KEN HUNTS FOOD: Jikaya Ramen 自家屋日本拉面 @ Farlim, Penang.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Jikaya Ramen 自家屋日本拉面 @ Farlim, Penang.

Jikaya Ramen 自家屋日本拉面 had a humble beginning- the brand started from a hawker stall (in a coffee house) in Farlim and today, they have moved into a shop, completely managed by their own. As suggested by the name, Jikaya Ramen is a Japanese Ramen-focused restaurant... serving various types of Japanese Ramen as well as Japanese-influenced dishes. The menu is fairly big for a restaurant at their size so need not worry on the selection availability. Likewise, the price points are very affordable, almost cheaper than most established Ramen shops in town.

Tonkotsu Ramen (Rm 18.90)

Yaki Ramen (Rm 12.90)

Yaki Gyoza (Rm 10)

Onsen Tama (Rm 1.80)

Vege Salad (Rm 7)

Jikaya's signature Tonkotsu Ramen registered a heavy porky notes (or stench), a little too heavy that we found ourselves not knowing how to appreciate the dish. We were also disappointed with the fully cooked Egg as we were expecting a runny Japanese Ramen Egg. Fortunately, the texture of the Ramen was alright, at least not overly slouchy or soft. Yaki Ramen was an interesting variant to the usual soup Ramen, Jikaya's turned out to be on the salty side, we recommend adding Onsen Tamago, for the extra creaminess and perhaps, slightly cut through the saltiness. We don't usually comment on side dishes but their Vege Salad was another disappointment. We were expecting some Wafu dressing or Japanese Roasted Sesame Seeds salad dressing but it turned out that the greens were heavily drizzled with ersatz Mayonnaise... which shattered our hope for a refreshing crunch amidst greasy, bold-tasting meal.