I’ve probably said this already, but we’ve been on a real ethnic eats kick lately. I think it’s because alt.eats.columbus keeps discovering great new places, and we’re always willing to follow their lead. So after they posted about a new place called Meshikou on Bethel Road (an area loaded with good ethnic eats), we headed there on a blustery October Saturday to warm up with ramen.
The location fits the comfort of the food. Heavy wood accents, semi-dark lighting. A quiet and comfortable place (even when it’s busy) to slurp some ramen.
The pork belly steam buns are a simple starter. They’re very easy to like.
One of the real stand-outs – aside from the ramen itself – is the karaage, a small appetizer basket of fried chicken.
The chicken was exactly what I crave: salty, peppery, and crunchy breading, very juicy meat. The dipping sauce is great, but the chicken is good enough without it.
We split two bowls of ramen. First was the shio chintan, a chicken broth with corn, slices of pork belly, mushrooms, scallions, and soft boiled egg. This was ideal for our boys – very rich but very balanced.
The real winner of the morning was the shoyu tonkotsu ramen. It mixes a beef and chicken broth, with slices of pork belly, egg, and fish cake. It’s incredibly rich and warming. I foresee many bowls of this – and all of the dishes – as the cold weather continues.
Want to visit? You’ll find Meshikou in the Bethel Centre mall, surrounded by other good ethnic eateries, and around the corner from the excellent Los Guachos.
Meshikou
1506 Bethel Rd. (map it!)
Columbus, OH 43220
(614) 457-1689
Open Tues-Thurs, 11a-1op; Fri & Sat, 11a-10:30p; Sun, 11a-9p
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