Indian Ramen?? Ramen Spice Shaka in Ikebukuro has boldly and beautifully created ramen that incorporates a great number of Indian spices.
Still…Indian Ramen?
Indian Ramen might sound like a novelty. But this this new ramen shop is the brainchild of Tomoharu Shono, the legend behind the Mensho ramen shops and Shankar Noguchi, an Indian cuisine maniac and spice expert. So this ramen shop doesn’t mess around.
Indian cuisine is ridiculously complex, much like ramen. But they’re both so strikingly different. Bringing the two together and making make sure their presence is both felt is no easy task. But I believe they pulled it off!
Butter Chicken Ramen
Is this is a dream come true? Their North Indian Spice Ramen does take like butter chicken. It’s a creamy broth that’s also sweet from ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, and white miso. Teja chili and cardamom are also used, providing a slightly spicy, citrus taste.
North Indian Spice Ramen: ¥930
All of these spices create a wonderfully aromatic experience. The ramen bowl hitting the counter is like spice cabinet being parachuted in.
Their goal for this ramen was to replicate flavors you’d mind in Northern Indian or Punjabi cuisine.
“Heaven” Spicy Ramen
They’re going for spicy with this one, using ingredients like Guntur chili, the bright red Kashmiri chili, garlic and mustard seeds. 10 spices in all!
“Tenkuu” Heaven Ramen: ¥930
Due to the heavier spices, this ramen’s broth is more salty. In addition, the moyashi (bean sprouts) are charred, giving a bit of a smoky taste. This ramen is meant to evoke a heavenly, sublime state.
The time and effort put into these 3 ramen dishes is crystal clear. The ramen broths are not as thick as curry and better match the ramen noodles. The decision to use the particular mushrooms as toppings was also smart.
Best of Both Worlds
They’ve recently developed a “New Standard” Ramen and it’s turned out to be their most popular one.
Hanumen: ¥780
It’s called “Hanumen” and incorporates spices like Teja chili, fenugreek and mustard oil. Its chicken-based broth also features tamari shoyu seasoning. Tamari shoyu is pure soybean miso in liquid form. As such, this dish perhaps best represents Indian ramen.
Fusion ramen continues to pick up steam. Hats off to Ramen Spice Shaka for going in a new, spicy direction! धन्यवाद
