Your guide to best ramen spots in Mumbai

Pic Courtesy/Mirai

A different touch

Pic Courtesy/Donmai

If you like an experiment, this vegetarian special miso ramen yasai comes with an oat milk broth in its umami.
AT Donmai, ground floor, Altimus, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli.
CALL 9730659776
COST Rs 725 onwards

That's all pork

Pic courtesy/Mizu Izakaya

A ramen Sapporo with braised pork belly chashu, hand-pulled ramen and bone broth sounds great. But the icing is the jammy Japanese ajitsuke eggs that top the bowl.
AT Mizu Izakaya, 2, B Wing, Ganga Jamuna Sangam CHS, Pali Hill, Khar West.
CALL 9372023641
COST Rs 1,149 onwards

Go Naruto

PIC Courtesy/Atsui Ramen

If you are looking for a touch of anime action, head over to Andheri for this Gen-Z hotspot. Their popular ichiraku ramen bowl is inspired by the anime series, Naruto Shippuden.
AT Atsui Ramen, HEK Compound, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri East.
CALL 9930919516
COST Rs 520 (vegetarian); Rs 580 (chicken); Rs 650 (prawns)

Mumbai ramen

PIC Courtesy/Sozo Izakaya

This Sapporo spicy miso ramen comes with a spicy broth brewed with Indian flavours that douse the springy noodles.
AT Sozo Izakaya, JP Road, Aram Nagar Part 2, Versova, Andheri West.
CALL 9867986481
COST Rs 405 onwards (tofu); Rs 475 onwards (chicken)

One for the road

PIC Courtesy/Milliways Inc

Grant Road ought to be your next pick for a takeaway ramen meal. Try this shoyu ramen: chashu Belgian pork - braised Belgian pork belly with broth seasoned with shitake and bonito infused soy tare. Head over for a direct pick-me-up.
AT Milliways Inc., 12, Piroja Mansion, Grant Road East.
CALL 8828878756
COST Rs 630 onwards

Miso all the way

The sweetness of the yakinori and the umami of the miso lend this seasonal miso ramen bowl brothits unique flavour. With vegetarian, chicken and pork options, it is quite popular.
AT Mirai, Suburbia Mall, SV Road, Bandra West.
CALL 9004618228
COST Rs 720 onwards

Schooled in Nippon

Pics Courtesy/Meats and Plants

This Kalyan haunt is fashioned by culinary students who were awed by the dish in Japan. Their Japanese chicken ramen is prepped and served on demand. It sells out fast, so order in advance.
AT Meats and Plants, 6, Chikan Ghar Road, Kalyan West.
CALL 9833412539
COST Rs 449

Miso ramen bowl

Ingredients
>>130 gm Ramen noodles
>>100 gm Chicken breast (boneless)
>>1 Egg
>>Leek >>Spring onion
>>Broccoli >>Zucchini
>>Bok choy >>5-10 ml Goma abura sesame oil
>>400 ml Stock water
>>5 gm Chinese garlic
>>1-2 sheet Yakinori
>>Shiro miso >>Ginger
>>10 ml Soya
>>10 ml Cooking sake
>>10 ml Mirin
>>15 gm Miso ramen sauce

Method

For the broth:
Place the chicken in the water, and bring it to a boil on low heat over 3 hours. Remove and strain the soup.

For the ramen:
Cook the ramen noodles. Drain and set aside. For the chicken chasu, marinate the chicken with ginger and garlic overnight. Shape it into cylinders. Simmer it in soya, sake, mirin and water for an hour. Once done, set it aside to cool. Blanch all the vegetables and soft boil the egg.

For the miso sauce:
In a small pot, cook the miso paste, ginger and garlic. Whisk until it dissolves. Pour the miso sauce into the broth and whisk while simmering.

Garnish with thinly sliced leeks, soft boiled eggs, spring onion, chicken chasu slices and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Inputs from Rinchen Angchuk, partner, Mirai

Ramen in pop culture

Naruto's hunger pangs
Anime fans are familiar with the ichiraku ramen that would help Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto cope with tough times. From being bullied to becoming a hero, the dish was a part of the journey.

Miyazaki's miracle
From giving us a visual meal in Ponyo (2008), to making it himself for his animators, Hayao Miyazaki relied on the quickfire recipe of ramen to inspire animators and audiences alike.

Sci-fi satisfaction
While the popularity might be recent, readers of a generation still recall the sight of a drenched Harrison Ford stepping into a ramen shop for a break in Ridley Scott's iconic Blade Runner (1982)