Portland may not be a city of financial titans or internet billionaires (at least not by New York, LA or London standards) who covet trophy dining with star chefs.  But it can be proud of its chefs like Masa  Miyake who is as much of a force in Portland’s dining scene as his compatriots Chris Gould of Central Provisions, Larry Matthews of Back Bay Grill, Sam Hayward of Fore Street, Damian Sansonetti of Piccolo and other gadabouts from the culinary girth of fine dining here.

Moreover, in my last few visits to his venerable noodle house and pub, Pai Men Miyake, the food is still admirably done.

The kitchen and dining room at Miyake

Though, pardon this round of nitpicking, there is, I’ve noticed, a slight curve ball of discombobulation in how the restaurant is run and the scope of the menu, which seems more stagnant than vital.

The place is always crowded, from noon to closing. But the kitchen output coasts rather than soars.   When I was there last week for dinner I asked if there were specials; the answer was no.  Typically the weekend menus have offered a separate page of distinctive preparations.

At my dinner there on Wednesday our group of three sat at the bar since all the tables were taken, hardly surprising at this bustling place.  We waited and waited to order.  Finally I flagged a staffer down and asked if he could wait on us.  His answer—seriously put–was, “Why?  Did you want to eat?”

Well, whattayathink? We did.  As it turned out he was one of the line cooks and not a server. When a waitress finally stopped by, I asked again (this time out of curiosity) about specials on the menu.  Her answer was blunt.  “No, we don’t do those anymore.  The kitchen is in transition.”

Salmon sashimi was not on the menu at this visit but was several weeks earlier

Did that mean no one was leading the pack of line cooks behind the counter in the open kitchen?  Was the usual focus on noodles, dumplings, sushi and wondrous vegetable dishes running on seriatim?

Traditionally the weekday menu is pretty constant and changes occur on weekends that aid and abet the standard dishes of ramen, sushi and sundry small plates.  I remember well the past glories found in plates of fried chicken, smelts, Miyake farm hog and even fusion-French style desserts?

At older visits to Pai Men the specials menu had many delights such as the fried chicken or a French style sweet

Still I can report this: After several meals there the core menu is still intact and the preparations are good, though there were some misses.

But if it’s ramen that you want, the best is here in spades. Personally I don’t crave ramen, the otherwise commendable dish for soup loons.  That’s because I’ve spent too many years of watching my carbs and the Japanese fusion of street- food ramen doesn’t do it for me.  Still, at Miyake they’re works of art. The various broths are rich and satisfying.  And for the budget minded, a big bowl for about $10 is a complete meal.

I usually choose the Tokyo Abura, which is without broth but an artful bowlful of noodles swathed in chili oil, spicy garlic paste, raw egg and cabbage with accents of ginger, scallions and nori. I can never finish the portion—I’m  done halfway through.

Clockwise: Ramen Tokyo Abura, Paitan and Brussel’s sprouts

Two of our threesome ordered the Paitan, ramen based on chicken and pork broth, enriched with pork belly, soy marinated egg, scallion, ginger and nori.  I tasted it and the broth was exceedingly rich and smooth, almost meaty in its thickness.   We also shared a bowl of Brussels sprouts, still one of the most popular items on the menu because of the fragrant rendering of the vegetable with its crispy outer leaves cloaked in fish sauce, vinegar, cilantro and mint.  I’ve had this dish many times, generally at lunch paired with vegetable or pork dumplings.    But this time it was  overcooked, somewhat dry without its usual zippy texture.

Both the pork gyozas and the pork buns were reliably good; our little group devoured them easily.  I love the buns stuffed with the glazed pork belly and topped with a sweet pepper relish, good enough to be packaged and sold in jars at Fauchon  as a condiment to have at will.

Pork buns and pork gyoza

I was less pleased with an order of sushi—cooked salmon with spicy mayo, toasted almonds, and avocado and sesame seed.  The fish was dry and bland.  Much better at an earlier visit was the salmon sashimi, raw salmon beautifully cured and presented; it was not on the menu that night.

Cooked salmon sushi

The best dish of the evening was Maine crab.  Piled onto a giant shell it held crabmeat under a broiled mayonnaise glaze, seasoned with togarashi (red chili blend), tobiko (fish eggs) and black sesame soy wrap.  The confluence of flavors and textures is a standout amongst the sushi choices.

Glazed Maine crab sushi

Though we enjoyed our dinner I look forward to the kitchen returning to more fertile ground, with Miyake’s talent for creating his special dishes that show off his talents beyond the basics.

Pai Men Miyake, 188 State St., Portland, ME 207-541-9204  www.miyakerestaurants.com

Rating: 3 3/4 stars; some dishes are wonderful, a few were not and service was spotty

Ambiance: one of the most popular restaurants in Portland, a crush of diners from noon to closing

Tables: a few tables up front, two tops along the side, bar dining at the open kitchen

Service: can be good; on several visits spotty

$$$: Mostly moderately price