Ramen Noodles with your full English?

Boscombe is an interesting area. There are some nice and not so nice bits, but what it does have is a really interesting eclectic mix. It reminds me of the early days somewhere like Stoke Newington Church Street in London, which through an influx of independent shops and eateries has become a very desirable and now quite expensive area to live. 

Admittedly this is not London, but there are comparisons.We'd come to Boscombe for the vintage market in the Royal Arcade. In its heyday the arcade must have been quite something, the curved glass shop fronts in the arcade are stunning.

With lunchtime beckoning I took a walk outside the arcade on to the pedestrianised high street. There was a butcher selling meat at 'prices you would not believe!' and then across the road I spotted the Green Tara cafe. The window displayed twin menus of on the left traditional Japanese cuisine including ramen soup, chicken yakisoba, sushi, dumplings and other goodies. While on the right hand menu varieties of a traditional fry up were on offer.
Entering the cafe the décor is simple, but welcoming as were the ladies behind the counter, making you immediately feel at home.
As you can see from the table above east meets west is reflected through the expected cutlery and condiments and a big pot of chopsticks. 

So what did we have to eat? Well I can't comment on the English food as we all went Japanese. Two of us opting for the chicken yakisoba, which is chicken fried with noodles, vegetables and seasoned with sesame seeds. It was served with a chilli sauce on the side and we were given the very hot warning. It was really yummy and for around £5 a really good deal.

Mel opted for the ramen soup which you could have as vegetarian or with pork, chicken or beef in this case chicken and equally enjoyed the meal.
I had Jasmine tea with my noodles which was perfect with the fiery chilly sauce.

So just what was needed on a cold Saturday afternoon. Warming, tasty, great service and somewhere I will definitely be visiting again. Will be interesting to see how well they do sushi and gyoza (dumplings).

The Green Tara by the way refers to a type of tea.

Highly recommended.

Address: 583 Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth BH1 4AN
Phone:01202 72007

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