Avenue K was once a dead shopping mall, but after an effort of refurbishing, this mall welcomes shoppers with a brand new face. Clean, spacious and brightly lit environment occupied by cozy cafes, bakeries, supermart, fashion retails and even a modern contemporary food court.
We visited a newly open ramen restaurant at Level 2- Bankara Ramen. Asking if this place worth a try, we would say that this is a place where you can find the authentic taste of Japanese ramen. Some Japanese customers become regulars of Bankara ramen, saying that this is where they get a taste of home. Originality- the objective that Bankara Ramen trying to reflect in their first outlet in Avenue K.
Apart from food, the interior is also surrounded with strong sense of Japanese. Dining area is laid out as of Samurai house, with wooden furnishing complemented by Japanese paintings and wood carvings, where each and every element is unique on their owns.
Another side of the restaurant is stretched out with beautiful calligraphy written by the owner, who came all the way from Japan to celebrate the opening of Bankara Ramen Malaysia.
Tori Karaage RM10
We started our meal with Tori Karaage, one of the common appetizers in Japanese restaurant. Served pipping hot, the chicken karaage was crispy outside, enveloping a burst of juiciness and tenderness within.
Kakuni Saramori RM16.00
Next was the Kakuni Saramori, an appetizer that surprisingly got us hooked on once we sank our teeth into it. Slowly braised for hours with secret recipe, the pork belly turned so soft, so moist, so deep in flavour that it blew our minds away. Forget about the waistline, the fatty layer was essential to go with the succulent lean part. Had it with sliced onion, as it gave a clean and juicy munch that balanced out the overall flavour. Definitely the must have in Bankara Ramen.
Bankara Original RM21.00
Coming to main dishes, we first had the Bankara Original which can be found on Bankara Ramen section, also the signature ramen. It had medium size Tokyo style noodle served over a bowl of special pork bone broth infused with refined Shoyu, lightly salted and carrying a touch of sweetness. Beautifully layered with Chashu, bamboo shoots, dried seaweed and Japanese Onions.
Kakuni Bankara RM30.00
Kakuni Bankara Ramen shared the same soup base as Bankara original, but what made it different was the signature Kakuni or pork belly that added a sinful yet delicious munch that was much raved about.
To made our ramen experience more enjoyable, we grabbed the garlic presser which was available on each table, threw in few cloves of garlic and pressed them down into our noodle. We were recommended to have them with Bankara Original, as the garlic rendered an exotic flavours that would change the soup characteristic, bringing another level of wonderful sensation.
Buta Miso Ramen RM25.00
Buta Miso Ramen, we called it “volcano ramen” due to the generous amount of stir-fried pork belly piled high on a bed of medium size noodle sat in a bowl of rich miso based broth. This ramen iwas ideal for diners who seek for heavy flavours, as the broth portrayed a bold, sharp taste driven by a faint hint of sweetness and aromatic red hot, glossy oils.
Tsukemen RM22.00
Thick cold noodle topped over with Chashu, bamboo shoots, dried seaweed and served with hot spicy soup. The good thing about having Tsukemen is the “dip as you eat” concept. Noodle was served seperately with the soup, so there ‘s no worry on noodles turning soggy as we enjoyed our ramen halfway. Springiness of noodles remain, and we got the noodles flavoured up as we immersed the ramen spoonful by spoonful into soup.
You might be wondering if Bankara Ramen made their noodle freshly here. The answer is no. Don’t doubt the freshness as there’s reason behind. Bankara Ramen stands on the core value that all their food must be authentic, original. No localization would be found to suit the local taste bud. We were told that so far, use of local ingredients still couldn’t produce exactly the same texture and ramen flavour as in Japan, so they decided to import from the origin country. Bankara is strict on the quality, no matter at which Bankara Ramen, all around the world, they taste the same. That is the thing that we adore about Bankara Ramen.
Annin Tofu
The meal ended in a sweet note with annin tofu, a dessert that we stayed away in a Japanese restaurant all the time. But the owner assured us that their annin tofu was different, we would only grow to like it. True, we liked it and polished the whole glass clean. There was no trace of unpleasant “cockroach-like” almond taste, but only a mild, creamy, milky and custardy goodness. Thumbs up.
Photographer: Summer
Write Up: YLing
Address:
Bankara Ramen Malaysia
Second Floor, Avenue K,
Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
(Next to Taste Enclave)
Business Hours: 03-2181 8618
Website: http://www.hanaken.co.jp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ramenbankaramalaysia
