Did you know Avenue K, just next to KLCC, now houses an exceptionally good Ramen spot? Well, I did not, not until I've had the chance to check out Bankara Ramen @ Avenue K, Kuala Lumpur a couple of weeks back. Tokyo-based Bankara that has made its way into the newly renovated Avenue K mall, and we were there for nice evening of authentic ramens.
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| Bankara Ramen @ Avenue K, Kuala Lumpur |
Bankara Ramen Malaysia
Address: Lot 2-7, Level 2, Avenue K, 156, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2181 8618
Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 11am – 10pm
GPS coordinates: 3.1603332, 101.7219719
*Non-halal
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| The Bankara Ramen outlet itself looks the part, an authentic japanese ramen restaurant |
The Bankara Ramen outlet itself exudes authentic Japanese restaurant aura, with the furniture and decor made primarily to reflect wood and calmness. When we were there that night, they had a healthy stream of diners. On each table, apart from the usual condiments of shoyu, there were vinegar and chili oil, fresh garlic and garlic press as well, lots of attention to details there.
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| #1 Boiled spinach (horenso goma-ae) - RM5 |
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| #2 Bamboo Shoots (Tsumami Menma) - RM8.50 |
We kicked off our meal with some snacks and appetizers from Bankara Ramen in the form of their Boiled spinach (horenso goma-ae) and the Bamboo Shoots (Tsumami Menma). Chilled and flavoured with sesame seed, and sesame oil, it did whet our appetite for the ramen feast to come.
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| #3 Ni Tamago (medium boiled egg marinated in soy sauce) - RM2.50 per piece |
I must say I really like their Ni Tamago (medium boiled egg marinated in soy sauce), as it came off being perfectly boiled, with runny yolks and firm on the sides. Shown above too is their signature Sizou or the special flavoured garlic and onion. It was yummy taken on its own, or added into the ramen broth.
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| #4 Tori Karaage - RM10 |
Always a fan of fried chicken, the Tori Kaarage is one of my must-order snacks at japanese restaurants nowadays. Deep fried, without being too oily, the flavoured chicken had me munching on more than my share. This however, pales in comparison to what came next.
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| #5 Kakuni Saramori - RM16 |
I was already salivating the moment Bankara's Kakuni Saramori was brought out. Tender and succulent, the dish had these generous portions of Bankara special braised pork belly, topped with sweet Japanese onion. The layers of fats melted together with the flavourful meat, sinfully delicious.
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| #6 Karanegi (Japanese Onion with Chili Oil) - RM2 |
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| #7 Tonkotsu Ramen - RM22 |
The first ramen dish served happened to be a very 'porky' one, the Tonkotsu Ramen. Served in a bowl of very healthy milky pork bone soup, the thin noodles went really well with the chashu, spring onions, jew ears mushroom and seaweed.
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| #8 Bankara Original Ramen - RM21 |
There are four distinctive varieties of ramen available in Bankara – original Bankara signature style Ramen, Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, Saporo-style miso ramen and Tsukemen. This is pretty cool as we did not have to limit ourselves to only Hakata or Hokkaido styles of ramen. We tried the Bankara Original Ramen next. Topped with chashu, bamboo shoots, dried seafood and Japanese onion, this was a “lighter” version of the usual ramen.
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| #9 Buta Miso Ramen - RM31 |
The Buta Miso Ramen came with their fragrant and very flavourful signature stir-fried pork belly slices. Seasoned with miso (fermented bean paste), the broth had a nice, robust, smoky flavour that came off being very unique. We enjoyed having the nice, springy noodles coupled with crunchy bean sprouts.
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| #10 Tsukemen - RM22 |
If you fancy some cold ramen dish, then by all means go try out Bankara's Tsukemen. Thick cold noodles paired with piping hot spicy soup, served with Chashu, bamboo shoots and dried seaweed, it was actually pretty tasty and good. The tsukemen uses a thicker version of ramen noodles that was run through cold water, and quickly soaked in ice water to achieve a springy texture, good stuff indeed.
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| #11 Negi Buta Meshi - RM13 |
It is rather unusual to be ordering a rice dish in a ramen restaurant, but you must try out Bankara's Negi Buta Meshi. The dish consist of Japanese steamed rice with chopped chashu drenched in special sweet soy sauce topped with Japanese onion and seaweed. I did like the thick flavours from the sauce. Go for these first before the ramen dishes, as it is pretty filling!
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| #12 Annin Tofu (Almond Pudding Tofu) - RM7 |
We ended our very filling meal with some healthy Annin Tofu (Almond Pudding Tofu) dessert. The dessert was unlike the usual jelly-like pudding we have elsewhere, as the one here was smooth and almost buttery in nature. It was a good meal out at Bankara Ramen, so do check them out the next time you are at Avenue K, or KLCC.
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