peoria, the largest of her current three locations. The dining room is an open, airy space with a Japanese minimalist décor punctuated by the oversize, colorful painting of a geisha on the back wall. And Olson achieves another long-held goal with this location. “I always wanted a big patio and end cap,” she shares. She furnished this patio with a firepit table that seats 16, to encourage community.

Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen Vegetable broth, tofu, onion, green onion, spinach, crispy onion, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil and sesame seeds, served with thick noodles $18.80

JINYA Chicken Ramen Chicken broth, chicken chashu, spinach, green onion and fried onion, served with thin noodles $17.30

Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura Crispy shrimp tempura tossed in JINYA’s original spicy mayonnaise done in the classic ebi-mayo style $10.90

JINYA Ramen Bar
130 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler
(480) 758-5198

5120 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
(602) 612-3796

8156 W. Happy Valley Rd., Peoria
(623) 455-4565

jinyaramenbar.com/locations

Did You Know: Fried chicken, which is incarnated on the JINYA Ramen menu as Crispy Chicken served with ponzu sauce, has its own special story in Daradee Olson’s journey as a restaurateur. “My husband’s family is from Arkansas, and they had never had Asian food,” she shares. After trying the Crispy Chicken, “they wanted the recipe.”