Shiki Menya
Japanese Ramen in Bridgeland
Story and photos by Shots by Dre
Koki Aihara, owner of Shiki Menya, is photographed in his restaurant in Calgary on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.
Koki Aihara, the owner of Shiki Menya, and his team normally arrive at the restaurant around 9 a.m. to prepare for lunch service. Aihara has been in the restaurant industry for as long as he can remember; his parents owned a restaurant when he was growing up. Shiki Menya came to be in 2014 and has been navigating the world of COVID-19 since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic in March of 2020.
It is not unusual to see a line of customers waiting outside of Shiki Menya because the restaurant operates on a first come, first served basis and does not accept reservations.
An employee at Shiki Menya works in the kitchen of the restaurant.
Early last year, health restrictions given out by the Government of Alberta required restaurants to close in-person dining. Prior to the order being given, Shiki Menya voluntarily decided to shut down. Aihara wanted to protect his staff and customers because the restaurant was always packed. The shut down was a challenge for Shiki Menya though because the restaurant’s business model was about being in the present. Prior to the pandemic, the restaurant was dine in only and did not offer take out. With in-person dining restrictions constantly fluctuating, Aihara says the pandemic has negatively impacted the volume of ramen they are producing.
Koki Aihara works with his employees ahead of the restaurant opening for service.
Garlic is prepared prior to restaurant opening.
Aihara created Shiki Menya because he wanted a place in Calgary that was ramen specific and different for the city. He wanted to bring the passion and vibe found in the Japanese ramen scene here. He created a ramen only restaurant, like in Japan, and mixed it with the culture found in North America. He found that after he opened his restaurant, the ramen scene blew up in Calgary.
Aihara passes by some of the unique artwork featured in his restaurant, Shiki Menya.
Koki Aihara goes over ingredients with one of his staff members at Shiki Menya.
According to Aihara, even though they have a larger space with more room for in-person dining than their last location, with the barriers and restrictions, the restaurant isn’t able to fit as many people in as they used to. He has also found that people’s mindsets have changed with the pandemic; they are less comfortable with going out.
An employee at Shiki Menya works on prepping eggs ahead of opening.
Aihara prepares a bowl of ramen at his restaurant Shiki Menya.
During the two week shut down period at the beginning of the pandemic, Aihara used the time to develop new ideas on how to continue serving ramen. This is when he created ramen kits for customers to order and take home. He is thankful for the success of the ramen kits. Aihara and his staff continue to maneuver through changing restrictions while serving delicious food to hungry customers.
Shiki Menya closes at 3 p.m. or when they sell out of bowls of ramen, whichever comes first.