Summer 2018

68 RE180079 Shoryu Ramen launched in November 2012 by the Japan Centre’s CEO Tak Tokumine, with a refined, stylish take on ramen dining. Recommended in the Michelin Guide each year since opening, Shoryu Ramen specialises in tonkotsu ramen, a thick and creamy 12-hour pork broth complete with generous toppings. The mouth-watering cuisine originates from the Hakata district of Fukuoka city, in Kyushu, Southern Japan, where only the finest ramen is found. Pioneering Britons’ appetite for Japanese cuisine for the past 6 years, we take an in-depth look at what makes the restaurant such a success. From the team behind London’s most loved Japanese food hall, Japan Centre, Shoryu Ramen launched in November 2012 just as London’s appetite for authentic ramen was becoming more sophisticated and there was an opening for a new style of Hakata ramen bar. Today, Shoryu Ramen is one of the biggest players in the ramen space - currently occupying thirteen sites, with eight of those located in London, as well as the newly opened site in Oxford and further ramen bars in Manchester and Fukuoka, Japan. The satisfying cuisine comes courtesy of ‘Ramen Bosses’ – Shoryu Ramen and Japan Centre CEO, Tak Tokumine and Executive Chef, Kanji Furukawa – both of which hail from the energised 24-hour city of Hakata, Fukuoka, this also happens to be the birthplace of the Tonkotsu ramen we all know and love. Furukawa is acutely tuned into what makes the perfect bowl of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen – a thick, rich, white pork soup and thin, straight ramen noodles. A labour of love, the ramen takes over 12 hours cooking at a rolling boil, with Furukawa’s highly crafted menu focussing on the flavours and ingredients rarely found outside of Japan. The ramen flavours are diverse and far in-between, with the signature Shoryu Ganso Tonkotsu a firm favourite amongst guests – the ramen comes complete with char siu barbecue pork belly, nitamago egg, kikurage mushrooms, spring onion, sesame, ginger and nori seaweed. Guests can also choose to slurp their way through Seafood, Truffle and Dracula (caramelised black garlic) options – with the vegetarian White Natural offering made with soy milk and white miso, making it intensely delicious and silky. In addition to the wonderfully satisfying ramen, the menu also includes Japanese staples such as ‘Shoryu Buns’, these fluffy, steamed buns are handmade daily and Shoryu offers a selection of five fillings including char siu barbeque pork belly, soy marinated chicken karaage and wagyu beef with shiso, daikon and shimeji. Wash down Shoryu’s famous noodles and buns with a wide range of sakes and expertly crafted limited edition cocktails, all created by sake expert and bar manager, Maria Victoria Vecchione who has been instrumental in shaping the offering. Diners can also enjoy seasonal sake flights and Japanese beers such as Kirin, Asahi and Hitachino Craft Beer. When guests first enter Shoryu, they walk through traditional noren curtains and are greeted with the sound of a drum and an ‘Irasshaimase!’ from all staff on shift. This expression means ‘welcome’ in Japanese. Guests are then seated with the menu explained. When ordering ramen, guests are given a choice of noodle firmness from briefly submerged to remove flour dust to soft cooked noodles, ensuring the guest receives the bowl of ramen to their liking. The team at Shoryu believe trends are very important, however such trends have to be true to the brand. At the moment, weekend bottomless brunches are very popular, and Shoryu wanted to be one of the first places in London to offer a Japanese variant of this. Their version includes bottomless Japanese beers, plum wine and calpico teamed with starters, sides, dessert and unlimited ramen from a choice of their four best sellers. At the start of this year, Shoryu began with a vegan detox menu across all restaurants. This has been Shoryu’s most successful themed set menu to date, and as such it has inspired them to take it one step further for National Vegetarian Week with the launch of a brand new pumpkin bao bun. Looking ahead to what the future holds, the team at Shoryu Ramen are always looking to develop new and seasonal menu items to keep their menu exciting and fresh. Company: Shoryu Ramen Web Address: www.shoryuramen.com It’s in Their Bones Taste