Yamagoya Ramen @ Gaya Street

The latest rage is finally here in KK. Ramen - the latest trending food item not only in Malaysia, but almost everywhere else outside of Japan. With over 150 branches in Japan alone, we KKians are rather proud to be added into the list of fraternity of haves. So we have to thank Yamagoya Ramen for bringing more 'Culture' to KK and with it more variety to our grub choices.

 

Yomagoya Ramen @ Gaya Street
Lot 109, Jalan Gaya,
88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Tel: 088-253701

Located at Gaya Street where Wishbone once used to be, this vibrant and bright red restaurant has all the trappings of a Japanese restaurant - music and all. One thing worth noting is, in Japan, Yamagoya Ramen outlets are open air, much like how our Ngiup Chap or Bah Kut Teh eatery are in KK. But to apply the same concept here would be disastrous what with our scorching heat and all, and thus, air-conditioning and a family oriented dining is the only thing that differs from the outlets in the land of the rising sun. Apart from that, almost every food ingredients are directly imported from Japan. 

 

Pork Katsu RM15.00

In a nutshell this is a breaded pork chop. Lean, tender while crunchy on the outside, the coating not only serves as aesthetic and texture, it also serves as a juice locker to ensure the pork inside remains juicy.

 

 

 

Fried Chicken RM11.00

Juicy chicken bits fried on its own with no coating what so ever, as a result, it makes this dish rather home-made just like how mom used to make it.

 

 

 

Gyoza RM11.00

Gyoza, or deep fried pork dumplings, aka wor tip, is no stranger to the local food scene. The skin is rather thick and crunchy,which holds in it a herb infused minced pork. The mandatory vinegar dipping sauce is just nearby to kick start your appetite for the good things to come. 

 

 

Mukashi Special Ramen RM22.00

Perhaps the crown jewel of all the Ramen, this soup is creamy, rich and flavourful. The black fungus gives it a nice acidity, while the bamboo shoots lends a nice earthy aroma. The char siu is so tender that no chewing is necessary. All you need to do is hold it in your mouth and let it slowly melt. Even the bean sprout makes its presence known with its mild strength aroma. The difference between this ramen and the rest is the egg. These spherical goodness  induces the sort of euphoria that makes you emit almost an obscene sound when you consume it. The egg white is hard boiled yet the yolk is soft and almost runny but infused with savoury flavours. The ramen was a slithery goodness, firm, chewy and makes a very fulfilling dish.  

The quality of a ramen and thus its value, lies in the time it takes to create their simple soup base. It takes days of low heat simmer to churn out each of these bowls of goodness. In fact it is the massive amount of pork and bones that releases its flavour and savouriness to the soup base from the slow boil. To top it off, all the ingredients are meticulously prepared, just the tip of the iceberg revealed to you is that the egg are marinaded  and slow boiled for hours, also the bamboo shoots were slow boiled for days with the water changed every 2 hours, kitchen staff are on deck 24/7 to ensure this routine is not broken. 

 

Spicy Tonbanjan Ramen RM20.00

Now for a different soup base, this one is spicy and aromatic almost like a Thai style flavor. So to sum it up, its just like the mukashi ramen, but with a nice spicy twist. The pork lards gives this a richer texture compared to your average tom yam or laksa. 

 

 

 

Black Garlic Ramen RM20.00

This broth in my opinion stands out from the rest, with its rich earthy aroma derived from fermented garlic, from which the broth earned its colour. Also the rich garlic flavour, instead of trying to mask the broth, complements the whole ensemble nicely.

 

 

Miso Ramen RM22.00

This soup base uses the akamiso, or red miso. Lightly spiced and has mild strength fermented bean taste, this bodes well with all other toppings in this fine bowl of ramen.

 

 

 

 

 

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