Bankara Ramen @ Avenue K

We needed to get something from KLCC but the F&B scene there can be pretty boring with the same old, same old dining establishments that have been around for ages.  There's hardly any new restaurant openings, the most recent one being a halal version of Din Tai Fung called Din by Din Tai Fung.

So, we decided to venture into another shopping mall nearby for a quick dinner at Bankara Ramen @ Avenue K since I've heard good things about the ramen here and was recently reminded of it by the latest review on GoodyFoodies.

I chose their promotional offer (for a limited time only), the Aburi Chashu Bankara Ramen @ RM38, their signature ramen that's cooked in a special pork bone broth with specially refined shoyu, but it was the word 'aburi' that attracted me, of course...anything flamed, I'm in! ;)

The ramen was served with five chasu slices, bamboo shoots, dried seaweed and Japanese green onions with medium textured Tokyo-style noodles.  I liked the texture of the slightly salty noodles (think yee mee!) :P

And yes....if you saw something peeking from behind the earlier photo, I added Ni-Tamago @ RM2.70, the special soy marinated omega eggs.  Of course I had to.

The flamed chasu slices were delicious, of course...tender, not too fatty with a hint of smokiness.  Look at the beautifully charred slices! ^o^

At the table, you'll find all the condiments you'll ever need for your ramen like shoyu, vinegar, chilli oil, chilli powder, sesame seeds, garlic (with garlic press available) and the bright red pickled ginger.  How does one even begin to eat ramen with fresh garlic and pickled ginger.  One is pungent and the other is sharp in taste! >.<  I've never tried.  Do they make the ramen taste better?  Some even add butter?...Nooooooo, I will faint from the richness! O_o

I usually just add sesame seeds and a light drizzle of chilli oil.

As for the ramen broth, it was very robustly-flavoured and more oily than I would have liked.  Although the broth was thick and had depth of flavour, it was too heavy and salty for my taste buds.  It was alright if I just lifted the noodles and ate it like that but, in the end, I could only muster up a few spoonfuls of the broth.  I guess, by leaving a lot of unfinished soup in the bowl, I wasn't paying much compliments to the chef...kekeke! ;D

As for the other ramen option, we chose the Kakuni Tonkotsu @ RM35, a slow-boil milky pork bone broth served with braised pork belly, one slice of chasu, jew's ear mushroom, seaweed, spring onions and thin Hakata-style noodles (think thin pan mee!) ;P

The chasu was nice and tender.  I found the rich, creamy tonkotsu broth had too strong a porky taste for my taste buds.

The braised pork belly was superbly fall-off-your-chopsticks tender and very flavourful but a bit too fatty for me (think Narcissus stewed pork chops!).  You must think my head got whacked for comparing their braised pork belly to canned pork chops, Hakata-style noodles with pan mee and Tokyo-style noodles with yee mee....it's just for a bit of fun (perhaps some might even 'see' the 'resemblance')....wakakakaka! :D

Between the two, I preferred the pork-based broth with shoyu a wee bit more though it was a tad too salty for me to slurp up.

My Personal Opinion

I'm not a big fan of ramen and don't have it often enough for the very reasons why people find ramen appealing....for the intensely rich-flavoured pork bone broth and fatty meat.  Maybe I should try a lighter soup base...or chicken ramen next time since I prefer clear, milder flavours.

Still a worthy ramen option to those who adore big, bold flavours! ;)

Bankara Ramen
Lot 2-7 Level 2 Avenue K
156 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2181 8618