We discovered a popular Japanese ramen chain in Korea! …or so we thought – SoraNews24 -Japan News-
There are nuances, but does it still bring flavor?
Since moving to Korea a year ago, our Japanese-language reporter Soon Pyon has noticed many snacks, restaurants, and more that remind him of things he grew up in Japan.Recently, when he was craving ramen, he noticed a restaurant that looked like Very similar to Ramen Jiro, a popular ramen chain in Japan.
▼ Restaurant Soon Pyon discovered in Korea
▼A branch of Ramen Jiro in Japan
Korean restaurant signs say ラーミンjiro, just like branches of Japanese chains have them on their signs. However, there is a very subtle difference: The Korean restaurant is called “Koi Ramen Jiro”, The company name is “Koi Ramen” and it’s apparently a restaurant chain born in Korea. As of 2022, there will be 29 koi ramen shops in Korea. A bit confusing, but Soon Pyon decided to take it anyway.
Ramen Jiro-style ramen (called “Jiro-kei” in Japan) has a mixed soy sauce/tonkotsu (pork stock) base and thick noodles covered in a small pile of bean sprouts, pork and cabbage. Looking at Koi Ramen Jiro’s menu, Soon Pyon’s can tell right away that this Korean restaurant offers something very similar.
But unlike Japanese Ramen Jiro, Koi Ramen Jiro’s menu is a bit messy.
▼ Other dishes shown here are not Jiro-style.
Koi Ramen Jiro’s signature ramen uses a thick pork bone broth, without the soy sauce broth of authentic Japanese Jiro Kee ramen. Koi Ramen Jiro also has other menu items, such as the Taiwanese-style Mazesoba (basically noodles mixed with various toppings).
The interior reminds Soon Pyon of a ramen shop he’s seen somewhere in Europe; it’s laid out like a Japanese ramen shop, with counter and table seating, but with Japanese utensils plastered all over the walls.
They even had manga lined up on the counter, but it looked more like it was for interior decoration than actual reading. the worst Was a nice guy, recalls Soon Pyon.
Like many ramen shops in Japan, Koi Ramen Jiro has an automatic ticketing system, so he puts his money into the machine and places his order. Oddly enough, despite the restaurant’s name, the first ramen listed on Koi Ramen Jiro’s menu wasn’t their take on Jiro-kei, but Koi Ramen’s standard signature tonkotsu pork ramen, so Pyon Soon decided to order it for $9,000 Order a bowl for the price. won ($6.74)), plus fried dumpling noodles for 4,000 won. The prices are about the same as in Japan, and you can even choose the toppings and the firmness of the noodles.
A few minutes later, his ramen was served, and it was exactly the same as Japanese tonkotsu ramen! Topped with scallions, soft-boiled eggs and char siu pork chops. Time to taste test the broth.
He feels great! It’s not as salty as he’s used to, but otherwise, it’s just as delicious and comforting as the bowls he’s found in Japan.
The noodles are a bit too soft for Soon Pyon’s taste, but he can also mark it to his liking. Otherwise, no complaints.
As for the char siu, it tasted like off-the-shelf schnitzel, not restaurant prepared. It’s not that it’s bad, but for him, it’s worth mentioning.
Finally, dumplings. He wished they were gyoza too, but they were basically gyoza, or gyoza. Not bad, but not what he expected.
Overall, he was satisfied with his experience at Koi Ramen Jiro. After doing more research, he found that only two Koi Ramen stores (including the one he visited) actually served ramen with Jiro-style ingredients. The other branches are simply called “Koi Ramen” and are mainly known for their tonkotsu ramen.
Soon Pyon’s also thought it worth noting that The same pork bone broth is also used in the restaurant’s Erlang Kee topping ramenSo if you’re looking for an authentic Jiro ramen experience in Korea, you’re better off looking elsewhere, but what if you’re looking for tonkotsu against your doctor’s orders? This is the place.
Ramen Jiro exterior photo: Wikipedia/Calendar no Karen
All other photos © SoraNews24
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(Japanese reading)
