Curry Ramen Two Ways, Cocktails Included
Meshikou has built its name on a curry ramen program broad enough to cover both camps of ramen eating: brothed for the deep, coconut-warmed version, and brothless for a coated-noodle style closer to mazemen. Both come up in the same breath as the appetizers and soju that round out a table order, and the flavor consistency between the two suggests a kitchen that treats curry as a technique, not a single recipe. The vegan program stands out as unusually deep for the format: two full vegan ramens plus a brothless vegan option, a spread most ramen counters in Columbus do not attempt at all, let alone execute well enough to win over people who came in skeptical. That kind of range signals a kitchen thinking about ramen as a category rather than a single bowl to defend.
On the drink side, Meshikou separates itself from the standard ramen-bar setup with an actual cocktail and beer program, not an afterthought taps list. The oolong mule gets called out specifically, tea-forward and built to cut through a rich bowl the way a Moscow mule cuts through heavier food, and it points to a bar program built with the menu in mind rather than bolted on. Soju shows up too, giving the room a Japanese-Korean crossover on the drink side that matches the flexibility on the food side. The room reads as built for groups: casual, comfortable splitting appetizers and comparing bowls, the kind of place a table can order six different things and everyone leaves satisfied.
Pricing lands in the moderate range, which keeps it accessible as a regular rotation stop rather than an occasion room. Service gets credited alongside the food, which matters in a format where timing between courses and drink orders can make or break a group visit. Columbus's ramen tier tends to split between quick-serve noodle counters and more composed rooms; Meshikou sits on the composed end without pricing itself out of casual reach, carrying real local reputation claims in that lane.
