(23/12-13 ซอย ธนิยะ Silom 2/1, Suriya Wong) Slap bang in the middle of the worst prostitute and ladyboy area of Bangkok stands a bastion of peace and mercy. Uchidaya with windows looking out over hopeful girls, sitting in their mini-skirts praying for a Japanese businessman to take their fancy, its all a bit bizarre slurping noodles with the ongoings of the street playing out 2 meters away. This ramen though is distraction enough.
The broth is a fishier type of Tonkotsu with a serious umami bolt. The pork is top notch and the eggs perfection. They offer the option of thin or thicker noodles which I always love, and don't hesitate to get thick noodles cooked hard. Its a joy to behold, and reason enough to throw aside the anxiety of being seen in the seedier parts of town. This ramen hides all shame. 8/10
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34, Soi Phiphat, Si Lom Road, Silom) Visit 2.
Having already reviewed the Tonkotsu style here, which was passable, I decided to try their signature Shoyu Broth needing a bit of a lighter bowl before heading to play pool at The Old Other Office. To be honest I haven't really found a decent Shoyu broth ramen in Thailand. I've tried a couple of places but they seem to nail the more popular Tonkotsu style, or Miso, but nowhere manages to capture the umami, deep, rich legendary broth of Kiraku in Tokyo. This was a downer. Thin, watery soup, bog standard noodles, run-of-the-mill meat and a half decent egg. At least the price is very reasonable here so you don't feel added indignation when the cheque arrives. They do lots of discounts during the week, maybe that's telling as to why their food is sub-par. 3/10 (34, Soi Phiphat, Si Lom Road, Silom) Perched on a rather naughty street in Bangkok, near all the strip clubs and ping-pong shows, Yamagoya faces stiff competition in a sea of other Ramen outlets. Korean and Japanese tourists plough the streets looking for cheap companionship fuelled by their full bellies.
I visited in Oct 2018. The place itself was not as cosy as a lot of Ramen shops. It felt more like a fast-food joint based on the decor. However, the Ramen arrived and I dug in. First off the soup was less fatty than most Tonkotsu places, but still packed a decent amount of flavour. The egg and noodles were rather forgettable, but the pork was nicely cooked. For the price its a decent option to quell any cravings, but overall there are far better places in Bangkok, even on the same street. 7/10 (23/8-9 ซอย ธนิยะ Si Lom, Suriya Wong) Right next door to the glorious hallways of Uchidaya lies another Ramen spot vying for business.
Ramen Tei. It looked suspect from the outside, and more so from the inside. Yet another establishment with too many items on the menu. However, I opted for the Shoyu Ramen and was mildly disappointed from the second it was placed in front of me. It didn't look deep, rich, interesting. What followed was 10 minutes of trying to find positives but struggling. To be fair it tasted better than it looked, but this is by no means a ramen anyone needs to hunt down. 5/10 (23/12-13 ซอย ธนิยะ Silom 2/1, Suriya Wong) The second visit to this great ramen bar was with a few fellow enthusiasts. The first time I was here I sat alone near the window finding it comical to be slurping down on ramen whilst outside the window hundreds of sex-crazed tourists bartered with street-girls for all sorts of filth.
This time we chose to sit further in the restaurant and tried 2 different styles. I tried the Uchidaya Ramen "Ajitama". A thick, flavoursome broth with the distinct fatty Tonkotsu taste, nicely cooked eggs, tender meat and the customary pile of spring onions. This place is definitely doing something right in a city that has stiff competition. I'd put my money on Bankara and Kio holding the top spot, but Uchidaya hangs on to a solid second place. 8/10 (43/1 สีลมสุรวงศ์คอนโด ซอยนราธิวาสราชนครินทร์ 1 ถนนสุรวงศ์ แขวงสุริยวงศ์ ) Every now and then you catch someone with their pants down. A pretender, a buffoon, a man playing chef. The warning signs were imminent when walking in and seeing a 300 dish menu. I almost wanted to turn and leave. Anyone who attempts that many dishes can't possibly do them right? RIGHT?
Right.... The Miso Ramen was insipid. Tasteless. The menma was cut so thick it spoilt the taste. The egg was butchered to hell and back. The pork was quite tasty but didn't save the dish from being squared at the bottom of the Bangkok ramen pile. Try learn constraint and perhaps he could turn out a couple decent dishes in the future. Ramen, on the other hand, is not his forté. 4/10 |
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