Schlouppe Bistrot Nakamichi is unlike any ramen shop you have encountered. The rather long name is a reflection of the idea behind the restaurant. ‘Schlouppe’ refers to the sound made on slurping ramen noodles. Slurping might be considered rude in North America, but it is a sign of politeness in Japan. Ramen should be eaten by slurping to experience its full flavour. ‘Bistrot’ refers to the French techniques employed in preparing their dishes and the use of local ingredients, yet maintaining the essence of the traditional ramen. ‘Nakamichi’ is the same name as the owner’s most cherished restaurant in Tokyo.
Starting on April 3rd, Nakamichi is announcing a new restaurant concept (Vege-michi), featuring a full vegan menu suitable for both vegans and non-vegans. Their main objective is to show that vegan food can be delicious and one can use umami-rich ingredients to unlock the flavour of the dishes without resorting to meat or seafood, or even MSG. Dashi, the key umami element in Japanese stocks, is made from bonito flakes and kombu. Here at Nakamichi, the vegan version shojin dashi is prepared from dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu.
The new vegan menu consists of 4 appetizers, 4 ramens, and 3 desserts. From April 3rd to April 13th, Nakamichi is offering a 30% discount on their entire vegan ramen. Be sure to check in on their Facebook page to receive this promotion. We had the privilege to sample first hand their new menu.
Appetizers
Wonton is a small dumpling filled with napa cabbage, purple cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and firm tofu. It is served with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil.
Ramen
Kiwami consists of vegan dashi elevated with shoyu tare and a pinch of garam masala. It comes with soba noodles, avocado, arugula, diced bell pepper, button mushrooms, and a drizzle of truffle oil.
Gururi is a brothless ramen salad. It comes with soba noodles, arugula, avocado, roasted tomatoes, raw mushrooms, and julienned nori. Everything must be mixed (like a bibimbap) before eating. It is best eaten with lemon juice to bring all the individual ingredients together.
The following two ramen is a vegan take on Tan Tan ramen (or the Chinese Sichuan version of dan dan mian) – ground pork cooked in chili oil, soy sauce, and sesame paste.
Lalala is a combination of vegan dashi and soy milk. The ‘ground pork’ is pan-fried tofu marinated in spicy miso, shichimi togarashi, and mirin. It comes with bok choy, rayu (chili oil), and coriander oil.
Piriri is the brothless version of Lalala. The noodles are tossed in sesame paste and chili oil. The overall taste is very similar to the Wuhan hot dry noodles (re gan mian) – rich in sesame flavour with a little kick of spiciness.
Desserts
Pumpkin pudding is made of puréed pumpkin, katakuriko (potato starch), soy milk, and maple syrup. The texture is close to flan.
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream combines silken tofu, ripened banana, cocoa powder, and walnuts. The vegan ice cream does not melt easily on the tongue like regular ice cream, but it is well balanced with the bitterness of the cocoa powder and the sweetness of the banana.
To know more about ramen, read the essential guide to the best ramen in Montreal and the top 11 ramen bowls in Montreal.
Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 12pm to 10:30pm; Sunday 12pm to 9:30pm
2159 rue MacKay, Montreal, QC
(438) 383-7650
Photos by Victor Yu (@randomcuisine), Schlouppe Bistrot Nakamichi, and IG user @zuuchini (featured image).
