KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — In Japan, ramen is an everyman’s staple food with different regional styles so it makes sense to personalise the noodles here to make them accessible to all Malaysians.
In 2024, Chihiro Miyazaki from Tokyo’s Soranoiro brought his famed five-hour chicken broth ramen to our shores under the name Ramen Minamo, which has won many hearts and even grudgingly converted die-hard ramen fans who believed ramen broth must be made with pork.
This time, his ramen footprint in the city extends to Ramen Ayame, located in Ombak KLCC with the philosophy of “Japanese ramen, made by Japanese hands.”
Using all the flavours and techniques from Japan, each bowl is finished by hand at Ramen Minamo and now, Ramen Ayame.
Miyazaki’s ramen feels like a storybook; each chapter is unlocked by adding different toppings step-by-step, revealing a tale told in a range of flavours, beginning with the first sip of the mesmerising broth paired with the smooth noodles.
It may feel like an overload of information to digest quickly, but ramen geeks will be happy that the menu shares every ingredient and idea behind the bowl.
Once you try their ramen following the guide, you can chart your own path by adding whichever toppings to fit your preference.
Ramen Ayame’s six ramen varieties, which use chicken, beef and seafood, were developed over two years to suit changing moods, ranging from a lighter bowl to whet your appetite or a richer, more indulgent one that feels celebratory.
They’re mindful to keep their food safe for Muslims so no alcohol or mirin is used in their cooking. Even the menu items are stated in three languages: English, Japanese and Malay.
The ultra creamy Shiro, their signature ramen, has a broth that is cooked for five hours; high heat emulsifies the broth to a pale colour and creamy consistency, resulting in a rich, smooth flavour.
Also using a chicken broth base, the Hakata is a lighter option laced with an aromatic oil, anchovy sauce and a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.
The Kuro is a decadent ramen with a base of chicken, dark mushrooms and porcini, finished with an earthy truffle paste.
Tsuke Men is a four-stage experience: start with chilled fine noodles served with water infused with konbu seaweed, then add a sprinkle of seaweed salt, dip the noodles in a concentrated chicken and seafood broth and finally add the hot broth to the dipping sauce to drink.
Drawing on their previous experience in Japan, they brought in two Sapporo-style ramen with miso-based broths paired with medium-thick curly noodles: one with local flower crab and another with roast beef.
Kani (RM36) uses a whole flower crab cooked in the rich miso broth with crab oil, sautéed onions and vegetables, which drives more flavour into the broth.
Start by adding shredded crab meat for a light sweetness, followed by corn niblets, onion, bamboo shoots and wakame seaweed. The final flourish is spicy miso that deepens the flavour of the broth.
Gyu (RM36) is built around a base of fragrant beef tendon broth paired with a mixture of red and white miso and that signature Sapporo-style addition of sautéed vegetables cooked in an iron pan.
This broth can be a little oily, so it’s served piping hot to downplay that mouthfeel. Try slurping the broth as quickly as you can before it cools down.
Add the roast beef slices and vegetables for one level of flavour.
The final topping of spicy minced beef with Wagyu fat changes the broth’s sweet flavour to a deeper, punchy flavour with lingering heat, which clears the palate so the broth doesn’t feel overly rich.
The ramen is also available at Ramen Minamo (IG: @ramenminamokl) but some varieties are offered on a rotating monthly menu.
With a new outlet, different items are needed to attract their fervent fans; hence, they also offer a small donburi menu using Japanese Akitakomachi rice, which has a desirable stickiness for the grains, paired with three ingredient choices.
Hana (RM45) Tender Roast Beef Bowl uses beef rump slices, cooked at a precise temperature to a tender, rosy centre.
These slices can be warmed on a mini hot stone and relished with their house-made bonito soy, which has garlic and ginger notes. For the last stage, add the sesame scented konbu dashi broth to enjoy with the rice and beef.
Umi (RM38) Seafood Tartare Bowl is based on the same idea as Japan’s Kaisen Don Tsujihan: a kaisendon shaped like a tower with a mixture of finely chopped salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp and squid, crowned with sweet shrimp roe and tobiko.
Enjoy it with their bonito soy, which has garlic and ginger flavours.
Then, for the final third portion of the rice and seafood, add a light bonito konbu dashi mixed with sesame sauce for a richer broth, rolled omelette and seaweed.
The third rice bowl is Beni (RM39.50) Rare Centre Salmon Katsu, which flips the usual beef or pork coating of crisp bread crumbs to a salmon version, paired with creamy avocado.
Small bites on the side can also be ordered, including juicy Chicken Karaage (3 pieces for RM13, 5 pieces for RM18) or a healthy Creamy Kale Salad (RM16) dressed like a Caesar salad with croutons and cheese.
It gets busy during peak lunch time so be patient. If you wish to avoid the rush hour, go after that time as the restaurant is open throughout the day.
Ayame Restaurant
Open daily: 10am to 10pm
Tel: 012-5569721
Instagram: @ramenayame
Websites: @Ramen Ayame Ombak
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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