BeiWanXin is a ramen chain store that has about half a dozen stores in Shanghai. While the quality of the food or service of BeiWanXin is no where near the higher end of what Shanghai has to offer, I wanted to find out more authentic Shanghai ramen, to try out what the locals have. So I visited one of their restaurants at noon on a weekday, ordering their 焖肉面 (menrou-mian) or slow cooked pork noodles.
The Soup - was this watered down pork broth that was seasoned with soy sauce and some sugar. This soup was not as sweet as the other ramen I've had in Shanghai so far, it was slightly saltier but the taste was still very thin and not especially delicious.
The Noodles - are thin, straight white ramen noodles cooked rather firm. Chewy and has a good texture, the Shanghai noodles usually don't dissapoint.
The Toppings - nothing fancy here, a big slice of slow simmered pork. The met is tender and the seasoning is simple, slightly salty with a hint of some Chinese herbs. This seems to be the origin of the cha-shu pork that we see in Japanese ramen, even though the name cha-shu is actually from Cantonese.
Overall - I doubt any foreigners will actually dine at a place like this. The food was half way decent, but the store decor and service will definitely turn you away. After entering the store and looking at the menu for about 30 seconds, the waitress stares at me as asks: "So?... what the heck are you going to order!?" But for roughly $.60 cents per bowl this is a reasonable price for locals. They also have other local favorites like steamed buns, etc.
Here's the address if you decide to go. just show the address to the Taxi drivers.
北万新 静安区陕西北路667号 （武定路口） 62153874
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