Jinya is a new, trendy ramen place in Pike and Rose. Its menu is vast and not limited to just ramen. With salads, rice, curry, snacks and tacos, there is something for everyone. There are symbols for various dietary restrictions which make it easy for anyone to order. There were even clear calorie values for every option, so the restaurant is also accessible for dieters.
The seaweed salad was a typical, flavourful, tasty salad, but there was so much lettuce at the bottom that there was barely any room for the fixins of the salad. For $3.80, however, it was a light and reasonable starter.
However, the ramen was not as cheap as we expected. We ordered tofu from the myriad of different protein options. It was cooked perfectly and was tasty when paired with the flavorful broth. This made the dish overpriced at $10.80, not including the tofu, considering that the main contents of the bowl was just lettuce.
The spicy chicken ramen was delicious, especially for spicy food lovers. Green onions and spinach came on top, which made the meal seem healthy, although the calorie count didn’t mirror the appearance. The noodles were cooked perfectly, the broth was tasty and the spinach was a perfect addition.
Throughout the meal, we received admirable, quick service and the waiter even bowed at the end. The restaurant had a nice evening atmosphere and wasn’t especially crowded. The lighting was very dark, though, and made it difficult to even read the menu. While the food was near perfection, the hefty check at the end didn’t make the food worth it, especially considering that there are plenty of ways to get more affordable, still tasty ramen.
