Ramen Kanbe @ Empire Damansara, Petaling Jaya

Have you checked out Ramen Kanbe yet? A rather cozy japanese restaurant in Empire Damansara serving ramen and other japanese cuisine, we dropped by Ramen Kanbe the other day for a nice lunch date. Located in the building itself, it wasn't too hard to find. Check out what we had that afternoon. 

Ramen Kanbe @ Empire Damansara, Petaling Jaya

Ramen Kanbe Japanese Restaurant

G28,Block Empire Retail,

Empire Damansara,

NO.2 Jalan PJU 8/8A,

Damansara Perdana,

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Contact: 016-202 5812

Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:00pm

Website: http://ramenkanbe.com

The cozy interior

Over at Ramen Kanbe, their ramen offerings differ slightly from what I usually have at other ramen eateries in the Klang Valley. The reason being, the ramen served here are from Kobe Japan which focuses on soy sauce soup noodles, which offer a cleaner and well balanced flavour, not oily at all. That afternoon we chose to try out their spicy and char siu ramen. 

Charsiu Ramen - RM21

Ordering off their ala-carte menu, we were told the Charsiu Ramen is one of Ramen Kanbe's popular dishes. With plenty of house made pork charsiu thrown into the mix, the ramen had a very light flavour, unlike the usual ones I had elsewhere where the soup base had a very thick and strong pork flavour. Here, the ramen had a soy based flavour and taste, which made the whole dish lighter and not too heavy. 

Otsumami Charsiu - RM10

If you're like me, who cannot get enough of the charsiu in the ramen, then try ordering their Otsumami Charsiu off the side dishes menu. Made of pork shoulderloin, the dish came with generous servings of charsiu, without being too fat nor too meaty, a fair balanced dish. Stewed from their original ramen sauce, the meat is served with boiled sprout and spring onions. Personally, I would have much preferred if the meat had been marinated with heavier sauces as it tasted a tad too bland for me. 

Spicy Ramen - RM21

Being a typical Malaysian, I had to try their Spicy Ramen for that extra spice on the tongue. I liked the more flavourful spicy soup, which went well with the minced pork and chicken, garlic and chives.  The bowls served at Ramen Kanbe were adequately sized, making sure your tummy is well filled with their food. 

Tenshin-Han Rice - RM15

Mini Fried Rice - RM9

A few rice options are available here as well with their signature one being the Tenshin-Han Rice. It is basically steamed rice covered with a fried egg and topped with their special blend of soy sauce. I couldn't get use to the large amount of soy sauce used though. Up next, we tried the chef’s special Mini Fried Rice. It was well flavoured, filled to the brim with chunky meat. Tasted okay, but nothing to shout about. 

Kaarage - RM10

Gyoza - RM10

If you're not filled up yet, do try out their side orders, namely the crispy chicken Kaarage, as well as their Gyozas. I liked the Kaarage, served freshly fried, marinated in the special house blend sauce and spices. It was a delight munching into the crispy pieces. The pan seared Gyozas were pretty decent, with small burst of meaty juices oozing out as we munch through the gyoza. Overall the food at Ramen Kanbe is pretty commendable, but I did wish they had stronger flavours. Do try out Ramen Kanbe the next time you are in the vicinity of Empire Damansara Petaling Jaya.