The Best Ramen in Kuala Lumpur

"Life is too short to waste on mediocre ramen"​

Places crushed:

1. Menya Shi Shi Do
2. Tokyo Ramen 
3. Ippudo Ramen (their Yokohama special is much better than their regular ones).
4. Ramen Kumo
5. Torazou Ramen
6. Aori Ramen
7. Bankara Ramen 
8. Tabushi Ramen
9. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
10. Kanbe 
11. Shahariki 432
12. Kagura Ramen
13. Marutama 
14. Maruki Ramen
15. Bari Uma

​Sure you can feast on a platter of roti canai's from Valentine, lick your fingers after ploughing through a plate of Mollagaa's banana leaf, fornicate with your reflection at the bottom of an empty laksa bowl, or simply lie in bed shoving fatty charsiu in your gluttonous cavity. But after days/weeks/months of doing that, surely you'll crawl to the mirror on a day of self-introspection, see the loss washing over your eyes like cheap paint, and realise that ramen is exactly what you need to wipe clear the cataracts of doubt and fill you with truth once more.

Having a group of friends that are also Ramen-addicts, I find myself waking up to a barrage of texts every morning "Where is the best ramen in KL?", "Authentic Ramen in KL?", "Who does the best ramen in Malaysia?". 

As a bonafide broth-martyr, I took it upon myself to carry the cross of noodles down the soupy streets of menma strewn depravity, tasting thirteen different temples of potential truth, and dividing them up into false prophets and stomach profits. 


Here they are, in all their glory, from worst to first. And in a country where pork is generally seen as soul death, the term guilty pleasure is even more apt. 

(click the photo for a link to google map)

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The Worst First

​Ramen Menya Shi Shi Do
4/10

Thin soup and pork that was not only tough as a birkenstock but also tasted "off", i'll be avoiding this place in the future.

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TOKYO RAMEN
5/10

Muddy broth, dry tasteless chicken, bland egg. Not much to love in this bowl sadly.

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IPPUDO
5/10

I didn't go for their regular Tonkotsu because I've had it before and was unimpressed. This time the Shoyu Ramen was tested and it was frankly diabolical. The pork was ok, the noodles were ok, but that broth was like drinking sour soy sauce. 

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RAMEN KUMO
6/10

Kumo opened to much fanfare on the top floor of Lot 10. After a few failed attempts to visit, it was done and dusted, and not really worth the wait. The broth was more milk-like than milky/creamy, the pork was forgettable and the egg too. There are far better places on the same floor, so don't bother.

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Torazou RameN
​6/10

In house made noodles are their main selling point, but the broth had a strange funk to it that didn't sit right with me. However, one to keep an eye on if they make improvements in the future!

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AORI RAMEN
​6/10

Alarm bells should have gone off when I read that a celebrity started this Ramen chain. First off, they totally ripped off the "Ichiran experience" of the private booths, secondly the ramen just wasn't great. 

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Bankara Ramen
​7/10

Frothy milk Tonkotsu broth yet lacking in the umami factor compared to their sister branch in Bangkok.

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TABUSHI RAMEN
​7/10

A few small mistakes turned this from an 8 to a 7. Namely the fact the noodles were overcooked, the egg too, the pork was good but the broth was just lacking a bit in flavour. 

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Hokkaido Ramen SantoukA
​7/10

Though it may be a chain, they are obviously keeping a strict quality-control on their branches because this was nothing to sneer at.

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KANBE RAMEN
​7/10

While this bowl has a lot of things going for it, the pork was too fatty and the broth just lacked a bit of punch. 

I should have ordered the Tsukemen, but I'm just not a fan of dipping style Ramen. 

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​KAGURA RAMEN
​7/10

A ramen shop that used to be better, but still puts out an acceptable bowl. The egg and meat is decidedly unexciting, but the broth does pack some decent flavour.

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Shakariki 432
7/10

Not your regular soup-style of ramen, but a good version to try if you're bored of the competition. Tucked away up in posh Mont Kiara, this little Izakaya is friendly and serves up solid, dependable Japanese noodles.

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Marutama Ramen
​8/10

My first time trying Tori-Paitan, or chicken carcass broth, was an absolutel triumph. Halal is the way to go? Maybe...

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MARUKI RAMEN
8/10

Noodles made in house, with the perfect chew to them. Solid broth and the friendliest service in KL!

​If I was to come with one slight issue, the chicken was dry.

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The Winner! 

Bari-Uma RameN
​9/10

Where there is competition, there will always be a winner. Ramen Bari-Uma knocks the ball out of the park for the following reasons. 

Their speciality is a Tonkotsu Shoyu broth, which is a touch darker and deeper than most other Tonkotsu bowls. They also import their own special soy sauce from Japan and refuse to serve even a single bowl if for some reason the distribution lines are cut and they cannot aquire their heavenly elixir. Standards!

Broth aside, the real hero here is the pork. The vast majority of ramen shops will serve you the thin, rounded pork belly thats been tied up with string and slow-cooked for 3-4 hours in a marinade of soy, mirin, leeks, ginger etc etc. Whatever they are upto in those secretive kitchens at Bari Uma is paying off. The pork here is more like a thick slice of brisket, with singed edges.

​At first when it was placed in front of me I immediately thought it would be tough. How far from the truth. This is single-handedly the most tender, juicy piece of pork that has ever drowned in a loving bath of broth, ready to hold its temperature until a willing carnivore snatches it from its protective shelter and begins pushing it apart with gums & tongues. No teeth are required for this pork. Its THAT tender. 

Everything else is perfect, although once my egg was under cooked, and the price is bang on. Do not wait to try this if you ever walk past the sign, you will not regret it!

p.s. I just randomly found this video today and it made me smile! Subscribe to his page!

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All 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