Yokohama Iekei Ramen Ichikakuya — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Soft launch on 28th June 2024. Apparently there's over 80 branches in Tokyo, Japan and this is the 2nd Branch in KL, Malaysia. Serves few types of Ramen with different add ons/toppings, Soba, Rice, beers, snacks/sides, Mini Bowls, etc.

Service: 3.75🌟 It's 1st day of Soft Launch so expected there are some hiccups. Expected this area to be improved in near future 🙂 Hiccup 1 - My Ramen came without the Black Garlic despite order is written correctly Hiccup 2 - Missing additional toppings. You can refer to a series of pictures of what the bowl looks like before and after these 2 hiccups Hiccup 3 - Probably more of a platting issue but related to serving too I guess. Not sure if this will be changed but the set ordered with Green Tea had Edamame and other food mixed together and has gone cold. Preferably the Edamame should come hot and it's a bit hard to eat with the Karaage and Diced Pork belly. Additionally, refilling drinks could be improved.

Atmosphere: 4.25🌟 The place is newly renovated so it's new and neat. Quite comfy with air conditioning (although some spots feels a bit hot) and background music (a bit too loud though). Seats and tables are good and the space between tables are spacious. Most tables are 4 to 6 or 7 seats each except for 2 tables (2 person seats). If you have a bigger group, you might need to request to adjust the seats a bit which probably fits up to 11 people. There are also individual high chair seats near the drink counters.

Food: Yokohama Iekei Ramen 3.25🌟 Noodles 3.5🌟, Soup 3.25🌟, Garlic Oil 3.25🌟 Signature ramen but I had Back Garlic add on so the Tonkotsu soup became dark coloured with burnt garlic flavour. I also chose Thick Hard Noodles, Strong Soup and Less Oil. The noodles is indeed thick and hard but also smooth at the same time. The serving wasn't too big so if you are a big eater, you will need a large portion or have add ons/sides. The soup is very thick and has quite strong flavours and may not suitable to drink as it is but you can do small sips while eating the noodles. For me, it's still okay and I wish the garlic is even stronger. Toppings: 2.75🌟 Seaweed 3.25🌟, Spinach 3🌟, Quail Egg 2.5🌟, Pork Belly 3🌟 By default it comes with spinach, 3 Seaweed, 1 Pork Belly Chasiu and 1 quail egg. The usual toppings like Menma, Black Fungus, Egg, etc you can order as extra toppings add on. Personally, I'm not a fan of Menma so spinach is ok for me but probably a bit not matching to eat with noodles considering its very short. The quail egg to me is a downgrade from a normal egg. Priced at Rm 26.50 for Garlic version, normal is Rm 23.50. Quite cheap but not a lot of ingredients.

Toppings Add On: Max 3.25🌟 Seaweed 3.25🌟, Egg 3🌟, Pork Belly 3🌟 Consist of 3 Seaweed, 1 Egg and 2 Roasted Pork Belly. The egg doesn't seems to be marinated. Pork Belly is normal, wish it is more roasted. Seaweed is quite nice. Priced at Rm 7 its quite ok value so I suggest this instead of individual add ons which comes in more expensive.

Drinks: Green Tea (Hot) 3🌟 Sides: Chopped Roasted Pork Belly 3🌟 Sides: Edamame 2.75🌟 Sides: Chicken Karaage 3.25🌟 All these items come as a set. Green Tea is refillable as usual and it's kinda light but still has some flavour. Diced Pork Belly is salty so better eat it together with something else. Chicken Karaage chicken is okay, could be more crispier but the meat not too rough. It has this species flavour (seems like ginger) so it's a bit different than the usual one, however personally not a fan of ginger. Set is priced at Rm 5

There are 3 interesting items on the menu to try out for me on my next visit (Vegetarian Ramen, Abura Soba,...

Authentic Yokohama Iekei Ramen from Japan in KL! 🍜 🇯🇵

This lesser known #JapaneseRamen originating from Yokohama combines Tonkotsu and Shoyu into a single thick broth and is known for its medium-thick aged noodles made from exclusive wheat

They have 193 branches all across Japan and 2 outlets in Sri Petaling and Shah Alam in Malaysia with a super cool spacious interior furnished with bar counter seats and cosy semi-private booths for groups.

I love how customisable their ramen is and I don’t refer to the type of soup base but the thickness and firmness of their housemade noodles to the intensity of the broth and amount of chicken oil for your best experience

Of course, I had to taste the original Yokohama Iekei ramen but upgraded it to the MAX version, which includes a soft boiled egg and additional tender chashu slices that torched for a pleasant smoky aroma.

The broth was pretty rich and creamy, while those looking to spice things up should try the RED IEKEI RAMEN with a mix of chopped and sliced pork belly

Their ramen comes with unconventional garnishments like quail egg and spinach, where you can also opt to add more soup (+RM3) and a variety of toppings too at extra cost.

For sides, I recommend the plump pork gyoza and meaty karaage chicken 😋

Check out the full review and video by HAPPYLIZZIEEATS on Instagram/ Tik Tok / XHS for...

MY TOP TOP TOP JAPANESE RAMEN SPOT and I can’t believe nobody is talking about them! Bruh, they have 193 branches in JAPAN itself and 2 branches in MALAYSIA 🇲🇾. #Blessed

The flavours from the pork bone broth is supreme. Not porky at all! Instead, you get a savoury, lightly creamy, addictive slurp 😮‍💨. The broth is truly amazing. Choose between soy sauce (lighter) or salt-based (heavier) broth.

Another thing to highlight would be their handmade ramen noodles — specifically the thick ones. GOOOSHHHH THE BITE AND HOW IT CAN REALLY SOAK UP THE BROTH, wow, I lurveeeee 💯💯💯!!!

Here’s what I would recommend to try:

Chashumen (RM30) - Taste the original goodness 😮‍💨 ; The combination with the charred Chashu was on point.

Red Lekei Chashumen (RM34) - This is the spicy version and yes, the heat is there BUT not overbearing, juuuust nice.

Abura-soba (RM23.50) - Soup-less oil noodles with a special sauce from 🇯🇵. It’s a hot dish that is light yet savoury...