While I'm aware that there are several 'Ichiraku Ramen' inspired shops all over the world, I have yet to chance upon one in the flesh. So when I found out that a local Malaysian opened one at Kota Damansara, I knew I had to check it out for myself!!
Before I hop into describing every little chashu and naruto in Ichiraku Ramen @ Kota Damansara, lemme first thank my tomodachi (friend) Firbs for telling me about this place. Also, if you are not a fan of the manga/anime Naruto, don't worry, I'm still reviewing the food at Ichiraku Ramen, so do keep on reading to find out more!
Without any further ado,
For starters, this is how the store front look like. The address will be included at the end of the post so let's address some parking tips first ya? I know parking at Kota Damansara is almost as stressful at Damansara Uptown, but if you're planning a visit to Ichiraku Ramen, I suggest parking into Sunway Nexis' basement carpark because the restaurant is only a short walk from there :)
By the time we got there it was already almost closing hours so there wasn't any crowd. Only 2 tables were occupied.
Here's the menu. I did not notice it when I was at the restaurant, but when editing the photos I noticed that the kanji/japanese words for 'Ichiraku' is wrong??
If according to the anime, the correct characters should be 一楽 instead of 一慈. I'm guessing the owner most likely chose 一慈 because in mandarin it's pronounced as 'I-chi' / yi chi. Hmmm....? Anyways, moving on!
My go-to ramen order has always been tonkotsu ramen, but because I kept having the feeling that Naruto is always eating Chashu Miso Ramen in the anime, I decided to order a small serving of that to try as well. No regrets on that.
I don't have many comments on the gyoza. To me, it's a very typical plate of pan fried gyoza but I feel that they've nailed the crispiness layer on the top rather well. Flavouring wise was okay as well. I'm not a fan of dumplings with a heavy coriander taste to it, so this one was just right for my taste preferences. If you're craving for gyoza while you're at Ichiraku, go for it! :)
The first bowl of ramen we ordered was their Tonkotsu Kakuni Ramen (Small) - RM16.90. I'm not going to beat around the bush, I did not like the tonkotsu soup base at all. My first impression on the soup was that it tasted like instant chicken noodles/tonkotsu soup? The broth is lighter than what I'm usually used to and simply tasted like it's missing something. Thankfully, my sister liked this so I gladly gave her the whole bowl while I finished the Miso ramen instead.
The ramen egg didn't have much of a shoyu taste to it but I'm fine with that. The Kakuni pork was a little tough but still edible. Their noodles were cooked perfectly to my liking, not too firm and not too soft either. I think with this you can say Kakuni Tonkotsu was a no for me.
The bowl earlier was their small size, which in my opinion was already pretty filling. This bowl is yet another Tonkotsu ramen but instead of Kakuni, this is their Chashu Tonkotsu Ramen (Regular) - RM18.90. Same comment on the tonkotsu broth applies, but I prefer their sliced Chashu better than their Kakuni. Chashu is always more tender and easier to chew on so probably that's why.
Compared to their 'small' ramen, when ordering the regular size one you'll get an extra slice of chashu, an extra slice of Naruto fish cake, and of course, more noodles.
Lastly, this is Ichiraku Ramen's Miso Chashu Ramen (Small) - RM15.90. For a small, you get 3 large slices of chashu, beansprouts, egg, and some sweet corn. The Naruto fishcake was actually stolen from the tonkotsu for 'photo purposes' HAHAHA. Ignoring the egg that didn't look too photo ready, this actually looked much more appetizing than the Kakuni tonkotsu ramen and it tastes so much better than the tonkotsu ramen too!
As someone whom is not a fan of miso ramen, I surprisingly liked this! I couldn't describe the flavour of the broth but the miso taste in this was very mild. It's honestly not the best bowl of ramen I've ever tasted, but out of the three we had that night, this was my personal favourite. Sprinkle on a spoon or two of those fried garlic chips and it'll taste even better.
Overall rating: 7/10
If you're a very picky ramen enthusiast, this is not a place you'll enjoy. However, if you're a die hard Naruto fan that isn't too picky, you can finally live that "I want to dine at Ichiraku Ramen" dream!!!
To elaborate a little further, their ramen reminded me of the ramen you'll get at local/chinese owned ramen restaurants. The price you're paying is around Sushi Zanmai Malaysia price but the quality and variety you get at Ichiraku Ramen is so much better (non halal though). By the way, they also have set lunches available and the prices seem quite reasonable too! If you're into deals, you're welcome *wink*
Other than the quality of the food, the service at Ichiraku Ramen was very good. The staffs were all in smiles and they've constantly made sure our green tea was filled. Upon payment, one of the staffs also took note to check with us on how we enjoyed our meal. Although these may seem like a common courtesy a.k.a 'part of your 10% service charge', you'll be surprised at the number of restaurants I've encountered that are lacking of friendly staffs.
By the way.....
Apart from the shop name and geo tag location title, please don't expect to find any trace of Naruto posters/figurines at this place ya. As obvious as it looks from the photos above, this is just a ramen restaurant located at Kota Damansara called Ichiraku Ramen inspired by the fictional ramen shop in the Naruto universe.
I hope ya'll find this review helpful! Remember to share this with all your Naruto obsessed kawans! If you're planning a visit, my faves would be the Chashu Miso ramen and Yaki Gyoza! ♡
Thanks for reading and until next time!!
Ichiraku Ramen, Kota Damansara
Address:
39-1, Jalan PJU 5/9,
Dataran Sunway,
47810 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Tel: 03-7496 8647 / 018 572 4377
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