"The intensely creamy chicken-based broth at Mensho sets the bar impossibly high for every other bowl of ramen, ever. The Piedmont Ave. ramen shop is the East Bay outpost of the legendary SF original. Coming here is a great excuse to give your space heater the night off and warm up with the toripaitan bowl instead. The noodles are boiled to a flawless chew, and slices of chashu fall apart with a nudge. And even better, the Oakland location has about three times the space as the one in the city, and much less of a line. " - lani conway, julia chen 1