menya shi-shi do - Kl, Malaysia

Rating:  4 / 10

​I've been known to change travel plans for a bowl of ramen. I've also spent hours in taxi's or on the back of moto's to drive to far suburbs in the hope of discovering a hidden gem.

More often than not it ends up being an exercise in futility, this too was no different.

Menya Shi-Shi Do pops up on all the "Best Ramen in KL" lists. Not only one or two, like every list. After having tried the main ones a few times, Bari-Uma, Kagura, Marutama, etc, I fled Brickfields in a grab taxi and headed the 35 minute journey to try it out.

It was completely empty when I got there, something i'm quite used to having purposely chosen off-peak times. I hate sitting and eating, and taking photographs, in a crowded restaurant.

The lettering on the menu read "Authentic Japanese Ramen", and maybe to some this is.... but unfortunately the soup was a let down, the mushrooms and egg were alright, but the main offender here was the pork. I don't quite know how to describe it other than saying it tasted "off". Almost rancid, but not quite that vulgar. It honestly gave me the "You'll get sick if you eat this" vibes, so I stopped immediately because as a traveller I've spent enough time hugging toilet bowls to want to risk it again.

I'd risk sickness over a scintillating bowl any day of the week, but this place, despite the ratings, was a complete waste of a journey. I'll never come back.

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.