#toriden

hakata mizutaki toriden, lot 10.

met up with friend at this restaurant, apparently the ramen here is awesome. when we were looking at the menu, then we realized that the ramen broth is chicken instead of the more popular pork base. i ordered the clear soup ramen while my friend ordered the spicy version. and we shared a portion of the chicken karaage as well.

the ramen came pretty quickly since the isn’t much customers at that time. and they also gave us a few really unique condiments to try with our ramen, which creates a different taste from its original. i enjoyed the clear soup very much, it’s so appetizing as it is fragrant and the lemon actually creates a really refreshing taste too. chicken is tender and flavorful and the noodles are cooked just right.

the chicken karaage is really really good as well, the meat is really tender and juicy, and the sauce is really unique and yummy too. the skin is just so crispy, yet doesn’t feel oily at all. this is a must-order snack.

we also received a free creme brulee pudding as dessert because i posted a photo on my instagram, yay for free dessert! it’s pretty good, the caramel is pretty fragrant. their green tea served here is also really lovely, good quality tea leaves are used and it is a perfect compliment to the satisfying meal.

My hubs Izz and I stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant last year in 2018 when we were simply exploring KL and Isetan The Japan Store. We are both extremely fond of Japanese cuisine, in fact when we ponder on dinner options it’s usually a toss between Japanese or Italian food. 

So how did we pick Toriden out of all the amazing Japanese restaurants here? Simple - we were craving for chicken ramen and it’s so hard to find a place that served chicken-based broth. Ramen is more commonly known to use pork broth. Before deciding on Toriden, I read a few blog reviews and found that the chicken ramen here was legit, and they don’t serve pork (however they do serve alcohol). So that’s a big plus for us.

On this occasion, we were quite ravenous as it was Ramadhan and we wanted a hearty meal to break fast with. We decided to start with a salmon avocado salad (I can honestly eat salmon all day everyday in any form lol), and their famous chicken katsu.

Salmon avocado salad - generous amount of greens which hides a few cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced raw onion, a few slivers of salmon sashimi, and avocado and drizzled in a light sesame sauce. Refreshing way to start a meal. 

The original Chicken Katsu which almost overshadowed the ramen. Seriously, this katsu would be amazing with fluffy Japanese rice, or to accompany the ramen. It’s amazingly crispy on the outside, juicy and flavourful on the inside. There were 3 large pieces (we thought it was going to be half the size!), and we both walloped this in minutes. No regrets. 

Toriden Sesame Chicken Ramen - Izz’s favourite. And it’s no wonder why. The broth is so flavourful and full of depth. The lemon and the yuzu also adds a hint of tanginess which works well with the dish. The soft boiled egg is a must of course, the consistency was just perfect. And the star of the dish, the chicken itself. Moist, juicy and rich with flavour. It’s also slightly sweet possibly due to a long marination process, and it tastes slightly roasted. Simply amazing. The noodle itself is springy and what a ramen noodle should be. 

I have previously tried the Sesame Chicken Ramen, but I needed a little kick. Thankfully, they have something much spicier in their menu. I always seem to go back to the Toriden Spicy Ramen or the Dry Tantan Men (not pictured) which is a dry noodle version. Just look at the colours - you can tell the flavour is going to be spectacular. The broth is so rich and flavourful, but not as spicy as it looks, I promise! (Just don’t talk while you eat lol. Ginger ale helps!) 

I always ask for the chili sauce on the side in case I can’t handle the heat. The chili sauce tastes good too! It’s some sort of chili oil concoction with garlic. The ramen includes a soft boiled egg, loads of minced chicken and veggies. A ton of bean sprouts (which I’m not a big fan of, but I’ll eat it because the broth is so good), and some chives I think. My fav! 

Go ahead, give it a try! The restaurant is located at 4F The Table, Isetan The Japan Store, Lot 10 Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur. For more info, visit https://www.facebook.com/Toridenlot10.