There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of noodle soup on a cold day. They say that the key to enjoying life is by appreciating the little things, and a trip to your favourite ramen restaurant is one of them.
The ramen world is pretty vast too, with eateries offering a huge variety of soup bases to choose from, mainly spicy, clear, or creamy. One of the best parts about ramen is its versatility; you can add anything you want to your noodles. Of course, with great creativity comes great responsibility, which has resulted in interesting combinations like durian ramen and pizza ramen. Â
Most ramen is traditionally made with a pork-based broth, making it rather difficult to find a restaurant that serves a halal variation. Thankfully, chicken-based broth is becoming more common due to a high demand for the dish from muslims around the country.Â
If you’re on the hunt for a new Japanese restaurant to visit, here are 10 muslim-friendly ramen spots for an umami-filled time.
1. Seirock-ya Ramen
If you’ve been on the hunt for a reliable halal ramen restaurant, you’ve most likely come across Seirock-ya Ramen. This franchise launched in 2009 in Tsukuba City, Japan, before continuing to expand overseas. Their first Malaysian outlet is located in Uptown Damansara, which opened its doors to the public in 2019.
Most may assume that once you replace the pork broth with chicken, the flavour changes. Seirock-ya Ramen assures customers that the flavours you get here are identical to the flavours found in the broths of their Japanese outlets.Â
The eatery has 6 main types of ramen: Toripaitan Ramen Shoyu, Toripaitan Ramen Shio, Toripaitan Ramen Miso, Toripaitan Ramen Extreme, Tokyo Ramen, and Tsukemen. Toripaitan refers to the chicken broth used in their savoury ramen dishes like Toripaitan Shio Spicy (RM22.40) and Toripaitan Extreme Egg (RM26.90).
As Seirock-ya’s soup is similar to authentic Japanese broth, the restaurant allows customers to request for extra base soup. This base soup can then be poured into your bowl if you feel like the broth is too salty for your liking.
For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
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2. Maruki Ramen
Maruki Ramen is another ramen restaurant that specialises in the noodle dish with about 8 types of ramen to choose from. Despite having been in the game for quite some time now, Maruki’s business began to bloom even more with the rise of TikTok. Users have been posting about the restaurant in an attempt to spread the word about this halal ramen shop.
If you’re in the mood for a light broth with shoyu, check out their Superior Shoyu Ajitama (RM30.90) made with glazed chicken roll and ajitama soft-boiled egg, or the Classic Shoyu Deluxe (RM38.90) topped with beef slices and glazed chicken.Â
Other delights served here include Classic Kuro Ramen (RM26.90) which blends their signature white chicken broth with black garlic oil. Those who can’t live without some spiciness should order their Classic Kara Ramen (RM26.90) for a spicy chicken miso broth topped with their roasted sesame paste.
The LINC KL, Lot 2-23, Level 2, 360, Jln Tun Razak, Taman U Thant, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6016 626 3389
Daily: 10.30am – 9.30pm
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3. Kagura Tokyo Chicken Ramen
Kagura Tokyo Chicken Ramen, located in Kuala Lumpur, prides itself in serving authentic Japanese soul food. Although the restaurant is not halal certified, rest assured that the rich broths served here are free of pork and alcohol. Kagura offers a slightly more budget-friendly option compared to many ramen specialty restaurants, with prices that don’t exceed RM30.
Here, their ramen can be categorised into 6— Premium Ramen, Black Garlic Ramen, Curry Ramen, Shoyu Ramen, Spicy Ramen, and Spicy Miso Ramen. Feast on hot bowls like the Black Garlic Rich with Ajitama (RM20.80) or their Curry Rich with Chicken (RM25.80). and Spicy Miso with Everything (RM29.80).
But what if you want all the toppings mentioned above? Don’t worry, because Kagura’s menu also includes ramen like Spicy Miso with Everything (RM29.80) and Shoyu Ramen with Everything (RM25.80). As their names suggest, your noodles will be topped with, well, everything!Â
LOT 10, Jln Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+603 2110 2366
Daily: 11am – 10pm
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4. Ramen Matsuri
At Ramen Matsuri, all dishes are prepared using only halal ingredients.
They have 3 ways of preparing their ramens, which are original, with egg, and special. Similarly, the restaurant offers 3 types of broths to complete the noodle dish— Original Torikoku, Red Spicy, and Black Garlic. Thus, you can sort of mix and match your broth to the dish type to get eats like the Torikoku Special (RM29.80), Black Garlic with Egg (RM25.80), or Red Spicy Original (RM23.80).
For those who don’t feel like feasting on a hearty soup (or if you just don’t want your splatter broth on your crisp white shirt), Ramen Matsuri also serves Dry Ramen with Chicken Karaage (RM25.80). If you want something better suited for your Malaysian tongue, check out their Sambal Dry Ramen (RM20.80). You can opt to add more toppings as well, like chicken karaage or chicken katsu for an additional RM8.
Lot LG2.87, Sunway Pyramid, No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+603 5612 8348
Daily: 11am – 10pm
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5. Ichiban Ramen
Ever since Ichiban Ramen’s inception in Dec 2002, the chain’s goal has remained the same: to introduce chicken-based ramen to all Malaysians. 11 years later, they now have 18 establishments nationwide. While they do specialise in ramen, they also offer a variety of other Japanese dishes, all of which have been localised to cater towards the Malaysian palate.
If you don’t know where to start, go with their signature chicken broth noodles, Ichiban Ramen (RM14.90). Due to the chain’s sheer size, they’ve managed to expand their menu to include ramen that would be difficult to find at other places, such as Salmon Ramen (RM25.90) and Seafood Ramen (RM25.90) with scallops, squid, and prawns.
