With branches in Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Canada and Malaysia, Marutama Ramen is famous for serving tori paitan (creamy chicken broth). In fact, they proudly proclaim themselves as the pioneer for chicken soup ramen in Japan. But unlike other chicken ramen establishments in Selangor e.g. Ramen Seirock-ya @ Uptown, this is a non-Halal establishment as they serve their ramen with pork Char Siu.
The shop is conveniently located within Empire Gallery Subang so parking isn't an issue at all.
Upon arrival, the servers efficiently seated us and handed us their menu. There are 17 variations of their chicken broth ramen alongside a decent selection of add ons and side dishes.
The place was half packed during dinnertime but our food arrived within a quick 5 minutes.
Let's makan!
Ajitsuke Tamago Ramen (4.5/5)
Just look at the glorious bowl of "liquid gold".
Fun fact: To prepare two bowls of soup, ONE WHOLE CHICKEN is used - this stuff packs a ton of chicken-y goodness! While it's not as heavy as tonkotsu, the broth is still deliciously rich and full of collagen.
The homemade Hakata-styled ramen noodle is wavy and thin. It pairs well with the flavourful broth, particularly when cooked perfectly to retain its springiness.
As for the smoky Char Siu, it was fatty without being cloying. I also love the delicately crunchy sea laver (Aosa) topping. It adds a yummy tinge of saltiness to enhance the flavours of the chicken broth. So far, I've not come across this topping in other ramen establishments in Malaysia.
I forgot to snap a photo of the inside of the ramen egg (Ajisuke Tamago or shortened as Ajitama) but it was beautifully golden and creamy! If you're not a fan of ramen eggs, you can opt to order their Original Marutama Ramen (RM25.50) served without the egg.
Aosa Ramen with Kakuni Add-On (4/5)
This bowl of ramen comes with extra sea laver and we added a serving of braised pork belly (Kakuni). Despite my love of the sea laver topping, this quantity added too much saltiness to the soup for my liking - more is not always better!
If you don't mind some extra calories, do try the Kakuni! It was melt-in-your-mouth tender and highly aromatic after hours of braising. The flavours perfectly complement the springy noodles and creamy chicken broth.
Tan-men Char Siu Ramen (3.5/5)
Unfortunately, we ended up enjoying this the least. The six types of vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions, bean sprouts, spring onion, and cloud ear mushrooms) gave the dish a refreshing crunch but watered down the broth. But this would be a good option if you prefer your ramen lighter with a generous side of vegetables.
Overall, we had a satisfying ramen dinner. The collagen-rich chicken broth is the best I've enjoyed in Malaysia so far - full-bodied, creamy and oh-so-yummy. I'd recommend ordering their basic bowl of Marutama Ramen (with an Ajitama) to savour the beauty of their broth fully. If you're a big eater, worth trying their decadent Kakuni as well. Make sure to add this to your list of Ramen places to try!
Sabbylicious Makan Rating
Food : 4/5
Price : 4/5
Environment : 3/5
Service : 3.5/5
Must order : Marutama Ra-men
Operating Hours Open Daily (10:30am–9:30pm)
Location
Marutama Ramen, Empire Gallery Subang, Ss 16, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.