A chilled-out ramen restaurant in Antwerp

#summerdream Umamido, a restaurant whose name means “The Way of the Savoury”, is a Belgian ramen restaurant with branches in several cities, including Antwerp. For us, coming to try ramen in a foreign country outside of Asia not only helps us satisfy our cravings and miss it, but also gives us a new and strange experience in the East meets West style, which is a combination of the food cultures of the two hemispheres. For example, Umamido focuses on serious ramen expertise, with the soup simmering for 24-48 hours. But in terms of taste, the restaurant clearly states that it is Japanese Flavours with a Local Twist, which is quite interesting. 🏠 Location / Atmosphere This restaurant may not be in the center of major tourist attractions in the city, but it is within walking distance. There is public transportation, a large parking lot nearby, and it is next to The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp – which collects Paul Rubens’s works as a large collection. It is considered a pretty good location. The atmosphere inside the restaurant looks chic and has a design, mainly decorated with wood, using a clean white tone. There are line drawings painted on the walls and fresh flowers on every table. It looks a bit feminine. Overall, it gives a relaxing feeling, like a café. 🍽 Menu ordered to try ➡️ Gyoza – It is chicken dumplings, served hot, 6 pieces, slightly burnt but not bitter. The filling is tightly packed. The sauce tastes like the original Japanese style, except for the lack of chili oil to add. Overall, it is delicious. I like it. ➡️ Tonkotsu Ramen – The ramen here is a big bowl with full toppings. The pork is arranged in a sheet, there is a soft-boiled egg, bean sprouts, vegetables, and strangely, a lot of edamame. It looks worth the price. The ramen noodles are big and chewy. What surprised me was that the soup looked very thick. At first glance, I thought that if it was real Tonkotsu soup that was simmered this thick, it would be greasy and heavy. It turned out that when I tried it, I was surprised. The soup is not thick and sticky from animal fat like the original ramen recipe. Instead, it tastes like ramen soup mixed with the smell of Western cream soup. It has a slight milky smell and a sesame aroma. In conclusion, what looks white and thick is partly due to the addition of cream. Although it is different from the familiar taste, it is delicious. The taste is well-blended and has a unique identity. I like it. ➡️ Kara Miso Ramen – The shop's most popular menu with many rave reviews, so I had to order it to try. The shop said that the miso they use is imported directly from Hokkaido. It is seasoned with a little spiciness to enhance the flavor. They add both pork and vegetables. They also have a soft-boiled egg, just like the previous bowl. When I tried it, I felt that the body of the soup was not very strong. Therefore, it did not balance with the smell and flavor of the miso, which was quite prominent and overpowered the taste of the soup. For me, it was average and edible, but I liked the previous bowl much more. I think this menu is popular because it appeals to health-conscious Westerners who do not like thick, oily soup. Plus, it's good that they put a lot of vegetables in it. ➡️ Mochi Ice Cream – Mochi with ice cream filling. On the day I went, it was blueberry, mango, and green tea flavors. It was cut into bite-sized pieces and arranged beautifully on a plate. The ice cream was just as I wanted. The texture was smooth and firm, the flavor was distinct, refreshing, and very satisfying. What was strange was that the mochi dough, although soft and chewy, was more viscous than the authentic Japanese kind, which is softer and smoother. (When I ate this, I thought of Jolly Bear cookies, but they were softer.) Actually, I liked the classic dough more, but since the ice cream was so good, I was still happy. ● Home-made Iced Tea (4 euros) – This is a homemade drink made by the shop. When I tried it, I could smell the fragrant iced tea with a hint of roselle. The taste was a little sour and sweet, very delicious. It was outstandingly good, just as the shop was proud to present. Overall, even though the taste is not authentic Japanese ramen, the shop was able to combine flavors well. It's a unique taste that is delicious and requires serious skill. If you visit that area, you should try it.