Finding the Best Ramen in Madrid
This week Pola goes on an adventure to find the best ramen in Madrid. She has tried three different restaurants and gives us her personal recommendations.
Madrid is a city that provides vast opportunities to eat out. High-end, low-cost, vegan, fast-food, Latin American, Easter European and… Asian! I am a freak when it comes to Asian food, so I decided to go on an adventure to find the best ramen in Madrid. Here are the three places I tried so far, with short reviews.
Disclaimer: this is all an opinion of a humble student that loves Asian food and has her own taste preferences.
Ramen Kagura - Calle de las Fuentes, 1
In the very centre of Madrid, it is impossible to come by on a Saturday and not find a huge queue at the entrance. I had the “pleasure” of waiting in the rain for 40min, determined to get a table. After I finally sat down, I ordered a Tonkotsu soja (left) while my adventure companion decided on a Vegetariano miso (right).
I must say, after standing a long time in the cold rain, a full bowl of noodles and hot soup was the only thing I dreamt about (complimented by some beer of course). Taste-wise, it did not amaze me. The broth was quite bland due to a large amount of cream mixed into it. Two slices of pork, half a cooked egg and a sprinkle of spring onions and mushrooms were sufficient to make it a Ramen, but due to this restaurant’s reputation, I expected more. What saved the whole dish were the noodles. Thin, long and with a satisfying “slurp”, they made me happy with my meal and left a very nice memory after I was done with all of them. However, standing so long in the rain might not have been worth it.
Rating: 3.8 / 5
Pssst… you can order different sizes of the soup, depending on how hungry you are. The ones on the photo are 200g on the left and 100g on the right.
Ramen Shifu - Calle de Zurbano, 67
This one was preceded by a very pleasant experience: winning a free meal on an Instagram contest. And so, excited about my reward, I discovered this place.
My friend and I ordered Chicken Ramen and Ramen de Pato, respectively. Visually, the presentation was great. All necessary ingredients were there, including the dried seaweed peaking out of the cute round bowl. The cuteness and small size of it is also what helped the soup hide the fact that underneath the toppings you could find a giant portion of medium-thick, bright yellow noodles.
Some people might prefer biting on a handful of noodles to fill themselves, but I felt that the proportion of them to the broth and toppings was unbalanced. At some point I was just eating tasteless noodles barely dipped in the small amount of broth I was left with. The noodles themselves weren’t that amazing, though fans of Asian instant noodles (meaning those produced in Asia, not Yatekomo) will feel the familiar texture and taste.
Rating: 4.1 / 5
Pssst… Each ramen has a recommended drink to it in the menu. Try their raspberry ice tea!
Wagamama - Calle Serrano, 41
After classes that start at 9 am, this bowl has been the highlight of my day. The Chilli Ramen with Chicken has surprised me with its international touch of lime and cilantro as it’s not normally seen in a conservative ramen. The Chinese beer Lucky Buddha has complimented its spice very well.
Not much can be said about the variety of its toppings, as the photo says it itself. Brown chicken, dark cilantro, red chilli, purple onion and yellow noodles, all those colours are what brings a smile to your face at the moment you see the dish.
Furthermore, it had the clearest broth of all of them, along with the most intensive taste. The amount of noodles is just enough to fill you up but not make you feel that you won’t eat anything ever again. The noodles absorb the taste of the soup (and so do not feel like plain carbohydrate) and you are able to get a part of the toppings on every spoon you taste.
Despite the fact that in Japan ramen is considered a fast-food, Wagamama transforms this dish into something more gourmet, more worth a celebration. It appears weird for a chain restaurant to offer food of such good quality, taste and size; however, it has been the best I have encountered in Madrid.
Rating: 4.6/5
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