Shibui Ramen, bringing Japanese umami to Mexico City

Terminal Juárez

, a two-story building in Versailles 88 , in the trendy Juaréz neighborhood , is set to become one of the most attractive gastronomic spots in Mexico City , as it offers food from different parts of the world, in a relaxed atmosphere, and most importantly, at affordable prices.

Among the most out-standing joints inside Terminal Juárez is Shibui Ramen , a concept that brings a Fukuoka Prefecture soul food staple closer to the Mexican palate by Ken Luna a Japanese-Mexican-American cook .

Ramen

—the Japanese soul food that has spread all over the globe—posses five key elements—broth, sauce, noodles, toppings, and oil—that appeal to taste, aroma, texture and aesthetic which in turn derive in a dish both versatile and delicate .

Versatile

as it allows each and every cook to take their own approach to reinvent it, yet so delicate in its creation process that one simple mistake can alter its whole composition .

Ken explains that after having tasted real Ramen in Japan , he was convinced that it was nearly impossible to find true unami in Mexico City. Thus, umami , the fifth taste , a savory flavor difficult to describe and impossible to ignore became Ken’s quest.

He went through several recipes making his own broth and noodles with a try and failure approach until he was satisfied with the result. Then a series of ramen parties helped him save enough money to open his first ramen restaurant.

Ken opened Yatai Ramen , a pop-up food truck located behind Mercado Roma —an indie food marked located in the hipster neighborhood of La Roma —and only a year later the peculiar food truck would become Shibui Ramen .

Shibui Ramen

offers a modest yet well-defined Japanese dining experience featuring traditional dishes— ramen , gohan , gyozas , and kare —and beverages— Ramune , Calpis , Japanese beers , sake , and teas .

Nevertheless, starring in Shibui Ramen’s menu, there is its namesake ramen that takes three days to prepare.

Shibui, a Shoyu and Tonkotsu concoction, is the ultimate meal-in-a-bowl intertwining a savory soy-sauce based clear broth and a porky opaque broth garnished with rich Chashu slices—roasted or braised pork—, Tamago —a decadent simmered egg—, stir-fried bacon, plenty of scallions, Naruto , and Nori . By all means, a dish meat eaters will love!

Overall, Shibui Ramen is a hidden gem to add to your foodie bucket list!

sg