Restaurant review: Koku Ramen
Rue Saint-Boniface 11, 1050 Ixelles
What’s good? The crispy, golden gyoza are served straight from the sizzling hot pan onto your platter. Let the crunchy veggie gyoza melt in your mouth, mixed with delicious salty soy sauce to make your taste buds explode. The ramen is served with a perfectly runny, yellow egg, a soy- or miso-based soup, nori and your choice of topping. Don’t make the mistake of eating all the broth first; it will fill you up immediately and you won’t have space to devour the freshly made noodles.
To give your palate a little change from the umami, try Ramune — a very sweet Japanese lemonade that comes in different flavors — and which is so bubbly that it is sealed with a marble.
What’s not? Avoid coming for a late lunch. We had to wait in line outside and were the last customers allowed in as the restaurant was just about to run out of fresh noodles and soup. This, obviously, is a good sign, pointing to the restaurant’s popularity!
Vibe: Countless bamboo strands climb the white walls of the tiny restaurant, giving it a natural vibe. It’s got a tranquil and contemplative atmosphere.
Who’s picking up the check? A starter costs between €5-€10, but you won’t really need it because your main dish will easily satisfy your appetite. Plan to pay about €15-€18 for ramen, depending on whether you opt for vegetables, pork or chicken.
Insider tip: If you want to impress your friends, get the Mazemen ramen kit to cook at home. It comes with fresh noodles and a special secret sauce and costs €10. At least for one night, you can pretend to be a Japanese cuisine master. You can also buy fresh noodles for €2 and go more freestyle in your cooking at home.
Fun fact: One Koku — which is the name of the restaurant — is a unit of measurement, telling you — more or less — how much rice a person eats per year. 150 kilograms, since you asked!
How to get there: The restaurant is about a five-minute walk from the Porte de Namur metro station. Stroll around in the beautiful area of Place Saint Boniface to digest your lunch or grab a drink at Fernand Cocq after dinner.
— Review published on October 26, 2023. Illustration by Dato Parulava for POLITICO.
