What: Showaken Tokyo Shitamachi Ramen
In a nutshell: Retro style ramen bar at the Japan Centre
Summing it all up: London's first Showaken ramen bar is now open at the Japan Centre's Panton Street location, serving up special ramens with a retro-style vibe.
The low-down
London's ramen fans have a new place to try out from this week. At their flagship store just off Leicester Square, Japan Centre has opened what they say is the city's first Showaken ramen bar.
What, you might well ask, exactly is a Showaken restaurant? Well apparently a lot of it's about the retro vibes - the name refers to Tokyo's Showa period spanning the reign of Emperor Hirohito, from 1926 to 1989. So the London one harks back to 1970s Tokyo with all red lacquer tables and seats and a window counter with space for 23 noodle slurpers.
Set on the ground floor of the centre as you come in, the bar will be serving up a choice of their signature Tokyo, Hokkaido and vegetarian ramens, all made using a lighter broth.
The key Showaken Ramen has a soy and chicken broth with char siu bbq pork belly, nitamago Burford Brown egg, nori seaweed, Chinese cabbage, menma bamboo shoots and a naruto fish cake. There's also a Showaken Miso Ramen with miso and chicken broth, char siu bbq pork belly, minced pork, nitamago Burford Brown egg, spring onion, white cabbage, corn, nori seaweed, menma bamboo shoots, beansprouts and butter.
The Showaken ramen bar boasts typical Showa era décor, featuring retro signage, a striking colour scheme and a 23-seater window counter – which is sure to attract hungry passers-by with its avant-garde design.
More about Showaken Tokyo Shitamachi Ramen
Where is it? Japan Centre, 35b Panton St, London SW1Y 4EA
When does it open? Already open at lunchtimes
Soft launch offer: On the official opening day - 16 January - it'll be just £6.99 for all ramen dishes, 12pm – 3pm & 5pm – 9:30pm
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Twitter @japancentre.
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