[Invited Review] Edo Ramen @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang!

Branching off from Goku Raku Ramen, Donburi House Sdn Bhd, a member of TexChem Group, introduced a new concept called as Edo Ramen and  introduced their new menu effective on 7th April 2014. Edo Ramen is still under the same management team of Goku Raku Ramen and their menu has been simplified. Instead of a lot of different kind of foods and choices, the management team decided to streamline their choices in two types of meat served and four kinds of soups to choose from. They wish to be able to serve their famous ramen faster and more efficient, hence, reduced waiting time. And one big positive note is that the price has been adjusted LOWER despite all the increases in their costs. Well done! 🙂

Chef Tetsuya Fukino

With the launch of Edo Ramen, Malaysians and more specifically in this review, Penangnites will get a chance to taste authentic Tokyo-style ramen specially prepared by Chef Tetsuya Fukino, a notable ramen connoisseur. The name Edo is picked to honor the previous name of Tokyo which is Edo during the Tokugawa Shogunate or the samurai era. Yes, we had a brief history class with the friendly management staffs from TexChem. Yes, to our surprise, Goku Raku Ramen, Edo Ramen, Waku Waku, Miraku Restaurant & Blu Med Ristorante e Bar is also owned by Texchem. KayaButter believe that many of us definitely know that TexChem owns our Malaysian favorite Japanese restaurant chain which is Sushi King! 🙂 SushiKing is definitely the best Japanese restaurant chain for us! 🙂

KayaButter will definitely not miss the chance to take picture with the handsome chef who flew from Japan to supervise and also cook for Edo Ramen. The Japanese chef is very friendly and does not bring any ‘air’ in him. A very humble person.

The interior of Edo Ramen

Charmine Chan explaining to the bloggers about Tonkotsu Ramen and everything else. Thank you for such a detailed explanation.

With our taste and preference changes from every district or states, it is no wonder that the Japanese in the northern areas such as Sapporo, prefers miso soup for their ramen whereas in southern districts such as Tokyo and Hakata, the tonkotsu broth and soy-flavored ramen are more preferred.

Edo Ramen serves eight types of Ramen, with four soup flavors and two topping styles which includes:

1. Tokyo Ramen & Ultimate Tokyo
2. Tonkotsu Ramen & Ultimate Tonkotsu
3. Miso Ramen & Ultimate Miso
4. Black Ramen & Ultimate Black

For Standard Ramen option, you will have Char Siew, Sweet Corn, Pak Choy & Spring Onion as your topping.
For Ultimate Ramen option, you will have Char Siew, Sweet Corn, Pak Choy, Seaweed, Braised Pork Belly, Japanese Fish Cake,Lava Egg (KayaButter loves this A LOT!) & Spring Onion.

KayaButter and the rest of the bloggers were treated with Ultimate Tonkotsu and Ultimate Miso. And we managed to ask for an additional Ultimate Black since we are curios of the word ‘Black’ and also it has been recommended for the enthusiasts of ramen. For beginners, you are recommended to try either the Tokyo Ramen and Tonkotsu Ramen and as you start to enjoy the ramen soups, then you can try Miso and Black. 🙂

The Tonkotsu broth is done by boiling the pork bones over medium to high heat for more than 12 hours where the essence is all extracted out and emulsified to a consistent creamy and thick flavor. And after the 12 hours of medium to high heat, the Tonkotsu broth is cooked for another 5 hours using low heat. This is the very reason for all ramen lovers to try this! A very strong and rich flavored soup!

Ultimate Tonkotsu Rm16.90

This is KayaButter’s favorite. The soup is soothing and sweet. Very inviting and tastes mild. 🙂 This soup will appeal to the masses. Needless to say, the ramen is superb. It has been prepared fresh and very Q! Definitely a BIG WINNER here! 🙂

Ultimate Miso RM16.90

Slightly oily and has a less smoother taste compared with Tonkotsu soup. It gives a tangy and robust taste and slightly sweeter than Tonkotsu soup. This soup base will attract to a specific group of ramen enthusiasts. If you love miso, then this soup is to go! The kakuni (braised pork belly) is so Q and soft and sort of melts in your mouth as you bite it. The pork belly has been braised in sauce for hours and this explains the juiciness and tenderness of this pork belly. Nice!

KayaButter ranks Ultimate Tonkotsu as the No. 1 in recommendation followed by Ultimate Miso and finally the Ultimate Black. The black broth is mixed with Japanese fish powder (you need to stir properly before you start eating to let the powder melts into the broth) and aromatic charred crushed garlic oil. Maybe, KayaButter are not a fan of fish based soup and also the charred garlic oil gives a slightly burnt taste to us. Some of the bloggers find that this black broth is good! Hence, this explains the different taste buds that we have. Give it a try, you never know! Belum cuba, belum tahu, sekali cuba, hari hari mau! Roar! 😛

Boiled Gyoza (3 pieces) RM4.90

Pan-Fried Gyoza (3 pieces) RM4.90

Soft skin and sweet gyoza! Nice to chew and the succulent & tender meat! KayaButter prefers this over pan-fried gyoza as it uses less oil and healthier.

Aburi Char Siew (5 pieces) RM11.90

A very soft yet QQ and succulent pork marinated in soy sauce and savory spices. The char siew is simmered slowly for hours to get this great taste. Take it together with the fried garlic to enhance the flavor.

Overall, Edo Ramen serves authentic handmade Japanese Ramen with authentic Japanese broths. So, do not expect very strong flavored and spicy stuffs here, Penangnites. Authentic Japanese food are usually very lightly flavored and not strong in taste. So, for the ramen enthusiast who are looking for the original Tokyo taste ramen, do head to Edo Ramen. 🙂 And the latest new pricing definitely sweeten the deal. RM9.90 and above for the dishes. A big cup of green tea is RM2.00. Besides ramen, they do serve rice based dishes and other drinks such as Coke and Tiger Beer.

Thank you very much to the management people of TexChem, Susan Yee, Carmine Chan and Ng Suefin for extending the invitation and the warm hospitality and friendly service, Chef Tetsuya Fukino for the awesome food and the friendly staffs there. Thanks Criz for the invite!

And good news for those who are going to try Edo Ramen, just print this voucher and you are entitled to a FREE plate of gyoza (3 pieces) when you spend a minimum of RM30. Remember to present this voucher before you make any payment.

Here is a list of Donburi House Sdn Bhd outlets:

1. Goku Raku Ramen, Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur.
2. Goku Raku Ramen, Paradigm Mall, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
3. Edo Ramen, Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

Goku Raku Ramen is for those who are looking for casual dining that serves intensive menu where as Edo Ramen is for those who are looking for quick service, affordable prices and compact menu! 🙂 Happy dining!

contact information

Edo Ramen
Gurney Paragon Mall Penang
Lot 163-D-1-05, Gurney Paragon Mall,
Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel No: +604-226 0961
GPS: 5.436072, 100.311693

business hours

Daily

11:00am – 10:00pm (Sunday – Thursday)

11:00am – 11:00pm (Friday – Saturday & Eve of Public Holiday)