Hakata Ikkousha Ramen — Restaurant in Kuta

The first time i tried hakata ikkousha's ramen was in Jakarta (in kelapa gading, which already closed in 2018), and i fell in love with Japanese ramen since then. Now, i came across Bali's branch and i got to try it once again.

When i enter the restaurant, the atmosphere, the kitchen, friendly staffs, the hint of ramen aroma already filled the air. Exactly the way i remember Jakarta's branch restaurant.

I ordered silver broth pork ramen (yes they serve halal and non halal) and chicken karaage.

The noodles are top notch. I rarely found noodles as chewy, slurp-able, fine as Ikkousha's ramen noodles.

As for the broth, they have several choices. Light Clear broth made of chicken, fish, and pork based and thick + rich broth with chicken and pork based. This time, i choose thick pork broth which called silver broth, and it doesn't disappoint. Other than the obvious thick, rich taste it also capture the porky goodness, aromatics, and a hint of ginger.

Pork ramen should served with soft boiled egg and pork slice, no? Yes, aside from noodles and broth, the pork slice is also greatly flavored and a bit charred. My only comment is what i got contains more buttery fat instead of meat. The egg is also runny as usual , delish!

And for karaage, the first bite showed me gingery and soy sauce in crispy exterior. The chicken is very tender, since usually made of chicken thighs, and juicy. Served with mayo with chopped egg, thousand island sauce, and some garlic paste sauce.

Other than what i order, they also serve curry rice, rice bowls varieties. As for drinks, they served juice and teas (free flow). I would also recommend the curry rice!

Price wise i think it's middle to middle high range.

Now for the interior, it has a few space for single serve table and usual table. It's well conditioned room, not hot or too cold either. The staffs are nice and rather quick serving time. As for parking spaces, i think around 8-10 cars and few motorbikes.

Overall, i would recommend this restaurant to...

Hakata Ikkousha, a ramen noodle bar chain originating from Hakata, Japan has delighted taste buds of those who seek for a bowl of ramen in their time in Bali.

The restaurant has a considerable range of dishes to choose from with choices of chicken or pork to decide from. Although, the dishes are well portion to fill an empty stomach during lunch hour; however, you may need to cash out a bit more as both the food and beverages are a bit more than the average price you would expect.

Considering the ambience, it is somewhat dark and seems a bit rushed during construction.

I would recommend getting either the original special or a selection of the spicy dishes that are on offer but a crush of garlic is definitely a must add to your meal!

Avoid the Gyoza as it may not taste as fresh and can be somewhat soggy to some tastes.

Still worth a visit if you...

Hands down, the best ramen in Bali. The heart of any ramen is the noodles and Hakata makes their own noodles, the foremost requirement in any quality noodle soup. The soul of any ramen is the broth, and Hakata definitely does not disappoint in this regard. They spend hours making the broth and the attention to detail shows in this rich, hearty soup.

One important detail to note is that the Jakarta branch is 100% halal but the Bali branch definitely is not, possibly due to the fact the predominant local religion - Balinese Hinduism - is not against eating pork. This is a good thing for ramen lovers as pork features heavily in traditional ramen recipes for a more authentic taste. However, it's not a good thing for patrons who may be used to the halal menu from Jakarta. There is very little signage or info in the menu to inform customers of...