Menya Sakura Ramen 麺屋桜, Lotte Shopping Avenue, Jakarta

Still about ramen, Menya Sakura is another ramen shop located in Lotte Shopping Avenue. The shop originally comes from Nagoya, Japan, and it’s hard to miss when you walk by as the interior is very unique, warm and classic. Nothing looks pretentious about this place, all you see is what you get kind of feeling. Come to eat, finish, and go. Simple as that.

You know, I usually go around South Jakarta because I live in South but sometimes it’s difficult to find non-halal ramen shops. Luckily, Menya Sakura has pork ramen (because that is how real ramen should be!) so you can imagine how happy I and Mr. K were when we saw the menu! We didn’t order a lot that day, though because we just finished another round of lunch somewhere else. 

First impression: the bowl was big, just like the ramen portion in Japan. Mr. K was ecstatic to try because until that time, he hadn’t found any ramen in Jakarta yet that could satisfy him. It turned out to be exceptionally delicious, with thick and rich broth that is different from the other ramen shops in Jakarta. The pork charshu were quite thick and very tasty. This is what we call Japanese ramen and I definitely recommend this to everyone who wants a good taste of REAL Japanese ramen in Jakarta.

Very crispy outside and lots of fillings. And although this was chicken, I heard that they are serving pork dumplings too now.

Seriously, didn’t expect this to be served like this. The mochi balls were sooo yummy with right texture and lovely smell. The green tea ice cream was probably looking not too beautiful, but it was real green tea, probably homemade. Loved the peanut powders sprinkle on the top, this dessert was fantastic!