Utrecht Ramen — Restaurant in Utrecht

Some of my biggest obsessions in life are Cuban music/dances and ramens. I was coming to Utrecht with a group of friends to fulfil the first, unaware that I would also the second. Out of curiosity I searched for the town's ramens, not expecting much since good ramens are usually found in big metropoles. There were the usual Takumis, which I didn't really care about, then you had this small "Utrecht Ramen", oddly highly noted.

We didn't have much time before Havana D Primera's concert, and luck was on my side since it was just a step away from the concert's venue. I managed to convince my unsuspecting friends to try it out, as the establishment seemed to be genuine and authentic. When we arrived, we were welcomed with what I can only say is a breath of nostalgia: the restaurant had that very recognizable smell of kansui, bone broth and delicious aromas typical of proper ramen places! They even function the "Japanese way", with a machine to buy your ramens!

I was then amazed by the diversity of ramens proposed. You had the usual suspects, but then you had curry ramen, which is very rare, and what caught my attention: "umami ramen", which the chef said was a personnal desire to have access to that strong smoked fish and meat bone taste rarely found in western kitchens. "Only for those who like strong fish taste" they said! Of course I had to try it.

My opinion: I'm now jealous of Utrecht people. This is by far the best fish/chicken "shoyu ramen" I've had in a very long time. Broth was smokey and fishy as it should be: strong but not too salty. Noodles were very yellow, very chewy, medium sized. The chicken chashu, which I thought would be very dry, was actually super tender. (Curry broth was also quite nice by the way.) Egg was nicely marinated but could have been a bit more runny in my opinion. Overall : 10/10!!

It is owned by a very kind couple who did their best to prepare food quickly for us so we wouldn't be late! If you are ever in the...

Recommends this restaurant because of the food and the service. A true Japanese experience.

Good to know: This restaurant is about 3 minutes from Tivoli Vredenburg. This restaurant does not take reservations. Staff speak English and Japanese. Ordering is done via a ticket machine. The spice levels are more in line with the Japanese taste.

Why I recommend this restaurant: If you have been to Japan, you are familiar with the order machine where you pick your ramen and extra toppings, and after you made your choice pay. While in Japan these machine often print out tickets, which you need to give to the chef/owner of the ramen shop, here the tickets are automatically send to the kitchen. They have a bar and a couple of tables to sit at, some Tv's which have anime playing and a large collection of manga. This restaurant makes me reminisent of all the ramen restaurants we visited in various cities in Japan. This is just a bit more of a modern version. The taste of the ramen is authentic. Bold and subtle flavours alike, perfectly balanced. We were surprised how good the food was. Highly recommend going here for a quick...

This place has proper ramen! Very thick, flavorful broth, and great toppings. The Dutch Ramen, with a flag on top, was a fun surprise! Though the egg was a little too far boiled and no longer semi-liquid.

Service is fast and nice, and they have a machine at the front for ordering. There is a bar area, some double and quadruple seating, as well as a big table that is shared between many people, which feels neat. Prices aren’t bad too, especially for something so close to the city center. Allergens are also indicated very clearly on the digital menu inside the store.

All the images inside the store, apart from the menu, are covered in AI art, which detracts from the vibe and makes it feel cheap. But the food is good, and the shamisen music in the background is great.

I think if they make their own art for the images, and keep the eggs a bit more liquid on the inside, this could be one of the best ramen places in the whole of the Netherlands, almost rivaling...