Of course, would it really be a ramen joint without their own spicy iteration of the dish? Not only does Ichiban serve Mabo Tofu Ramen (RM19.90), they also have Kimuchi Ramen (RM22.90), the perfect dishes for rainy days.
For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
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6. Le Shrimp
Le Shrimp‘s signature fusion prawn noodles were inspired by silky smooth Chinese la mian and rich Japanese ramen broths. Not only do the chefs use locally sourced prawns to prepare the soup, they then bake the shrimp at 180°C, ground them into a fine powder, and cook them for more than 8 hours in a broth to ensure a high impact flavour.
The Le Signature Trio Shrimp Tossed Ramen (RM32.90) is recommended for those visiting the restaurant for the first time. This dish is made with homemade ebiko prawn paste and is topped with prawn dumplings and get this— even more fresh prawns. Other than that, try out their Crispy White Tuna Ramen (RM35.90) and Big Prawn & Braised Scallion Soy Chicken Ramen (RM35.90).Â
If you’re looking for something a little lighter, Le Shrimp offers tossed ramen. Instead of having your noodles soaked in a broth, they toss the ramen in a chilli vinaigrette. Diners also have the option to order this tossed dish without the spice. This eatery has Ebiko Prawn Ball Tossed Ramen (RM29.90) and Braised Scallion Soy Chicken Tossed Ramen (RM25.90).
For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
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7. [PERMANENTLY CLOSED] Ayame Ramen
Located in Solaris, Ayame Ramen is one of Kuala Lumpur’s freshest ramen spots. The restaurant just opened in Oct 2022 and has been thriving ever since. They serve the country’s first-ever foam rich soup, and yes, it’s exactly what you think it is— the layer of foam is achieved by using an electric whisk.
Being the very first of its kind here, be sure to try the Ayame Foam Rich Soup (RM22) that’s topped with 2 pieces of chicken char siu, inori, and egg. You can get this in other variations as well, like Ayame Foam Rich Soup Spicy, Ayame Foam Rich Soup Garlic and Ayame Foam Rich Soup Syouyu, all of which are priced at RM22.
The restaurant’s menu is pretty unique, offering a selection of ramen you can’t find elsewhere. The most insta-worthy dish here is their Ayame Deluxe (RM50), as pictured above. It comes with slices of roast beef that line the rim of the bowl, as well as 5 different sauces to dip said meat into.
A2-G2-2, Publika Dutamas, 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+603 6206 4964
Tue to Fri: 12pm – 3.30pm & 5.30pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 12am – 10pm
Closed on Mon
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8. Spacegrey
If you’re interested in visiting Spacegrey in Petaling Jaya, you better keep your eyes peeled as this little cafe is hidden out of plain sight. The reason for that is because it shares a space with a flower shop called Floral Reef. You’ll definitely see Floral Reef’s vintage-inspired sign board hanging above a flight of stairs leading to the second floor, but the only indication of Spacegrey’s existence from the outside is an itty bitty plaque by the door frame.
Spacegrey keeps their menu simple with only 2 types of ramen, 1 burger, a few daifuku flavours, and drinks. Their signature is the Red Roc Ramen (RM29), which is a spicy miso ramen dish topped with a marinated egg and slices of smoked duck. The other ramen on offer is the All Chicken Ramen (RM28), a chicken ramen dish with marinated egg and chicken slices.Â
It’s best to keep up with the cafe’s socials, as they sometimes do kitchen pop-ups where they invite guest chefs to serve specialty dishes for a limited time.
149a, Jalan SS 2/24, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
+6018 220 5168
Wed to Mon: 11am – 6pm
Closed on Tue
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9. The Tokyo Ramen
The Tokyo Ramen is kind of like The Tokyo Restaurant’s little sister, but with an emphasis on ramen. To achieve their umami-rich flavours, the restaurant uses local free range chicken to prepare their broth. Although they aren’t certified halal, they’re strict about their kitchen’s no pork policy.
The eatery’s signature dish is The Sho-Yu Ramen which comes in 3 flavours— Akasuka Original (RM27), Black Garlic (RM31), and Red Spicy (RM31). This series features a soy sauce based soup, slow cooked chicken thigh, and ajitama.
If you want to try something a little bit different, check out The Azabu Sakana Shoyu Ramen (RM29). What makes this ramen so special, you may ask? For starters, they use a fish broth in conjunction with their soy sauce soup base. It’s also topped with prawns and clams for the full seafood fantasy. However, this ramen is only available on weekends, so try paying the restaurant a visit then.Â
Level 4, Lot 10, Jln Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+603 2119 2623
Daily: 11am – 11pm
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10. Sushi Zanmai
Although Sushi Zanmai doesn’t focus solely on ramen, this muslim-friendly Japanese restaurant has a wide selection of noodles to choose from. One of the best things about this franchise is that you can find a branch almost anywhere, specifically in shopping malls. With over 40 outlets across the country, anyone can get their ramen fix at a moment’s notice.
Most of their dishes come in 2 sizes— small and large. Another unique aspect of Sushi Zanmai is that you can customise your dish to your liking. Not only do customers have the option to choose between ramen, udon, or soba noodles, they can also select the broth they want for certain dishes: clear soup, soy sauce based, miso, or chicken broth.Â
They have the likes of Tempura Ramen (RM15.80) served with fried prawns and vegetables, Niku Ramen (RM18.80) topped with sliced beef, and Chicken Katsu Miso Ramen (RM15.80).
For a list of locations, contact numbers and opening hours, refer here.
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