Gastronomy in Curitiba: 5 restaurants to eat ramen in the city

There is no cold that can resist a ramen (or ramen) very hot, able to warm the stomach and the soul. This month’s column brings options for all tastes and pockets, and even vegetarian and vegan options, from where to eat the dish in Curitiba .

If you still don’t know this dish of Chinese origin and which has become traditional in Japan too, the time has come: all these houses serve bowls full of broth, noodles and lots, but lots of flavor.

Ichimon

The small door with a long counter in front of Praça 29 de Março, was opened in early 2020 by chefs and partners Hugo Kazuo Matsubara and Thomaz Lemes de Resende. The duo learned all the ramen technique by cooking alongside the Japanese chef Matsui Kazuyuki .

The dough, soft and elastic, is one of the best I’ve ever had, and it’s made by hand every day. The broths take hours, sometimes days, to be ready.

The house serves ramen with tonkotsu broth, made with pork and chicken, in the versions shio lamen, shoyu lamen, miso lamen and karamisso lamen, with a spicy paste (R$42 to R$46).

The flagship of the house, and my favorite too, is the Tonkotsu Shio Lamen (R$42), which is seasoned with salt sauce, enhancing the delicate flavor of the ramen. The broth is dense, tasty, almost chewy, like you could eat alone. It accompanies Ajitama (marinated egg), chashu (loin cup), nori (seaweed leaf), chives, chives aromatic oil, garlic paste and house pasta.

There is also a vegan ramen, which has a vegetable-based broth, cream of mushrooms and miso (R$42).

Service is on a first-come, first-served basis and, as there are few places, the place fills up quickly, so plan to arrive early.

Rua Martim Afonso, 855 – Mercês, Curitiba – PR / Open from Tuesday to Friday from 6pm to 10pm, Saturday from 12pm to 2pm and from 5pm to 8pm. Does not accept reservation.

Ippai Ramen

Opened in April of this year and run by Gerson Suzuki a chef trained at the Rajuku Ramen School, in Japan, whose flagship is ramen and in a few months it has already become a fever in the city, not only for the taste of the dishes, but also for the colorful and impeccable presentation of the preparations.

There are 11 types of ramen on the menu (R$39 to R$50), which can have a lighter or thicker broth.

Tonkotsu Black Oil has a creamy pork-based broth with lots of collagen, black garlic oil, slices of slow-cooked pork belly, hanjuku tamago (boiled egg divinely seasoned with soft yolk in a state of perfection), naruto (fish dough ), nori (seaweed leaf), moyashi, pickled ginger, seasoned bamboo shoots and chives.

The pasta, which is a little more consistent, is also made at home, using only wheat flour, salt and kansui, an alkaline water that gives the pasta its elasticity.

Vegetarians have the option of ramen with seaweed and vegetable broth, with vegetable and mushroom toppings and soy sauce or miso sauce (both R$50).

The house also has the largest list of imported Japanese drinks in the city. The service is also done on a first-come, first-served basis, and tables are crowded, especially on weekends.

Alameda Dr. Carlos de Carvalho, 1011 – Batel, Curitiba – PR / Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm to 10pm. Does not accept reservation.

Fujii Japanese Cuisine

For 18 years at the Mercado Municipal de Curitiba, the place, which is now led by the chef Vinicius Fujii has become a mandatory stop for lovers of Japanese cuisine.

The house is a reference in cold preparations, due to the very high quality of the fish and Vinicius’ refined technique, but it also serves 2 ramen options, the Lamen Shoyu and the Lamen Tonkotsu Misô (both R$49).

Lamen Shoyu has a lighter broth based on fish and vegetables, while Lamen Tonkotsu Miso has a thick, umami broth made with pork bones, cooked for 24 hours and seasoned with miso sauce.

Complements include thin noodles, sliced ​​pork belly that melts in your mouth, soft-boiled egg, sliced ​​golden garlic, bok choy (Chinese cabbage), sesame, chives and nori seaweed.

Curitiba Municipal Market – Av. Sete de Setembro, 1865 – Box 194 – Centro, Curitiba – PR / Phone: (41) 3114-8393 / Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 11:30 am to 3 pm.

Oishi Ramen Bar

It was the first Ramen Bar in the city, initially at another address, and today it operates in a small space almost on the corner of Rua Carlos de Carvalho.

It offers 5 ramen options (R$38.80 to R$42.90) with the tonkotsu-based broth – Miso, Shoyu, Shio, Chilli and the flagship Butter Corn Lamen (R$41.90).

Butter Corn Lamen is a mix of miso, bean sprouts, chashu (sealed and marinated pork), ajitsuke tamago (boiled and marinated egg), buttered corn, chives, toasted sesame and nori seaweed. Thick broth, with just the right amount of salt, and corn with butter complete the dish’s greasiness.

There is also a vegetarian option, Veg Mushroon Lamen, which has a vegetarian broth seasoned with miso and noodles with a mix of mushrooms, tofu, fried garlic chard, bean sprouts and nori (R$41.90). If you want the vegan dish, just ask.

Cap Street Souza Franco, 173 – Batel, Curitiba – PR / Telephone (41) 3077-4460 / Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm to 11pm.

Dona Ai Japanese Home Cooking

Homemade Japanese food restaurant, mainly hot dishes, located in a wooden house in Campina de Siqueira.

It offers the following ramen options: Shoyu, Miso, Shio, Tonkotosu, Kara Kara (spicy) and Ton Ton (with breaded pork loin). Prices start at between R$25 and R$53, depending on the size chosen and the extras. There is also the Bikkuri Lamen, which is equivalent to the size of 3 ramen.

The broth is a little less thick, but flavorful. The dough is homemade and has a good consistency.

Rua Ferdinando Darif, 583 – Campina do Siqueira, Curitiba – PR / Phone: (41) 3156-1881 and (41) 992081881 / Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 am to 2 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm.

About Caroline Grimm