“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.” ~Ludwig van Beethoven

“Having a good wife and rich cabbage soup, seek not other things” ~Russian Proverb quotes

“What’s a soup kitchen?” ~Paris Hilton

Kitchen Splash:  2-93 Miyagi, Chatan Town, 098-926-0151

Ambiance:  Average, except indoor smoking is allowed during dinner

Service:  Good

Cocktails:  Beer & Awamori available, cocktails very limited

Food Quality:  Average

Features :  Japanese cuisine, all you can drink, bar counter, close to Sunabe Seawall, international, pet-friendly (terrace only), ramen, set lunch, tatami rooms, terrace seating (very limited), English menu available.

Cuisine:  Japanese / Okinawan, Noodles

Price/Value:  Average

I often think gyoza and edamame make the world’go’round. Oh, and blue-eyed beaut

Having a good wife, and needing only a local source of rich soup, Jody and I set out for “Kitchen Splash,” a noodle house of sorts located less than a block off Sunabe Seawall in the heart of commercial Miyagi.  And in the way of noodles, they do not disappoint.  However….

 

The restaurant is clean and fairly spacious inside, although the outdoor terrace seating is cramped and very limited, but pet friendly.  The décor matches the name; there are rustic touches here and there that both hint and call-out from the nearby sea.  There is a larger tatami area for group seating.  While we were there, the staff were playing a Japanese boy-group concert on their rather large flat screen TV mounted from the ceiling, and although the volume was higher than I would have liked, the music was actually good and the video?  Well, highly entertaining!

We ordered gyoza and edamame for starters, both served quickly, steaming hot, and turned out to be quite tasty and fresh.  The service was prompt, although we were initially the only two in the eatery, soon joined by 4-6 others, most of whom appeared to be local shift workers just getting off for dinner.  When the soups came, we were both somewhat disappointed.  A large portion of our letdown, I believe, stems from our basic lack of understanding of the menu and options for our dishes.  I ended up with soy ramen soup with pork and vegetables, but instead of the yummy, meaty slices of pork that one can find in other ramen houses, my soup had a number of very fatty and what appeared to be second-hand pieces of pork, most of which I chose not to eat.  Jody tried a dish neither of us was familiar with, and although the spelling offered on the menus was “Tammen,” I believe what she wound up with was “Taman” soup, a spicy garlic and red-sauce concoction based on the local Okinawa fish Taman.

We finished most of our meals, and took our short walk – 3 or 4 blocks – back home, where I remained somewhat disappointed in my ramen, and Jody quickly wound up with a pretty bad belly ache.  Even though we ordered her soup with “skoshi” spice, her meal was produced with a healthy kick, which she continued to fight through the evening.  Both ailments quickly passed, and we agreed we would splash in again at this kitchen, eager to give then another try.  But probably only for lunch, when indoor smoking, for some reason, is not allowed by the staff.  If the chances of Paris Hilton showing up here were even measureable, perhaps we would return for dinner.  However, we instead prefer not to share our evening meal with smokers in such close quarters.

Respectfully, No Microwave Used Here

• Open Lunch 11:30-15:00 / Dinner 17:00-24:00, Closed Wed

• $ accepted

• English menu available

• Parking is available, but problematic along the main seawall roads

• Pet friendly (terrace only)

• Takeout available

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