Hakata Itika: Shut Up and Eat (Ramen)
By Nick Mateer
The Wangfujing Metro station has an ungodly number of exits. Finding the right one, and then navigating oneself to the Oriental Plaza mall, can be tough. Navigating within the mall can be even harder. For while there are plenty of food options inside, there’s only one high-tech ramen joint.
That’s right – in authentic Japanese fashion, Hakata Itika features both touch screens and soupy noodles. Customers order off the high-tech menus up front and then sit in what is essentially a cubicle for noodle-eaters. Seats are divided from one another by movable flaps (speaking is overrated anyway), and each little cubby has a button at the top that allows you to call for service (again – why speak?). Waiters simply pop up from behind a curtain to serve you the goods.
Hakata Itika’s ramen is not to be ignored, and these intimate little boxes make sure of this. For parties of two or more, the sides are retractable so you don’t need to feel isolated if you don’t want to (but please, do). The setup is equally viable for a quick solo lunch during work or a more social get-together at dinner.
As for the noods, they are authentic and delicious. And plenty of flavorful add-ons are offered as well. The touch-screen menu allows diners to customize the texture of the noodles to their liking, from soft to hard to whatever in between. The ramen (RMB42-56) is presented as it should be: swimming in bone-soaked broth, with bok choy and egg included. The noodles themselves are serviceable, but they mainly serve as a starchy vehicle for the multitude of other flavors in the bowl.
If you aren’t a ramen person but you get dragged into Hakata Itika anyways, there are great alternatives. A seaweed salad (RMB32) impresses even the health-averse among us with its cool, crisp finish, and the fried chicken (RMB22) definitely caters to the health-averse among us. Speaking of health-averse, a standout dish is the almond pudding (RMB19), a cool and creamy finale to the more savory fare beforehand. Meanwhile, matcha fans will enjoy the green tea pudding (RMB18). Layers of descending sweetness and bitterness intertwine, turning the of-the-moment flavor into something special.
11-15 PW3 Building, Beijing Oriental Plaza, 1 Dong Chang’an Jie, Dongcheng 东城区东长安街1号北京东方广场东方新天地商场平台层PW3号店铺11-15 (5607 5290)
For more Beijing bar and restaurant news, click "Read more" below.