With immense curiosity about the buzz about ramen, we headed to Tony’s Kitchen in Kacheripady, Kochi, where we were welcomed with a visual treat and a surprise for the taste buds.
Miso ramen comes in a white ramen bowl. The noodles were hidden beneath the dark broth, topped with four slices of chicken and a couple of shiitake mushrooms; The runny yolk of a half-boiled egg cuts a path across it, mixing with the broth. A sheet of seaweed (nori), chopped green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds complete the beautiful picture.
Kochi is showing off its love for ramen as every Asian restaurant and even some cafes have added this soupy noodles dish to their menu, which is of Chinese origin but is a more famous integral part of Japanese and Korean cuisine. The popularity of K and J-dramas as well as Japanese anime and manga has increased this appetite for ramen, especially after the pandemic.
Abhishek Puthenveettil, cluster manager of Pandal Café and Deli, says ramen is popular because of its rich flavours, which combined with a variety of broths, proteins and toppings make it a kind of filling, balanced meal. It is comfortable as well as versatile, and can be customized to suit different tastes.
Miso Ramen Noodles with Egg, Enoki and Pak Choi Cabbage Photo Credit: Getty Images
An employee at Nasi & Me says, “Ramen is delicious. Some people become accustomed to its taste, while others, who are new to Asian cuisine, may not like it because the broth is processed differently from the way Indian food is prepared. The broth is slow-cooked: the chicken is cooked for about five hours.”
Little Soi, a pan-Asian restaurant in Panampilly Nagar, is known for its Ichiraku ramen. Yes! This is the same ramen that Naruto Uzumaki speaks of in the anime series Naruto,
So, what is Ichiraku Ramen?
Ramen topped with ‘a little soy’; The light broth is topped with eomuk fish cakes, garlic and sesame-flavored chili pieces, giving it a spicy flavor. There are vegetarian and meat (chicken and beef) options, priced at ₹695, ₹745 and ₹745 respectively.
Another popular ramen is miso ramen, which has a miso-gochugaru sauce – a mixture of gochugaru and chili flakes. The broth is slightly sour and spicy; The ramen is topped with Korean fried chicken for a chicken option (₹745) or vegetarian salmon tofu (₹600) or beef (₹795).
Naruto with his bowl of ramen Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A restaurant employee revealed that Little Soi sells about 800 bowls of ramen monthly. They also have Buldak Chicken Ramen (₹795), a Korean ramen that uses Buldak noodles, now available in supermarkets across the city. It is similar to Maggi noodles, only springy and spicy, and comes in many flavours.
Nasi & Me on MG Road is another option for ramen lovers and ramen-curious. Popular for its spicy Korean ramen, vegetarian (₹495) and non-vegetarian (₹625) versions, it is made with gochujang paste as a base. The Grilled, Barbecue Chicken over Barbecue Shoyu Ramen (₹625) is a crowd favourite. According to an employee, people like these flavors more. Since miso is not very spicy, customers prefer savory ramen such as spicy Korean ramen, which makes up about 60% of orders.
If you’re looking for the real deal, the closest thing to an authentic bowl of ramen, Tony’s Kitchen is the place for you. The most popular item on the menu is the Spicy Miso Ramen (₹850 and ₹950 for chicken and pork). Miso is fermented soybeans, it’s rich and flavorful, spicy and even salty. A pork lovers’ favorite is the Tonkotsu Ramen (₹950); They also have shoyu ramen with soy (shoyu) sauce as a base. Shoyu ramen has a lighter broth, unlike miso ramen. The location sells about 150 bowls per week.
Ramen at Panhandle Café and Deli | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
An interesting item on the ramen menu is soupless ramen, also known as mazesoba in Japanese. The base in Tony’s Kitchen is tahini or sesame paste. Then there’s the vegetarian ramen, which will work for vegetarians too, as it has oat milk as its base (₹750). All the ingredients used in making ramen, except seaweed and dried fish, are locally sourced, says Antony Jose, owner-cum-chef of Tony’s Kitchen.
“Ramen seems to be something people can connect with in terms of flavor because it’s palatable to Indian customers. It’s full of flavor and includes a lot of spice. So that may be one reason for its popularity. We sell a lot of miso ramen because it’s delicious, although the spice can vary depending on the person’s spice tolerance. Some other ramen varieties are subtle in comparison. A lot of restaurants have ramen now, mostly because people find it comforting and delicious,” says Antony. Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef who makes ramen from scratch at Tony’s.
There are two types of ramen – Japanese and Korean. The latter is the more pungent of the two, while the former has a rich, savory flavor, typically umami.
Antony says that people choose Korean because it is more delicious due to the use of fermented items that add depth to the flavor, as is the case with pickles.
Reema Binu, a final year student of Rajagiri College of Management and Applied Sciences (RCMAS), who has tasted both Japanese and Korean ramen, says she prefers the Korean version because of her love for spicy food. She says, “I’m partial to ramen because it’s healthier than other instant noodles. It’s a nice, balanced meal, with a welcome flavor even in the broth.” She adds that ramen noodles, when freshly prepared, are soft and go great with ramen kimchi.
At Pandal Café and Deli, Edappally, among the four ramens on their menu, the white miso tonkotsu ramen (₹645) is popular. Its rich creamy broth made from miso and tonkosu (broth made from pig bone) is perfectly balanced with a hint of umami. Served with tender pieces of pork, topped with the typical, traditional ingredients of soft-boiled eggs and green onions. Another popular variety is the Kimchi Dak Ramen made with chicken (₹545).
Kochi’s favorite momo spot, Shifu Momos in Panampilly Nagar, which has recently added ramen to its menu, has perhaps the most pocket-friendly bowl of ramen in the city. Both Japanese (₹150) and Korean (₹180 for chicken) versions are available here. “The Korean ramen has been introduced recently while the Japanese version has been around since last year. This is our popular ramen,” says Kashyap Sehgal, owner of Shifuze Momos.
Be it Japanese or Korean, it seems like ramen is here to stay.
