EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50 Essential Restaurants – 41. MONTA

41. MONTA

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Monta is still Number 1 among the righteous ramen revelers in town, and with its no-nonsense 10-item menu and only 26 seats, it proves less is more when it comes to regularly revealing the royalty of this remarkable repast.

Has anything changed since it opened its doors four years ago? Nope, except it’s almost impossible to get into without waiting in line. Given that everything from the service to the slurping occurs with amazing alacrity, there’s nary a nabob who’s not noshing noisily within no-time.

What it serves more of, and better than any restaurant in town, is the  noodle soup Japan has been going crazy for since the end of WW II. The words “noodle soup” don’t usually get an American’s heart racing, but the Japanese put a finer point on these things than anyone (save the French), and from your first spoonful you’ll understand what all the shouting is about.

Shouting (silently, with joy) is what you’ll also be doing as the chashu (roasted pork) in your bowl melts in your mouth; and as you’ll also be doing when you sip the tonkotsu broth that simmers for hours to extract every bit of goodness from its base ingredient; or the nutty, sweet, heartier, thicker miso ramen.

A few rice bowls topped with kimchi, corn, or the ethereal poached eggs, and the best gyoza (steamed, then fried, dumplings) in town complete a menu that’s a study in simplistic perfection. Monta is the Raku of noodle soups, and one more tiny, but significant, notch on a Las Vegas foodie’s belt.

Favorite Dishes: Gyoza; Chasu; All Ramens.

MONTA

5030 5030 Spring Mountain Road

702.367.4600

3 thoughts on “EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50 Essential Restaurants – 41. MONTA

  1. The Monta Chaya location on Eastern and Serene is an upgrade of the original with fewer health violations.

  2. Wow. Monta is still for clowns and jokers is more like it.
    Fukumimi shits on monta daily w every single item.

  3. ELV responds: Wrong again, kathy d.

    Fukumimi, while good, isn’t in the same league as Monta and Ramen Sora.

    As much as we like the cooking, it’s dirty tables and sketchy location give it all the charm of a bus terminal.

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