Ramen Lisboa
A guide to the thick broths and fatty chashus of Lisbon
I spent last week debating what ImmigrantFoodie’s very first newsletter should cover. I reflected on which videos have performed the best since the creation of the Instagram, and it became apparent that ramen joints have been the lifeblood of my operation. I’ve always been a ramen-fiend. Tsujita Artisan Noodles was the gold standard for me in Los Angeles, and God knows I devoured bowls upon bowls during my 2015 Tokyo vacation.
I didn’t expect Portugal to have a blossoming ramen scene, but as I learned more about the country’s unsurprising love for pork (and the surprising weeaboo community) it became a bit of a no-brainer. Any country with anime expos and a taste for pig will inevitably find the holy grail of a tonkotsu.
Even though I’ve reviewed a ton of ramen joints, I am constantly asked what the best ramen in town is. I don’t blame anyone for asking (Instagram doesn’t provide any filters for my videos, after all), so here are my favorite ramen joints in town… For now!
1. Tonkotsu Ramen - By Gojuu
If you held a gun to my head and made me pick the best ramen in town, I’d probably have to go with Tonkotsu. There’s just something about the broth viscosity, the density of the noodles, and the flavor of the chashu that makes this Lisbon’s crown jewel. Of course, ramen is subjective, and all spots on this list have something that they do better than the competition, but Tonkotsu might be the best overall ramen.
Promo: Free sake for every member of the table! Offer ends Nov 17th.
2. Ramen House Aska
If you’re a hardcore cinephile like me, you’ve probably seen Juzo Itami’s masterpiece, Tampopo, a charming Japanese “spaghetti-western” about a woman’s quest to open a ramen shop in a dead-end town. Aska is the real-life embodiment Nobuko Miyamoto’s leading lady; a radiant ball of energy who whips up masterful ramen in a closet-sized eatery. This is what I want a ramen spot to feel like: Small, intimate, and cozy.
3. Koppu Ramen
Koppu offers up great tea and some scrumptious appetizers, but it’s their soup that has me coming back. The team here whip up exceptional 16-hour broths that can rival the very best in town. There’s also something to be said about Koppu’s vibe, which feels more like a proper restaurant than a cheap eatery. If you find yourself heading to Principe Real for a night of drinking, pit-stop here.
Promo: One portion of free edamame for two people! Offer ends Nov 17th.
4. Ajitama
There’s no denying that Ajitama is the most beautifully designed ramen spot in town. Its Alecrim location is an interior architects wet dream, full of creative flourishes and a beautiful wooden frame that emulates the shape of an egg sitting in a broth. Of course the food is great, too, and if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, I’d argue that their tantanmen is among the very best bowls in town.
Promo: One portion of free gyozas (meat or veggie) for two people! Offer ends Nov 17th.
5. Real Honda’s Ramen
I usually consider it a red flag when a ramen spot has a large Izakaya menu, but Real Honda’s Ramen is the exception to the rule! I love going here, not only for the affordably-priced ramen (this might be the best chashu in town), but also for the fried rice and katsu. Of all the eats on this list, this is my go-to munchies spot; simple, delicious, and always busy; crowds make ramen taste better, after all.
Honorable Mention: Formosa
I wanted to keep this list to a top 5, and I’m sure half of you are already screaming at me for not including Panda Cantina, but I wanted this list to primarily focus on Japanese Ramen, not Chinese Ramen. That said, I also felt like a fool omitting Formosa, which has quickly become the Asian spot I visit most frequently. Their Taiwanese beef soup is light and, dare I say, superior to Panda Cantina!
Promo: One portion of free gyozas (meat or veggie) for two people! Offer ends Nov 17th.
Looking for free alcohol before and after meals?
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See you at the next bar?!
ImmigrantFilm’s movie of the week:
Since I’m a heavyweight cinephile, this newsletter will also spotlight my favorite film that I watched in the last seven days.
This weeks pick is David Fincher’s latest outing, The Killer, a cold, calculated, and clinically sterile modernization of Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 classic, Le Samourai. Starring Lisbon local Michael Fassbender in a viscerally physical performance, The Killer might be “lesser Fincher” in the same way that The Hateful 8 is “lesser Tarantino”, but that still means it’s among the year’s most impressive outings. There’s an autobiographical humor to this film that cheekily mirrors Fincher’s own perfectionism as a filmmaker. I got a chance to see it in the cinema at Colombo mall, and since Fincher is such an ostentatious artist I do recommend seeing this on a big screen with a great sound system, but for those of you waiting for a home release, fear not, the film is on Netflix starting today!
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Thank you for reading!