KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 15 — One door closes, and another opens. Last month, the Hide-Chan Ramen pop-up ended its six-month stay at J’s Gate Dining, Lot 10 on schedule.
In the blink of an eye, a new ramen restaurant stepped into the ring, tagging in faster than one can say “tonkotsu”.
The new contender is Torino Toriko, which, as its name suggests, specialises in tori paitan, or chicken broth ramen, a fact they eagerly advertise across their branding along with the phrase “no pork, no lard, no alcohol”.
Just like Hide-Chan before it, Torino Toriko is also slated to run here for six months. But unlike Hide-Chan, which has a long, established international presence, particularly in the United States, Torino Toriko is based mainly in Japan, with its flagship restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo.
Their arrival in Kuala Lumpur suggests that the trend of ramen restaurants aiming to appeal to a wider Malaysian audience with styles like tori paitan — Ramen Minamo in Desa Sri Hartamas comes to mind — is set to continue.
Torino Toriko’s signature paitan ramen comes in two main flavours: shoyu and miso. The shoyu is the cleaner of the two styles, layered with a typical seafood dashi and the titular ingredient, providing a clearer taste of the chicken broth.
The miso, meanwhile, is much richer and bolder, with the savoury funk of fermented soybean, and is topped with a house spice blend.
Both variants come with a few common toppings: soft, springy noodles, small chunks of white onion, strips of yuzu, and the most eye-arresting of them all, a splash of white foam, a slight nod to the “cappuccino” technique seen in ramen.
On its own, the foam smells and tastes lightly savoury, but when mixed into the broth, it turns the thick liquid into a frothy, airy experience, just like drinking a cappuccino.
The rest of the toppings are up to you. The regular comes with chicken breast; the ajitama version adds a marinated soy egg.
There are also options for extra chicken, umami fried chicken, or teriyaki chicken. I opted for the Deep Miso Umami Specialty (RM29.90), which comes with a regular portion of chicken breast, umami fried chicken, ajitama and three sheets of seaweed.
Beneath sits bamboo shoots and a surprise portion of seasoned minced chicken, which, like the fried chicken, is bold enough to stand up to the robust character of the broth.
It’s an unctuous yet not overpowering or cloyingly rich broth, balanced wonderfully by the strips of yuzu. A must-have condiment is the vinegar with sudachi (green Japanese citrus) available tableside, which cuts through the richness without stripping away any depth of flavour.
I do wish the noodles were firmer, however. It’s the only part of the bowl that felt underwhelming.
But the broth’s balance of flavour means it’s certainly possible to eat more than one bowl in a sitting, if you’re hungry enough, and this is where opting for the Deep Shoyu Umami Ajitama Egg (RM21.90) is ideal.
As described, this is the cleaner of the two varieties, a much more straightforward brand of savouriness that isn’t bruising on the palate.
It’s also slightly sweeter in a gentle fashion, and when adjusted with the vinegar, it makes for a satisfying bowl that bowls you over without overwhelming you.
Torino Toriko may only be here for six months, but it makes a convincing case for itself.
Its focus on tori paitan, combined with the “no pork, no lard, no alcohol” approach, positions it neatly within a growing niche of ramen in Kuala Lumpur that seeks to be both stylistically faithful and more broadly accessible.
While the noodles could use a bit more bite, the broth itself is well balanced, thoughtfully garnished and distinctive enough to stand out in an increasingly crowded ramen scene.
If you’re curious about chicken-based ramen, or simply looking for a bowl that leans rich without becoming overwhelming, Torino Toriko is well worth a visit before its limited run comes to an end.
Torino Toriko
P1-12, Level 4,
Lot 10 Shopping Centre,
50, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
Open daily, 11.30am-10pm
Tel: 03-3010 5529
Facebook: Torino Toriko
Instagram: @torinotoriko_kl
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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*Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.
