Editor's Rating
One of the highlights of my culinary experiences last year was the “volcano ramen” from Kazan Ramen Express, which was located inside Food Avenue (food court complex) in Lotte Shopping Avenue shopping mall. By the beginning of this year, I heard that the particular outlet was closed down but the good news is, they were going to have their own restaurant in the bustling Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) area.
Honestly, I was excited when I heard that they will open a new outlet in PIK as I thought that it will serve pork or tonkotsu ramen rather than chicken-only ramen. No offense to our friends who don’t eat pork 🙂 As Kazan Ramen concept originally comes from Osaka, Japan, for South East Asian countries (they don’t have any outlet in Japan, you can read more about their background in my previous review), I always wished that I could try the pork version which are available in Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen outlets in Singapore and Bangkok.
The new outlet in PIK is located in Ruko Cordoba complex, few shops away from Wooyoo Ice Cream. It’s very visible even from far away, thanks to the huge signage with bright red color.
The dining area is divided into 3 areas: indoor and outdoor seating area on the first floor, and bigger one on the second floor. I chose to be seated on the first floor just beside the open kitchen where I could see the process of ramen preparation.
Like typical casual Japanese shops, the colors red and black dominating the place, with beautiful and colorful decorations such as paper umbrellas, wall scrolls, and of course, the Kazan Ramen’s trademark: the stone bowls.
Although Kazan Ramen specializes in their volcano ramen, which is served in hot-stone bowl, there are also usual ramen in bowls, as well as many side dishes from snacks to rice bowls.
Prices range from IDR 19,800 to 79,800.
Itadakimasu!
Kazan Karamiso IDR 79,800
Previously, I had only tried the chicken version of this so this time I opted for the pork one. The presentation is still the same, and the set comes with a bowl of rice.
The good thing about Kazan Ramen is that the staffs are very attentive and ready to help us whenever we need them. They will help us pouring the soup into the bowl and we can just enjoy the process (and taking photos, of course! XD)
After pouring half of the soup, the bowl will be covered and we can see the thick smoke comes out from the hole on top of the cover. This is the most dramatic moment as it resembles volcano, and experience like this can only be enjoyed in Kazan Ramen for now!
There are also hourglasses for keeping track of how long the ramen should be “cooked” covered and when the second half of soup will be added. Interesting!
The final result is the boiling soup inside the stone bowl, looking so appetizing and by this time, seriously it’s difficult not to drool as the aroma will definitely be lingering around you.
When the ramen is ready, it’s recommended not to eat from the hot stone bowl immediately, but take some to the provided bowl.
The type of noodle that is used for volcano ramen is flat, wide one, and honestly it’s not my favorite. The problem with this kind of noodle is that I get sick quite quickly as it absorbs more soup and make me full instantly. The karamiso wasn’t spicy at all, but it was tasty enough to bring the flavors to the broth. However, I must state that the amount of vegetables used in the bowl (cabbage, leek, carrots, you name it) are too much and give certain not-so-pleasant aroma (and taste) to the whole dish.
Hinomaru Tomato Kazan IDR 79,800
Another volcano ramen with tomato and grated cheese. This was literally tomato ramen as we can obviously see whole tomato fruit (and chunks of cut ones) floating in the bowl. I was skeptical about this at first but the staff recommended us to try this for a uniqueness.
Surprisingly, the taste wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was so good that I couldn’t stop slurping the soup. The tomato taste was mild but distinctive, it was new to me but very acceptable.
Chashu Shoyu Ramen IDR 69,800
For the casual ramen, we picked shoyu ramen with chashu. So excited to see the big, thick chashu slices that were given generously!
The noodle is different from the volcano ramen and I really, really love this kind. It is medium size with medium hardness level, perfectly drenched in super tasty shoyu broth. Maybe the broth is not as thick as what we like, but it is thick enough for an Osaka ramen so we were actually very happy about it. Again, the chashu are the stars!
Hot Stone Beef Curry Rice IDR 49,800
Beside many kinds of ramen, Kazan Ramen also provides rice bowls and we tried the Beef Curry Rice which is served in a hot stone bowl. As usual, when it was served, the curry sauce wasn’t even mixed with the rice, so we can enjoy the sizzling view and sound of the boiling sauce when it’s poured into the bowl. I can get used to it. XD
The curry rice was nothing but delicious! The rice fully absorbed the aromatic and flavorful curry, while the beef was so soft and juicy, a perfect combination. I loved how they sprinkled tomato cuts beside the spring onions on the top, it added the refreshing sensation of the beef. Oishii~!
Pork Soup Gyoza IDR 39,800
Because the fried and grilled gyoza are too mainstream, I picked the pork soup gyoza, which is served in pork soup broth. I actually quite like it, although I think the taste was lacking. The gyoza itself was so soft and fragile, out of 6 pieces, 5 broken down into pieces when taken by chopsticks. I think I will stick to fried/grilled ones next time.
Strawberry Ice Kazan IDR 59,800
Dessert time!
Even since the moment I saw the menu, I was excited for the gigantic-looking Ice Kazan, which is a shaved ice served in stone bowl. They have 3 options: Matcha, Strawberry, and Mango, but unfortunately, only Strawberry one was available during my visit.
The bowl has some kind of “chimney” in the center, where we pour in some water to make the smoke effect when it’s served. I didn’t get the clear photo of smokey bowl but since smokey desserts are kinda trending right now, I bet everyone knows what I am talking about.
The portion is crazy, and not only the shaved ice is served like mountains, it’s also “decorated” with strawberry-flavored syrup, scoops of ice creams and frozen natural strawberries/raspberries. Not only it looks good, it also tastes great. The ice is sweet but nicely balanced with natural sourness of the berry fruits. This is a real treat and I think it can be shared up to 4 person.
My second experience with Kazan Ramen is much better than the first one, and I am glad to meet the familiar faces such as Chef Takeyama, and some staffs who also have been with Kazan Ramen Express in the past. I think the food are good: more selections than the previous outlet for sure, and the serving time is quite fast judging from the complexity of the presentation itself.
We are hoping that with the new outlet, Kazan Ramen can spread its wings wider in Indonesia. Thank you for having us and best of luck!
*The Food Escape team are not paid whatsoever for writing this post.
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KAZAN RAMEN
Ruko Cordoba Blok A No. 11
Bukit Golf Mediterania
Jl. Marina Indah Raya
Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK)
North Jakarta 14470
Phone. +62 813 462186
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun 11AM – 11PM
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