Tonkotsu Ramen search: calling all London ramen fans!

October 12, 2008 3:59 AM

Ramen Filter: I live in London. I desperately crave tonkotsu ramen, the pork-based variety popular in Japan's Kyushu region (sometimes known as Hakata ramen). I have found NOWHERE in the UK that makes or sells it. Have I missed somewhere? Is there anywhere online I can buy Tonkotsu soup stock? Help!

I can get shoyu, miso and chicken based ramen real easy in London, but not Tonkotsu.

I have found recipes that teach you how to make it, but I live with vegetarians who wouldn't take too kindly to a house smelling of pork offal.

How can I fill my tonkotsu void?! Why has this perfect food source not made it overseas yet?

posted by 0bvious to food & drink (8 answers total)

Are you talking actual already-made restaurant tonkotsu ramen or packaged, easy-to-cook store-bought ramen?

Because the latter's all over the place in Chinatown. You want Demae Ramen, in the green packaging (I can't remember if it's light green or dark green).

Try Oriental Delight in Chinatown.

As for restaurant, you might want to try Zipangu. I can't remember if they have it (generally going straight to their tonkatsu curry), but it's worth a shot for such deliciousness.
posted by Katemonkey at 4:50 AM on October 12, 2008

I want the proper stuff, not the instant ramen. Proper pork bone-marrow brothy goodness
posted by 0bvious at 5:01 AM on October 12, 2008

If you're willing to settle for instant (...) you may want to try at Japan Centre in Piccadilly, which carries the better brands. (Demae Iccho is not.)

If you have money to burn, this Japanese company (warning: Japanese-only site) will EMS you vacuum packed nama-ramen packs from 'famous ramen-ya'. This one and this one are the Kyuushuu tonkotsu type you're probably looking for. The catch is that the EMS costs about 2-3x the product cost. But it's really good.

I would say, drive your finicky roommates out of the house and start cooking. You'll be dealing with bones and gelatinous trotters, not smelly offal, so you'll just have a pleasant aroma of sweet pork and veggies.
posted by thread_makimaki at 5:06 AM on October 12, 2008

Presumably, the wagamama's pork and chicken broth is no good?
posted by Not Supplied at 6:11 AM on October 12, 2008

Thanks MakiMaki... The links you posted got whittled down to just this one. What was the other?
posted by 0bvious at 7:59 AM on October 12, 2008

Any more ideas?
posted by 0bvious at 2:13 AM on October 13, 2008

wagamama is not real ramen.
posted by gen at 7:10 AM on October 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Sorry about that - here are the links to individual tonkotsu ramens listed that site. (There are 4 listed in the sidebar but one leads to a blank page.) You don't get any of the toppings btw, just the noodles and the soup.

From Kijijo-ji Hope in Kijijo-ji, Tokyo - it says the soup has garlic and back fat in it

From Manshuu-ya in Kurume - very concentrated/intense soup

From Daikoku Ramen in Kumamoto - also has garlic in the soup

Each pack comes with two portions of noodles and soup.

Now I am desperately hungry.
posted by thread_makimaki at 8:42 PM on October 15, 2008