The Best Dishes Eater SF Editors Ate This Week: Spring 2023 - Eater SF
"About a month ago, Shoki’s Ramen reopened, and if you had any worries about the long-running Sacramento shop being as good as ever, let me assure you: there’s nothing to fear. In keeping with tradition, it’s a bit tricky to get a seat (the restaurant’s small spaces have always made squeezing in somewhat difficult) but if you keep a close eye on Instagram you may be able to snag a same-day reservation as I did on a recent weekday. That's how I found myself staring down a bowl of Shoki’s shio ramen, a deep pool of nutty broth laden with not one but three different kinds of meat including a thick, marbled slab of succulent Rancho Llano Seco pork. Full disclosure: I’ve been eating at Shoki’s since I was a teenager so this particular dish comes with a heady side of nostalgia. But in any case, this remains my favorite bowl of ramen, period. It’s quite specific to this place, and I adore the delicate but powerfully salty flavor — a nice departure from all those decadent bowls of tonkotsu — and the dance of the Celtic sea salt, pepper, garlic, and sesame across every bite. The springy noodles bounce like tennis balls, and these days, if you order your bowl with “The Works,” you get a slurpy onsen egg that gets a quick bath in housemade dashi to dump into your soup. The care and attention to detail given to every bowl at this family-run restaurant simply cannot be overstated so all I’ll say in closing is: Shoki, I’m so glad to have you back. Shoki’s Ramen, Gyoza, and Koji, 2530 21st Street, Sacramento" - Lauren Saria
