Who said the ramen craze is over?? We were dazed by the existence (and competition) emerging new ramen brands in Jakarta nowadays. Think that there's no more space for the competition? Now opens another international ramen brand in Baywalk Mall: Yamagoya Ramen!
If you noticed, it existed before in Thamrin Nine building and was closed around a year ago. Apparently, there was a change in ownership and now the new owners are bringing back the franchise to Jakarta as the exclusive holder for the right. This place is the first one to open in Jakarta after the closure in Thamrin Nine!
They certainly want to keep the ambiance authentic: not only they write off everything in Japanese kanji that I know nothing about, the waitresses also always murmur something in Japanese (which I don't think they understand either! I'm certain that they memorized the script :p)
There's not much in the interior, since it's taking place in a mall, the space is mostly only this corridor long. On the other side of that glass is the open kitchen where you can freely watch the cooks do their job for you!
Kinda love this ornament since it gives off the feeling of actually going to an authentic ramen shop in Japan (or even better, it actually make me imagine going to a street ramen cart!)
Essential seasonings of Japanese cuisine: chili pepper, sesame seeds, chili oil, and pepper! They didn't have fresh garlic though, but it's okay, not a big fan of it anyway.. On to the taste!
KAKUNI CHA SHU IDR 39k
This side dish is SO heavenly!!! ...wait! I haven't even introduced anything to you and I was too excited in bringing you the news! Sorry for the early spoiler! This is a plate of pork belly cut in thick (yeah!) slices, grilled and marinated in sweet soyu. It's a bit crunchy on the surface, like caramel glazed as a result of grilling with sweet sauce and of course the tender, smooth part of the inside that gives you heaven!
BLACK GARLIC RAMEN IDR 55k
Unique stuff! That's the first thing that came to mind when I was thinking which ramen to order! Since I was a bit uninterested with just the usual stuff, I tried this black one instead! Not sure if they used squid ink or not, but as its name suggests, its strong with garlic aroma and flavor with pork broth as its base. I think it has a very good flavor, but the texture of the noodles were a bit too soft, expecting a bit more chewiness. Delicious, but not extraordinary.
CHA SHU RAMEN IDR 63k
The visual tells you everything: it lives up to its name! Totally abundant of chashu with such a reasonable price, I think this is a winner for chashu ramen lovers as I've never gotten more portion in any other ramen shops. Only complain was that the soup broth was too strong for me. But hey, the owner was there and he told us he'll work on the recipe so let's just give it another chance!
TONKATSU IDR 45k
Now for another classic side dish to the ramen. We were hungry so a simple gyoza wouldn't suffice, so here it is: pork katsu! Served with classic tonkatsu sauce that's similar to Worcestershire. It tastes good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The batter was too thick, maybe it reduces the crunchiness and also resulting to a rather overcooked pork that lost its best tenderness.
Overall verdict? Since the owner told us beforehand that they're "still improving" on the flavor, I guess they weren't at their best form yet. Still, I do think that this place could be promising and expecting a real improvement. They do need to though, to be another potent contender in Jakarta's ramen market!
YAMAGOYA RAMEN
Baywalk Mall @Green Bay Pluit
Jl. Pluit Karang Ayu B1 Utara
Lt. 2 Unit 21 no.12
Jakarta Utara 14450, Indonesia
(021)2983 9063
Opening Hours : 10am- 10pm
WEBSITE
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