Honolu Ramen pop-up in KL
Finding Muslim-friendly ramen in Japan can be a challenge – but not entirely impossible. There are spots like Honolu Ramen, a popular ramen chain with easily accessible branches in Tokyo and Osaka that lets everyone enjoy halal-certified ramen.
If you can’t make it to Japan to slurp up their noodles, we’ve got just the news for you – Honolu Ramen’s pop-up restaurant in KL that’ll be around until 27th July 2025.
We popped by the pop-up to bring you this review on their signature dishes and whether they are worth trying.
Japanese halal ramen chain now in KL
Though just a pop-up at J’s Gate Dining in Lot 10, Honolu Ramen has occupied a comfy space so patrons can dine in without feeling cramped or out of place. A communal table in the middle of the restaurant accommodates around 15 diners at a time, with several four-seater tables to the side – much like another restaurant in the mall’s Japanese eatery hub.
As for food, Honolu Ramen’s halal menu is pretty extensive for a pop-up, with over 10 variations of both shoyu and miso ramen. The halal ramen chain is best known for its rich chicken broth, which is boiled for over eight hours to ensure deep flavours in each sip and slurp.
The food at Honolu Ramen pop-up in KL
Placing an order at Honolu Ramen was a bit of a process for us. Each diner is given a custom sheet to place an order of ramen, with picks of side dishes included. You’ll have to circle your choices and then ring an old-school bell to let the waiter – and the whole restaurant – know that you’re ready to order.
Special Rich Chicken Shoyu Ramen
We went with the Special Rich Chicken Shoyu Ramen (RM25.90), a signature dish on Honolu Ramen’s menu in Japan. In Malaysia, it’s served with deep-fried and simmered chicken, along with halved boiled eggs and beancurd skin, over a bed of chewy, thin noodles swimming in a slightly oily chicken broth.
You can adjust the Strongness of Taste for each ramen order. We went with the light option, but the broth was still slightly salty for us. The chicken toppings are a nice addition, but we recommend eating the fried chicken first as it gets soggy pretty quickly from the soup. Otherwise, fish it out to enjoy it with its crisp skin still intact.
We found the texture of the noodles to be similar to yellow noodles, with a quiet, but present, alkaline taste.
Spicy BBQ Beef Miso Ramen
The Spicy BBQ Beef Miso Ramen (RM33.70) was our next pick from the menu, and a good choice to go with if you like a kick of spice in your ramen.
The broth was fiery red, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as spicy as it looked and had a good balance of spiciness and saltiness. There’s no egg with this ramen, but the minced chicken and beef slices make up for its absence. The beef slices were slightly fatty, but otherwise, a nice switch up from the usual bowls of chicken and pork slices in ramen bowls.
Rich Chicken Japanese Curry
Besides ramen, Honolu Ramen has brought their Rich Chicken Japanese Curry (RM24.70) to Malaysians too.
The chicken was nicely seasoned and deep-fried, with enough crispiness on the outside to hold its own against the curry sauce that had a nice viscous consistency.
Honolu Ramen pop-up in KL till 27th July
The dishes at Honolu Ramen may be on the pricier side for some. But if you’re curious to try out the halal ramen chain for yourself, it’s definitely worth a visit while it’s around in Malaysia.
Address: Lot 10, 50, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11.30am-9pm, Daily (2nd April to 27th July 2025)
Contact: Ramen Honolu Premier Lot10 Instagram
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Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Xinyee, edits by Janet.