KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 – Just under a year ago, we featured Kakiya Umihiko in Solaris Mont Kiara that served fresh Japanese oysters and “Tokyo-Italian” style pasta.
While that concept closed at the tail end of November last year, taking its place is SanKoDo, which specialises in niboshi ramen and is also the first overseas branch of the Niboshi-Kessha group which hails from Aomori, Japan.
Look for the colourful sign out front.
The interior of SanKoDo.
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Apparently SanKoDo is also part of the Sakanaya Umihiko group in Malaysia that operates a restaurant in Lot 10 serving fresh seafood from Japan. Kakiya Umihiko was also one of their outlets.
Niboshi refers to dried sardines or anchovies, which are the base of the broth here.
It’s no secret that KL – and the rest of Malaysia, to some extent – finds itself in the clutches of a ramen scene decades in the making.
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But while tonkotsu and even tsukemen have never been easier to find, lesser-known varieties like niboshi ramen remained elusive, at least until now.
Despite its name, Niboshi Cappuccino Ramen (RM28) does not have any coffee.
Instead, the name refers to the frothy and creamy layer atop the broth, which comes in three levels – the third level is the strongest in niboshi flavour and closest to what one might find in Japan.
However, I found that even the first level pulled no punches in terms of dried anchovy flavour, delivered via the thick and strangely grey-looking broth.
Even so, it allowed the combination of pork and chicken bases which make up the rest of the broth to shine a little more, rounding out the intensely fishy and savoury flavour profile with rich, fatty and slightly sweet notes.
On every table is a small bottle of white vinegar, of which a few drops go a long, long way in keeping the broth from becoming cloying in a piscine manner.
A razor-thin slice of rather ordinary charshu seems to be there for the sake of it, wholly outdone by the sweet, crunchy bamboo shoots and firm, springy noodles.
It’s a delightful bowl, even if a breath mint is in order once you’re finished.
Oyster Ramen is another delightful option with a much porkier broth.
Another great bowl was the Oyster Ramen (RM38). While there is a light cream-coloured splash of froth, the emulsified broth is mainly tan in colour and tastes like an incredibly porky version of what you’ll find in oyster mee sua, without the starch-thickened texture.
The result is a rich, savoury and very sweet broth that’s as filling as it is delicious. A lone but fairly large and plump fresh oyster is reason enough to forgo the twice-forgettable charshu, which ends up just getting in the way.
Jikasei Yaki Gyoza is made in-house.
If you’re still feeling peckish, the Jikasei Yaki Gyoza (RM15) is a good shout.
The wrappers are delicate and nicely crisp on the bottom, and the filling of mince is coarse with plenty of bite as opposed to being an unidentifiable mixture.
Each bite is juicy in a way that suggests they are made in-house, which seems to be the case as indicated by jikasei, which means homemade in Japanese.
Currently, they are running a promotion with Saki Chan, a popular Japanese Youtuber based in Malaysia, where you can order a miso ramen and pork cutlet for RM30. There’s also a chance to score Polaroid photographs of Saki Chan when you order the set. The promotion is valid until March 31.
SanKoDo 三光堂 Solaris Montkiara
16, Jalan Solaris 3, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 11am-3pm, 5.30-10.30pm
Tel: 03-6211 2700
Take note, the signboard on the restaurant reads Restoran Sankodo Aomori.
Facebook: @SankodoSolarisMontKiara
Instagram: @ramensankodo
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
*Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
