Ramen For The Soul (Wolter Monginsidi) — Restaurant in Jakarta

Jakarta’s a sweaty, sprawling beast, and if you’re hunting halal ramen that doesn’t pull punches, this spot’s your mark. They’re dishing out what might just be the best bowl in the city—authentic, no pork, no shortcuts, just a modern take that grabs you by the throat. The joint’s pristine, chilled to the bone with AC, and dolled up in that minimalist Japanese vibe—wood, clean lines, a whisper of Zen in the tropics.

First time in? Jushi chicken ramen’s your ticket. Two broths on offer: regular or thick. The thick costs extra, but if you’re after that heavy, tonkotsu-style depth without the pig, it’s money well spent. Noodles hit that sweet spot—firm, springy, cooked like someone gives a damn. The aji-tama’s seasoned just right, yolk spilling like liquid gold, but the chicken’s the real deal—crisp skin, juicy flesh, plus these crunchy crackling bits that could almost pass for pork rind in a blind taste test. It’s pretty flawless.

They’ve got a shoyu-based bowl too, crowned with beef that’s tender enough to collapse into the clean, salty broth. It’s a strong move, though the price tag bites a little harder than it should. Still, it’s got soul—pairs like a dream with that shoyu clarity.

The shio chicken ramen’s for the lightweights—clean, fragrant, almost a soup you’d nurse on a rough morning. They toss in chopped black olives, a sly umami kick that doesn’t overplay its hand. Only snag: my chicken breast showed up half-raw once, slightly pink and trembling in the center. Tell ‘em to cook it dead if you’re not into that raw-edge roulette. Still holds its own.

Sides are on deck—gyoza, edamame, karaage. The karaage steals it: crispy shell, juicy meat with a seasoning kick, served with Japanese mayo and a lemon wedge that slices through the fat.

Dessert? Pass. The apple crumble gyoza’s a looker, sure, but it’s a dry, sugary letdown. Stick to the mains—your stomach will thank you.

Service here’s a cut above Jakarta’s usual grind. Rolled in 20 minutes before shutdown once, braced for a glare, but they took my order with a grin and hustled it out like it was peak lunch. Call ahead for a table or snag their private room—good for 6 to 8. Staff’s sharp, happy to break down the menu, though don’t expect ‘em to know “kaedama” or “kata-men”—they’re clueless on the jargon, but they get the food right.

It gets packed during lunch or dinner, no shock there, but they turn tables quick—you won’t be loitering long. Second floor, parking’s a joke, so shell out the 10k for valet and save the headache.

This isn’t some fusion gimmick or halal half-measure—it’s ramen with guts, served up modern and honest. In a city choking on mediocrity, this is the halal ramen bowl I’d crawl through traffic for.

—

Taste 4.5/5 - pretty much a knockout. Price 4.5/5 - not cheap, but you’re not eating slop. Service 4.5/5 -fast, friendly, just don’t test their...

Thoroughly enjoyed the ramen experience at this relatively new place in town. Though their ramen selections are not as extensive compared to other places, but what they offers are truly unique. Each ramen has their own characters and differs in their broth choices and the meat.

We ordered their special, which is the chicken broth ramen. It's sooo refreshing, the meat is tender and the broth is flavorful. No skimping on the umami here.

The 2nd dish we had was the Shio Beef Ramen, which I believe is shoyu based broth with beef slices that is slightly raw. You can eat them straight or wait till its cooked in the broth a la Pho. The beef is tender and the shoyu broth has the right amount of saltiness to complement the beef.

Lastly we ordered the Mala Beef. Out of the 3 ramen, this one we liked the least. Nothing wrong with the mala, I can taste the peppers and the slight numbness that comes with it, but we are so spoilt with mala choices hotpot places that the bar is set too high. We wish that they added some bamboo shoots to the mala so that we can have some crunchiness and umami that balances out the spicy taste of the broth.

We save the best for last, to close our meal, we ordered their Apple Crumble Gyoza. THIS ONE IS AMAZING. I have never had apple crumble inside gyoza before and it is surprisingly yummy. The honey crunch and brown sugar bring this to a sweet close. If there is one negative point of this dessert, that will be the vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was almost rock solid, making it hard to eat and not as creamy as a result. No biggies, just watch the temp of...

@nats.foodjournal

Their matcha chicken ramen intrigued me (tp gak pesen yg itu HAHAHA) 🍵🍜 I went here a couple months ago? Rame banget and lucky me, I made reservations so I didn't have to queue.

• 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣 (75𝙠) This is actually not mine because I'm not an adventurous & risk taker kind of person HAHA but I gave the broth a try! Surprisingly, rasanya gak aneh dan matcha lumayan ok buat jadi kuah ramen 😳 I could taste the matcha but not to the point it's overwhelming and tasted weird. Idk tho kalo makan sampe abis akan gimana rasanya... Verdict: boleh buat dicoba sekali kalo penasaran just for the sake of it 😬

• 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙞 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣 (69𝙠) ✨ The broth tasted comforting, but I had to add garlic paste and chili, supaya rasanya lebih nendang hehe since ini bukan ramen babi, I managed my expectations. Udah expect kalo kuahnya wouldn't be as rich and thick as if it was pork 😛 AYAMNYA ENAK THO?! Love the crisp dari kulitnnyaaa 🥹🫶🏻

• 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙂𝙮𝙤𝙯𝙖 (55𝙠) ✨ Another one yg left quite an impression on me! Imagine apple pie wrapped with gyoza's skin, terus digoreng! Topped with ice cream too! What impressed me was rasa apple pie-nya ga KW, as in you could taste the cinnamon 🍎 Rasanya pun gak cuma manis, but ada rasa asam dari apelnya juga. Appreciate the twist from the crumbs, cornflake and shaved coconut!

📝𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 & 𝙎𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 Despite from the uniqueness it offers, I don't think I'll revisit this ramen place. Don't get me wrong, their ramen is good, but there are other halal ramen places yang lebih...