Rob and I have always been one to try out new neighborhood restaurants or shops. As many people do, we fully support local, independently owned businesses. There is just something about the nostalgic nature of a company that is not owned by a corporation.
While we obviously do have our obsessions with certain corporate companies (Starbucks and Target just to name a few) we become extremely excited at the prospects of not just any independently owned business, but restaurants that may be opening up shop in our neck of the woods.
While the hubby and I will be leaving Richmond at the end of the month for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, that still hasn't stopped our love affair with our neighborhood. We currently live right outside of downtown in an area that while isn't necessarily run down, it still has a ways to go.
There is something about living amongst artists and true visionaries that makes me feel at my most creative and my neighborhood has some of the best.
Which is why when I was driving home from the South of the James Farmer's Market one weekend, that I passed what is now called Ejay Rin.
Hmmm... Ejay Rin. If I'm not mistaken, that sounds like a restaurant. An asian restaurant. Possibly asian noodle house restaurant? Like Rei Rei Ken in the West Village?!
I had to know as our neighborhood has some food establishments, although not many. Could it be? Could this be a non-corporate restaurant made for my neighborhood?
I immediately charged towards my computer the minute I got home. Those veggies from the market can wait to be put away at another time. Up popped google and I typed Ejay Rin in.
It is true! An asian style restaurant in my neighborhood! As I perused the menu, I noticed steamed buns and noodle bowls (complete with an egg and a fish cake!) rice bowls. I was pumped to say the least.
The minute Rob came home, I told him all about Ejay Rin and we decided that our next night out would be there.
Advance apologies for the photography. When I do restaurant reviews, I try to be incognito and only take pics with my phone. Looks like my Blackberry needs to be upgraded :)
From the moment that we walked in, we realized that Ejay Rin was a neighborhood gem. Spare decor, with just the right accent pieces and has a bar as the center of attention.
The staff was very friendly and greeted us the moment we arrived. When I had looked at the menu prior to leaving the house, I didn't notice any alcoholic beverages, although it is obvious now that they do serve. I believe at the time we were there, they only served wine and beer (yet I am unsure).
In recent years, I have become quite the beer connoisseur. I immediately asked our server what he would recommend. His suggestion was this Austrian beer. While I do understand that they emphasize on asian, this didn't seem out of place for this establishment. It was absolutely delicious and tasted very much like an IPA.
Looking at the menu, there is an extensive amount of pork belly in many of their dishes. Ranging from their rice and noodle bowls all the way over to their steamed buns.
Rob and I have eaten at this restaurant several times since our first visit. Once for lunch as an appetizer we had ordered some of their steamed buns. It was like a BLT but made with pork belly instead. It was not on the menu, but was suggested by our waiter. It probably takes the cake (or shall I say pork belly?) as one of the best tasting BLT's ever. Hand's down they make excellent steamed buns so I would not skip them as the start to your meal.
The first time we had eaten here, I had ordered the Pork Ramen. If you aren't familiar with ramen other than from a packet when you were in college, then you are missing out. Ramen is truly a serious noodle in Japan and rightfully so. It is absolutely delicious (you can read all about my post on Rei Rei Ken in NYC here) It came complete with pulled pork, pork belly, a poached egg, fish cake, nori, scallions, pickled radishes and pork broth.
Rob had ordered the pulled pork rice bowl. I later ordered it at a different date as well (see pic below) and as always was superb. It came chock full of pulled pork belly, pickled cucumber, radishes, scallions and of coarse, no true noodle or rice bowl would be complete without a poached egg.
While all of our experiences at Ejay Rin have been fantastic, there were still a few slight hiccups every now and then. When we came for lunch one time, I had ordered the Bok Choy that was sautéed with ginger, garlic and lemon. While the flavors were sublime and all around it was equally delicious, it was a tad over salted. I like to think this is because they are still working around a few things since this was within the first two weeks of them opening. All in all, I would order it again because I did enjoy the dish, I will just make a note with the waiter for the chef to have an easy hand on the salt.
The last time we had eaten here, we ordered dessert to go. Dessert was not something that was on the menu so knowing I have such a sweet tooth, I was excited to see and try some of their desserts as the rest of the food has always been right on par.
The waiter told us of their desserts. I ended up going with the cereal milk panna cotta, with an avocado puree and a toffee crisp. I was elated at the idea and intrigued. While cereal milk anything isn't necessarily new due to the hype (and well deserved) of the original cereal milk concept from Milk Bar in NYC, I was excited at the prospect of it in a panna cotta. And an avocado cream puree? Interesting. Rob had chosen a ginger rice pudding.
We brought them home and I was elated to try my dessert. However, I must say it was a complete let down. The panna cotta had a salty taste to it and I don't know why the avocado cream was ever thought to be put into this dish. The only good thing about the dish was the toffee chip. It seemed like something out of the TV show Chopped and I was the judge telling the contestant that their dish didn't make any sense flavor wise. Big let down in that department. However, I must note that Rob thoroughly enjoyed his dessert. He thought it was absolutely delicious.
Although the dessert for me was a let down, this will not stop me from coming back. I have been waiting for an asian restaurant like this to come around since we had moved many years back from Los Angeles. Every where we have lived has not had a restaurant like this.
Go, try it out, patron this amazingly small yet delicious restaurant and don't forget to try those steamed buns of theirs!
Ejay Rin
201 W. 7th Street, Richmond, VA
804-745-6488
