This post is also available in: 日本語
Written by Dwinda-san
Ramen is one of the most popular Japanese foods in the world. Nowadays, you can find ramen not only in Japan, but also in many countries. However, finding you-can-eat ramen is challenging for Muslim tourist coming to Japan. In my hometown, Bandung, Indonesia, ramen shops in halal ingredients can be found everywhere. But I was surprised when I came to Japan because almost all of ramen in this country made by pork broth, so I cannot taste it. The challenge becomes harder when I received message from my Indonesian Muslim friends to bring ramen as travel souvenir. How can I bring this souvenir for them if it is not safe for them?
Here is the good news: Now you can find halal ramen in some stores in Tokyo!
This product produced by Momotaro Food and can be founded in LAOX Stores, Tokyo. The product has halal certification from Japan Halal Standard and has some flavors, including shoyu and miso. In this article, I will give you my review for the shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) flavor. It is quite simple to cook this ramen. Just boil the ramen in hot water for 2-3 minutes, put the seasoning, and voila! You can enjoy the ramen without worry. The noodle has a smooth texture and the shoyu flavor taste umami, not too plain but not too salty. For better taste, I recommend you to put some toppings, such as spring onion, chicken, or boiled egg, to enrich the flavor. You also can put some chili powder if you want more spicy taste in your shoyu ramen.
This ramen sold in affordable price, 620 JPY in LAOX Shinjuku, and worth for two portions. The minus point of this ramen is the package which is not providing English explanation. However, in halal section of LAOX Shinjuku, you can find the explanation about how to make this ramen properly. This ramen not only good to eat, but also can be a good souvenir for Japanese food hunter in your country.
About Laox Shinjuku
https://www.halalmedia.jp/archives/1959/laox-tax-free-shop-shinjuku-branch-opens-today-ready-serve-customers-counters-selling-muslim-friendly-products-worshiping-space/