Yuzu Ramen - Siam Square’s Tonkotsu Broth With A Citrusy Twist
Yuzu Ramen’s Siam Square branch, they also have one at Iconsiam
Bangkok’s Siam district is home to Siam Square, a walking street popular with teens and young adults full of trendy shops and vintage paraphernalia. One unmissable restaurant you will come across is Yuzu Ramen, popular for serving up a classic Japanese comfort food with a lime-y sour twist.
The first thing you will notice is the large vibrant 3D billboard showcasing a cheerful Maneki-Neko screaming out the words “ゆずおまかせ” or “Yuzu Omakase” along with various Japanese foods such as sushi, Uni, and ramen in the background.
Despite what the cat is shouting, Yuzu Omakase is not part of Yuzu Ramen, but rather another restaurant owned by the same company situated on the second floor of the same building.
Confusing, I know… But nevertheless, today we will be focusing on Yuzu Ramen, we’ll come back to Yuzu Omakase another day.
So What’s a “Yuzu”?
A quick bit of context before we get into the Yuzu Ramen review.
So what exactly is Yuzu?
Yuzu is a citrus fruit that is cultivated in many regions in South-East Asia. The fruit itself looks like a miniature lemon with a lot more seeds.
The taste is like a combination of lemon and grapefruit and it has a very nice aroma to it.
Yuzu has become a popular trend recently and you can find Yuzu in almost anything nowadays.
From Starbuck’s Yuzu infused Cold Brew. To Yuzu scented soaps and colognes.
Surprisingly, putting Yuzu in Ramen was unheard of, but the brave and innovative chefs at the Yuzu Group are up to the challenge.
Yuzu Ramen’s Menu, More Than Just Ramen…
Dishes are a bit on the expensive side but we’ll see if it’s worth it
For a restaurant named Yuzu Ramen there is a bunch more than just ramen, and that’s a good thing.
Of course, THE must try dish here is a soothing bowl of Ramen, every bowl is a Yuzu based broth and the specifics is up to your choosing. Some basic options available are:
Yuzu Shoyu Ramen - soy sauce based ramen
Spicy Yuzu Tonkotsu Ramen - spicy pork bone broth based ramen
Unfortunately I couldn’t find a Shio option… Some more interesting items are:
Wagyu Mala Ramen - spicy Szechuan spices based ramen
Truffle Shoyu Ramen - truffle based soy sauce ramen
Vegetarian Ramen - soy sauce based vegetarian ramen
Salted Egg Ramen - salted egg yolk based broth
Non Ramen items mainly consists of rice bowls:
A bunch of Sashimi Dons - from mixed sashimi to salmon or tuna rice bowls
Teriyaki Glazed Chashu Don - braised pork glazed with teriyaki sauce over rice
And finally some of the appetizers are:
Kani Miso Yaki - grilled rich crab tomalley paste
Mala Gyoza - steamed dumplings with spicy mala sauce
Fried Chicken Joints - deep fried chicken tendons
Yuzu Sesame Tofu Salad - salad with tofu and yuzu sesame sauce
There are a lot of innovative and interesting dishes to try, and the vegetarian option is also a nice addition!
But what really put me off is the pricing, Ramen is not the cheapest food in Bangkok, but it’s also not the most expensive. But some dishes are ridiculously over-priced for what they are. 790 THB (or 22 USD) for Truffle Ramen? What???
I know truffle is a luxury and all, but even the famous Tsuta (One Michelin Star) has a signature Truffle Ramen for 680 THB (or 19 USD).
Customization Option!
One thing I did not expect was the ability to customize my bowl of ramen!
Once I picked the menu item I wanted the waiter will ask you a few questions:
What kind of noodles do you like?
Do you like your noodles thin or thick? firm? soft? or al dente?
How spicy do you want it to be?
For spicy menu items, there are 4 levels to choose from. Ranges from 25% to 200% spicy, the recommended spice level is 75% which is medium spicy.
That was a pleasant surprise for sure.
Spicy Yuzu Pork Belly Tonkotsu
Look at the fat on that pork belly :O
I was in the mood for something spicy and this immediately caught my eye (to be fair the Mala Ramen also caught my eye but the expensive pricing turned my eye away…).
Big chunks of braised pork belly soaking in that spicy rich pork bone broth. Sprinkled on are some mushrooms, greens, and a little bit of dried chilis.
A little detail that I really like is the Yuzu Ramen branding that they put on their seaweed. That’s a nice and charming touch.
First let me talk about the most important component of a bowl of ramen, the broth. The broth was spicy, of course, but the really interesting thing is the yuzu flavor. I’ll admit, the Yuzu was really weird and almost off putting, for me it felt like the flavors weren’t properly intertwined, like you taste the spicy tonkotsu and the yuzu separately.
Aside from the unfortunately disappointing broth, noodles were nice and al dente, I ordered thin noodles so they hold the broth really well.
The pork belly was my favorite part, fatty, porky, and incredibly soft, so soft that the fat melted in my mouth. This was when I actually appreciated the Yuzu as the sourness helps cut some of the fattiness of the pork belly.
Yuzu Tsukemen
Don’t be fooled, the portions aren’t small, the bowl goes deeper
My partner ordered the Tsukemen, which is a cold dry ramen where the broth is served on the side for you to dip into. The broth is different from normal as it is more concentrated and rich.
All the typical ramen toppings you get from ordering the normal bowl are all present here.
Personally I cannot comment much on this dish as I only had a little taste, my partner said it was so-so.
Taste wise, the Tsukemen dipping broth is a shoyu broth that is more rich and salty, and the yuzu taste is more forward.
If you like rich flavors and a lighter meal then Tsukemen is your go to menu item.
Mala Gyoza
Look at the amount of roasted chili and spices on there!
My partner and I decided to order a side of Mala gyoza, we really enjoy Mala spices and so we were hopeful for these little dumplings.
Mala’s flavor profile is oily, spicy with a fragrance of roasted chili, and most importantly, numbing and peppery form the Szechuan peppercorns.
I got to say, the dumplings themselves were quite tasty with a meaty and juicy filling.
However, the Mala sauce was very disappointing. It was oily sure, maybe a little bit spicy, and not very numbing or peppery.
Very disappointed in this one because the plating and and the abundance of chilis and spices made this look very appealing.
I do however like the little bits of deep fried pork fat sprinkled over, they add a nice crunchy texture.
Conclusion
Pros
Lots of interesting variants of Ramen to try.
Meats are really flavorful and tender, pork belly, chashu, etc…
Some options to customize your bowl of noodles are a plus.
Cons
Some menu items are fairly priced while some can be ridiculously expensive for no apparent reason (Even the 1 Michelin Star Tsuta Ramen is cheaper).
The Yuzu flavor is divisive, not sure if citrus belongs in Ramen.
Some dishes are underwhelming.
Overall I do not recommend you go out of your way to eat at Yuzu Ramen. The food they serve is pretty ok but there is no “wow” factor or anything that makes this stand out from the other Ramen places around Bangkok.
There are a lot of things to like such as the interesting varieties of Ramen to try, the deliciousness of the meat and noodles, and the bonus of being able to customize some aspects of your Ramen.
However, there are also a lot of things to not like, such as the funny pricing and the underwhelming flavors of some dishes. The most disappointing aspect is the Yuzu flavor, some might enjoy it, but I am definitely on the fence about it.
Yuzu Ramen | 6 / 10
Phone: +66 02 086 9659
Location: 9, เลขที่ 258, 10 Siam Square Soi 3, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Pricing: ~300THB (or 10 USD) per bowl of ramen
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