KL's Best Ramen Joints

Swing by this well-loved ramen spot for a night of good Japanese grub and fusion sides with the family. Get the Shiromaru Special (RM31.90), a beautiful bowl of ultra-thin noodles served with IPPUDO’s original tonkotsu broth and topped with salted soft-boiled egg, pork loin and pork belly. For extra kick, get the Karaka Tamago (RM31.90) which sees an addition of spicy miso that packs an umami punch. Pair that with an order of IPPUDO’s Pork Bun (RM9) to share and you're set for the day.
Photo by Burppler Foodroll _

Come early to avoid the crowd at this popular ramen spot in quiet Jaya One! Choose from the four broths available – Kuro (black garlic), Midori (basil), Aka (spicy) and Ki (curry pork) – and pair it with your choice of toppings (with pork, sans egg and more). Try the Basil Pork Soup (from RM18) which Burppler Carmen Chan declares scrumptious with hints of fresh basil with every mouthful. Otherwise, go big with the triple-flavoured Black Garlic Spicy Basil Pork Soup (from RM18) for a whirlwind of flavours. Word is they're expanding to a double-lot in September – yay to more space!
Photo by Burppler Carmen Chan

Trust the Burpple community when they say this dry ramen spot in Sri Petaling IS worth the drive. The broth-less Nagoya Mazesoba (RM23) sees thick noodles brimming with minced pork, scallions, seaweed, and an egg yolk. Mix them together and savour the umami bomb of flavours from the blend of spicy pork with the soy and mirin sauce, plus the egg yolk that adds creaminess. Pro tip: Don’t finish all the sauce with your noodles! They provide a small scoop of rice to soak up the remaining goodness. Ps. Spot their second outlet at Plaza Arkadia!
Photo by Burppler Rynz Caryn

This newbie in Damansara Uptown specialises in chicken-based ramen, also known as toripaitan. Go for the house signature Toripaitan Extreme Egg (RM19.40), which Burppler Hemlatha Nagappan enjoyed for its well-balanced soup. The large bowl comes filled with thick noodles, tender chicken slices and jammy egg. Give the accompanying lemon wedge a squeeze to cut through the richness of the broth. Other yummy options worth a try are the Toripaitan Shio Egg (RM16.90) with a saltier broth and the Toripaitan Shoyu Spicy (RM16.90).
Photo by Burppler Hemlatha Nagappan

Of all the ramen spots on this list, this one has the richest and fattiest (in the best way possible) broth. The flavourful Bankara Original (RM24.80) can be a little salty, but Burppler Jin Wong testifies it’s the best ramen he’s had, while the Buta Miso Ramen (RM34.80) sees a creamier broth topped with juicy pork belly slices. Kick the flavours up a notch with condiments – we personally enjoy crushing in some raw garlic and adding a dash of chilli oil for some heat. Seal the meal with something sweet like the creamy Annin Tofu (almond jelly, RM9.50) best shared among two.
Photo by Burppler Sam Chong

Find warmth on rainy days with this chicken ramen tucked inside J’s Gate Dining. Expect piquant chicken broth made with ingredients flown in from Japan like dried mushrooms, dried bonito and more. There are two menus here; one offering a standard chicken broth and the second featuring ‘premium’ chicken broth which contains more collagen – go with the latter for more sumptuous flavours like in the Premium Rich Ramen (RM18.88). Each bowl comes with chicken char siew, beansprouts and jammy eggs in a creamy, collagenous broth. There’s also a Premium Spicy Miso (RM18.88) made with halal-certified miso.
Photo by Burppler Carmen Chan

If you’re a fan of rich and deep-flavoured pork broth, pen this chain down for your next ramen night with friends. The signature Bariuma (RM25.90) features an intense pork shoyu broth – soy sauce, pot herbs, chicken and pork bones are boiled together for more than 10 hours – that’s worth slurping to the very last drop. Burppler Calvin Lam’s pick when here is the Ajitama-Uma (RM27.90) with a thick slice of grilled chashu and a whole egg. Service is good, bowls are generously portioned, and you’ll leave with a happy belly – what’s not to love about Bari-Uma?
Photo by Burppler Calvin Lam Tuck Mun

Whether you're here with a gal pal after a shopping sesh, or having dinner for one, this hip restaurant in Pavilion Shopping Mall is the place to be for pork ramen. They offer four types of ramen but the must-have is the Aori Ramen (RM35), which comes with a secret recipe sauce that packs in some heat – Burppler Joann Ang says level two is just right. Opt to jazz up your bowl with even more add-ons like a marinated soft-boiled egg, barbequed marinated pork and Korean-chives kimchi. Look forward to a rich, almost milky-like pork broth with chewy noodles.
Photo by Burppler Amayzing .

This good-for-groups Japanese joint in The Starling Mall specialises in tsukemen – a ramen dish where you dip your noodles into a separate bowl containing a concentrated broth one mouthful at a time. Order the speciality, the Original Yuzu (from RM24.50) that sees thick Japanese noodles (served hot or cold) and a signature yuzu sauce with cubes of pork. Expect an oily and tangy yuzu broth that coats the chewy noodles perfectly when dipped into. They even provide hot dashi soup to add into the sauce which you can drink after – you won’t regret this. Dress up your noodles up with the Half Boiled Egg (RM2.50) with a perfectly runny centre. So good!
Photo by Burppler XingWei Cheang