Located in the heart of Desa Sri Hartamas, Ramen Minamo (by the same Japanese owners of Kingyu, Kyomo, Itsumo and Asumo) is helmed by Chihiro Miyazaki, founder of Tokyo’s Michelin Bib Gourmand Soranoiro ramen, aims to offer a modern Tokyo-style experience with handmade ramen and premium ingredients in a wholesome and flavourful chicken broth. We had the pleasure of being invited to Minamo’s preview ahead of its official opening this September.

The menu during the current soft-launch period is rather limited but by no means lacking. With a heavy emphasis on quality, each of the three ramen dishes available were expertly prepared.

Walking into the restaurant, we were enthusiastically greeted in Japanese and seated at a comfortable booth. The slightly dim space is not extensive, but it evokes the feeling of being in a hidden nook amidst busy Tokyo streets. There are many booths available, along with bar counter seats and a private dining room in the back for larger group or gatherings.

Starters & Sides

Kale salad (RM15) is a staple at Minamo’s sister restaurants, and it’s a foolproof order at this point. Cilantro haters look away, but the coriander salad (RM13) with lemon dressing was so refreshingly good, and quite mild for this polarising herb. To round out the vegetables, the shredded chicken and cucumber salad (RM18) dressed in a creamy sesame sauce was reminiscent of the Chinese chicken salad.

We had gyoza served in two styles: pan-fried (RM15 for 5 pcs) or swimming in a rich creamy broth (RM13 for 3 pcs). We preferred the latter, as the dumplings are kept moist and the soup tastes like a hybrid of both Shiro and Shoyu ramen broths (a win-win in our opinion; more on that later).

What is a Japanese restaurant without tori karaage? It should be a love language of its own! The fried chicken (RM15 for 5 pcs) at Minamo was decent, with large pieces of boneless chicken but I thought it would be better served with a side of mayo for moisture.

Ramen

We were provided with a highly detailed specification and FAQ sheet to answer all of our queries. The attention to detail was impeccable, it’s not often you see a restaurant specifying they use water at pH 7.6, and noodles measuring exactly 300 mm x 1.3mm (or 1.5mm for the hand-pulled version). Now onto the good stuff…

The ramen dishes came unadorned with toppings, but accompanied by three condiments each. Chef Miyazaki wants guests to first experience the original flavour of the broth, then add in the toppings one by one according to a written guide served with the ramen. This allows for a fully customisable experience so nothing is too salty or spicy.

SHIRO (RM30) was my favourite of the three noodle soups. The broth was thick, packed with flavour and umami — it tasted more like chicken than actual chicken! Letting the broth sit for more than 20 seconds will result in a layer of collagenous jelly on the surface, which I happily harvested for my palate. Chef said that the secret to the best chicken broth is the long cooking process, and breaking down the bones every ten minutes to extract all that umami and goodness.

Shiro is served with the thicker hand-pulled noodles, one of the best low temperature-cooked chicken slices (similar to the one we recently had elsewhere), shredded aosa nori for a briny umaminess, and a perfect onsen egg to ramp up the creamy broth even more. This is the bowl to order!

SHOYU (RM30) showcases thin noodles in a light soy sauce-based broth, which Pearl wholeheartedly enjoyed. The clear broth can be jazzed up by adding the spicy sauce that reminds me of gochujang, and once again with the fantastic chicken. Personally, I was not a fan of the Japanese omelette as it veers on the sweeter side of things. The straight slender noodles slurped up really well, a key indicator of good ramen.

AKA (RM33) is for fans of spicy and punchy flavours. The broth was deeply savoury, and the addition of mixed vegetables and the tomyum-laced cilantro added a rounded tang to the noodles. Unlike the other two lighter broths, Aka is served with Japanese curry roasted chicken. The both of us agreed that Aka was good, but the flavours were too bold for us during this visit.

Portions of all three ramen dishes are princely and offer great value for money. I’ve personally learnt to not underestimate the satiation of a hearty bowl of Japanese noodles, as we left the restaurant with full bellies and hearts.

Minamo is also set to introduce three tsukemen (noodles with a dipping broth) this December, in the same three Shiro, Shoyu and Aka variations. We hope to try their new offerings later this year.

Thank you to the hospitable team at Ramen Minamo for hosting us for lunch.

Ramen Minamo (pork-free)
38-G, Jalan 24/70a,
Desa Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, W.P. KL
T: +6012 572 3703
Site: https://minamomy.com/