Buga Ramen Ribeira — Restaurant in Porto

As a Japanese person who truly loves ramen, I’d like to share an honest review. I came across this ramen shop here in Porto and couldn’t resist trying it, having it as a “shime” or “シメ” (closing dish) after dinner. I can’t speak for their other dishes, but please read this as a review of their miso ramen from a Japanese perspective.

The flavor of the miso itself was just like authentic Japanese miso ramen, but the soup was far too light. The miso could be stronger, and the broth needs more depth. I’m not sure whether the umami (glutamic acid) in the soup comes from natural or artificial sources, but adding a properly simmered chicken-bone stock as the base would make it many times better. In Japan, tonkotsu (pork bone) broth is popular for its rich flavor, but here in Portugal, where lighter dishes are more common, a chicken-bone base would likely be more well-received.

The noodles were soft and lacked firmness, though their flavor was close to Japanese ramen. In Japan, noodles are typically cooked al dente for a firmer bite. The pork belly chashu was mild in flavor but close to the Japanese style. I suspect it was simply boiled; ideally, it would be marinated in a soy sauce and mirin mixture for flavor, and seared before serving for the best result.

The vegetables (such as Hakusai cabbage and bok choy or チンゲンサイ) were disappointing, as they seemed to be simply boiled. Stir-frying them with just salt and pepper before adding them would give the dish much more richness and flavor.

The egg was a plain boiled egg with light seasoning. In authentic ramen, the egg is marinated in a soy-based sauce, and the yolk is slightly soft—boiled for about 6–7 minutes—rather than fully set, which would make it feel much more authentic.

Lastly, I have to say it’s impressive to be able to reproduce ramen of this quality outside Japan. I did enjoy it, but I think it could become even more popular if it were brought a little closer to the...

Lets be clear: I hate unlicensed franchise pandering as a way to bait your customers into your buisness. But: At this restaurant you can tell folks invested. The walls are well taken care of, the sections planned out, the staff impecably amiable, polite, and put significant effort engaging us in Portuguese which was apreciated even if we personally not needed it. The facilities were very clean, and they worked hard to elevate their means beyond the opressive concrete they were stuck with. Effort matters and this place had it for us. The quality-prices were fair (for the area), but being so new I expect there will be room for improvement, but the Doroyaki with ice cream (im sorry if thats not how the pancake is spelled) was a particularly nice touch and I could see myself come back in the future on dates just for that one.

It was a special ocasion thus we had deserts and drinks and spent more than the...

I'm so sad about this... The atmosphere of the restaurant is really wonderful, especially if you are an Anime fan. They really gave it all on the decor, it really shows. However, the food was such a let down for us... I asked for a Shrimp Ramen with vegan broth (because the original had meat in it, which I didn't want). The Ramen had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. It just tasted like water with spiciness (broth, noodles and toppings). The shrimp was just ok, as was the takoyaki. We also ate matcha mochi for dessert. The ice cream inside was great, but the mochi tasted like raw pizza dough, there is no way that was actual mochi... My friend's food was also a let down, she ate the Kimchi Ramen. It was a bit better than mine, but still terrible. I really wish I could have...