Ramen Taiko Japanese Cuisine @ Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

Having been established since 2003, Ramen Taiko Japanese Cuisine is a restaurant that specialises in Japanese Ramen from a number of major cities in Japan. In the past, they have been featured in a number of TV programs as well as some international magazines. Prior to this, their main market segment had specifically been the Japanese expatriates and it is sometime in early 2012, they had revamped their menu and changed their strategy to open up beyond the Japanese community as there are a great number of Malaysians who love Japanese food. This restaurant is located in Mont Kiara Shoplex, just beside the Police Station. The restaurant would not be clearly visible from the main road and you would need to walk in somewhere behind the Las Vacas Meat Shop to see the entrance to this restaurant. I had always wanted to try this place out but never had the right partner to go along. This is one of those places that I would love to try out a number of dishes and I would surely not be able to do it alone. It is only today that one of my friends called me up and asked me if I am keen for Japanese dinner, and I suggested this place. 

Ramen Taiko Japanese Cuisine in Mont Kiara

Interior of the restaurant

Interior of the Restaurant

The restaurant is generously spacious and is broken down into two sections, smoking and non smoking. The one closer to the entrance is the smoking section and you would need to walk in further to get to the non smoking area. The staffs here are very efficient and friendly. The moment you walk in, you are greeted in Japanese and with a smile which makes you feel very welcome. I could not take much more photos of the interior as I opted for the smoking area which was right after the entrance. Besides the usual table seating, they also have bar style seating for individual diners who would love to dine while working on their laptops. Along this counter, power points are generously provided for customers use.

Ala Carte Menu

Ala Carte Menu

Ala Carte Menu

Ala Carte Menu

Ala Carte Menu

Soft Drinks Menu

Desert Menu

Sake Menu

Set Meals Menu

Set Meals Menu

As far as their menu is concerned, they have provided a great array of options right from the number of dishes to be it Ala Carte or Set Meal options. Their Ala Carte pricing is slightly on the high side but their set meals do look good. I decided to go for a few Ala Carte items and my friend went for a Set Meal and we decided to try everything anyway regardless who ordered what. 

Oolong Tea @ RM 5.00

Ice Lemon Green Tea @ RM 6.90

My friend went for the above can of Oolong Tea and I went for the Ice Lemon Green Tea. I have never heard of this preparation with Green Tea and decided that I must give it a try. It came in those sealed plastic cups and I was informed that they were home made. Taste wise, it was marvelous. It had a very strong Lemon zesty taste to it and was utterly refreshing. I would rate that drink at 9.8/10 . A must try for Ice Lemon Tea lovers!

Ramen Chahan Set @ RM 35.00

My friend went for the above Ramen Chahan set and it comes with a number of items. Definitely much more than what you would normally get in any other Japanese restaurant when you order the sets. This had a huge bowl of Ramen Chahan, a bowl of Fried Rice, Chawan Mushi, three slices of Gyoza's, some Salad, Pickles,  fruits and deserts. I shall be commenting on the main dishes individually. 

Ramen Chahan

Ramen Chahan is one of their signature Ramen's. This is a wholly imported dish and is prepared here. Again, it is not commonly found in other Japanese restaurants. It comes in a light Soy Sauce broth with Noodles, Chashu and a half boiled egg. Just look at the soft yolk of the half boiled egg. Having been soaked in the broth, these eggs tasted wonderful. The broth itself was light and tasted well on the palate. The Chashu was lovely and the noodles were soft and smooth. Overall a very good dish. I would rate this dish at 9.3/10 .

Gyoza

The Gyoza's here are stuffed with Pork and they come in a light skin that holds them together. This may have not been the best Gyoza that I had tasted but still it was good. It would have been better if the amount of fillings were increased and that would have given it a compact feeling without having to taste the empty pockets inside. I would rate these at 8.2/10 .

Chawanmushi

The Chawanmushi tasted good but lacked in terms of other ingredients added into it. For example, it had some mushrooms in it but lacked the key ingredient of Fish Roe. I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Fried Rice

The Fried Rice was heavenly. It was definitely fried in Pork Oil and had loads of lard in it.I have never tasted Pork Fried Rice that was better than this. This dish was addictive. I would rate this at a perfect 10/10 .

Chashu @ RM 14.00

This is one of the Ala Carte dishes that we ordered. Chashu is the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese Char Siew but is prepared in a slightly different manner. Here the cuts were thin but they had a good composition of meat and fat in it making every bite truly delicious. The accompanying sauce had been very well prepared too and together, they made this dish wonderful. I would rate this dish at 9.4/10 .

Buta Kakuni @ RM 25.00

Buta in Japanese means Pork and Kakuni means Belly. Though this was a Japanese preparation, it tasted more Chinese to us. They must have used a  lot of those Chinese Herbs as it gave a taste somewhat like Bak Kut Teh. Nevertheless, the meat cuts were fabulous and it was excellently prepared though it did not seem to have a Japanese touch to it.I would rate this dish at a perfect 10/10 . 

Shisen Tan Tan Men @ RM 22.00

This Shisen Tan Tan Men was the noodles that I had ordered for myself. The base soup was Miso Soup and it had noodles and shredded pork in it. The portion was again humongous and having had all the previous dishes, I could not finish it. Though the broth looks spicy, it was nowhere near that and would be suitable to many who can't take spicy dishes. Nevertheless, it was nice although personally I feel that the Ramen Chahan was better. I would rate this dish at 7.8/10 .

Opening Hours

Overall, this is definitely a good Japanese restaurant where you get authentic food and excellent Ramen. The prices are slightly on the steep side but it is highly recommended that you go for the set meals which is very much worth it bearing in mind the number of variety and quantity you get. For poor eaters, I think one set would be good for two. I would definitely return to this restaurant some time in the future to try out their other dishes and perhaps in a larger group. 

Address: 15-0-2A, 2B & 2C, Mont Kiara Shoplex, Jalan Kiara,

                Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 2096 1822

Opening Hours: 1130 - 1500 (Last Order at 1430)

                           1800 - 2300 (Last Order at 2230)

                           Open Daily

Email: ramentaiko@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RamenTaiko