A couple of years ago, in the midst of RamenQuest, I included a then brand spanking new spot that had just opened above a likewise new Japanese supermarket. Not due to anything I may have written, Nueva Casa Japonesa, Humberto 1º 2357 in San Cristobal, took off as the darling, inexpensive ramen lunch spot for the noodle obsessed. I liked the place quite a bit, though wasn’t as totally enamored as some, finding a bit of fault here and there in the execution of the dishes. Still, it was cheap and cheerful, as the saying goes.

Now, if I’ve got the story right, the guys behind that launch have left, moved on, vamoosed, and are now the team behind the recently opened Mirutaki Ramen & Sushi, in Palermo, which I have yet to get to [Edit: that was remedied about three months after this post, review is linked]. And there’s a new team in place, and a much redesigned setup. The ramen/noodle bar is still on the upper floor, with a far expanded menu – more variations on ramen and udon, plus a variety of rice dishes and other Japanese specialties.

And, downstairs in what used to be the garage/parking area, there’s now the Spaghetti Bar, whipping up nipponized versions of Italian spaghetti classics. If that wasn’t enough, jammed into what used to be a small storage room in the hallway between the garage and the store, is a sushi bar, open only on weekend afternoons (not yet tried). In fact, weekend afternoons are even busier than the already busy weekdays, and reservations are pretty much a must on Saturday and Sunday. On a first revisit under the new auspices, people without reservations were being told their wait could be as much as two hours. I’ve visited three times over the last few weeks – once with Steven for our weekly Sunday outing, once with Henry, and once solo.

If you look back at my original review, you can find that while I liked the flavor of the gyoza, I found them a bit lacking in substance – half filled, tiny, and not very satisfying. These are a whole new level. Some of not only the best gyoza I’ve had in BA, but also some of the better shumai. Plump, juicy, flavorful – different fillings in the two types, too, which is not always the case. Delicious. (120 pesos each)

Main courses and noodle dishes still come with the option of just the dish, or as a “set”. The latter is a great option as a full meal, it does get to be a bit much food after a round of dumplings, but we managed. The sets come with a bowl of miso soup, a choice of three rices (white, yakimeshi – which is more or less Japanese fried rice, or onigiri – which are the seasoned and stuffed triangular rice balls), plus a salad, pickles, and a small side dish. Here, one of their new offerings, two salt grilled whole sardines – perfectly cooked. In this case, accompanied by a Japanese styled ensalada rusa, or potato-egg-carrot salad, and a couple of pieces of sushi. (290 pesos)

I didn’t even know that eel was available here in Argentina. I assume they must be bringing it in from Chile, though I’m not sure. There is a species of river eel found in southern BA province and northern Patagonia, but it’s recommended only for bait, not for human consumption and is a totally different species from the one typically used in Japanese cooking. The una-don is a perfect classic of barbecued eel over a bed or rice, accompanied by a sauteed vegetable salad and pickles. Out of the photo, an onigiri in a small dish – you can see one down below in the last photo. (370 pesos)

On the second visit, Henry and I went for the upstairs ramen bar. He got the spicy ramen, which comes with a rich chicken broth spiked with several types of picante, and a mix of chicken and chashu pork, plus a small bowl of extra chashu on the side to either eat solo or add into the ramen. One of the best spicy ramens we’ve had here in town. (290 pesos)

The “extra” chashu ramen was my choice, packed with a good amount of the pork, plus a bowl of more on the side, and a deep, murky pork broth. Very, very good, and certainly up there among the better ramens around. (290 pesos)

Oh, and a note, the ramen noodles made by the new folk no longer have that metallic bicarb tang that I wasn’t overly fond of from the previous kitchen. More of them to be tried on future visits.

And, on my solo outing, a classic tonkatsu, the pork milanesa of Japanese cooking. The cutlet itself was pretty much perfect – crispy crust, juicy interior, nicely seasoned. I was a little disappointed in the bottled tonkatsu sauce served with it – too sweet and fruity, not surprising given that its number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. In the end, I used the sauce that was accompanying the little side dish of crispy fried chicken nuggets, a spicy-sweet chili sauce, plus a good dashing of togaroshi chili powder. (260 pesos)

All in all, really like version 2.0. I like both dining areas. I like that you can order from the whole menu in either spot (except, I think, the sushi, which is only available in the sushi bar itself – though I may be wrong about that). The restaurant itself, open Tuesday through Sunday lunches. The spaghetti bar is only open Wednesday to Sunday, so those dishes aren’t available on Tuesdays, and the sushi bar, only on Saturday and Sunday. Highly recommended.