Yokocho. We went to check out Tiago Penão's new ramen restaurant and we're already thinking about a second visit

There's no doubt that Lisbon has already surrendered to ramen. In recent years, more and more restaurants dedicated to this Japanese dish have been popping up, but Tiago Penão believes there's still room for improvement. That's precisely what the chef wants to explore at Yokocho Ramen, his new restaurant in Praça das Flores, where the bowl of ramen is the true and only star.

After Kappo and Izakaya, Tiago Penão is now betting on a more specialized and relaxed concept. The idea had been brewing for some time, largely due to the chef's fondness for ramen, and now it arrives in Lisbon with a short menu: four fixed options and a special ramen that changes every week.

“Lisbon has been invaded by ramen, and there’s room to improve ramen in Portugal,” begins Tiago Penão, in an interview with journalists during a visit to Yokocho Ramen. The chef compares this popularization of the dish to other trends that have swept the country, such as Chinese restaurants, and believes that this is just another “wave” that has taken hold in Portugal.

Given this scenario, Tiago Penão believes there is room for improvement and says he has a simple mission. “Our main goal is to evangelize people in the religion of ramen. We want people, when they sit down here to eat ramen, to say that, after all, they had never eaten ramen before, just as often happens when people sit down and say, ‘okay, after all, I’ve never eaten sushi.’ And that’s the same thing we want to do,” he says.

But what makes Yokocho's ramen so different?

Yokocho is a ramen-ya, that is, a house specializing in ramen, where each element of the bowl, from the noodles to the broth, from the tare sauce to the aromatic oil and the toppings and noodles, has a function, and it is precisely this combination of five elements that makes a good ramen. "It seems like a very simple thing in the end, but combining the five in a way that works and is good, there's a lot to say for it," explains the chef.

At Yokocho, the ramen follows the Tokyo style. What does that mean? "It's the way we make the broths, the noodles themselves; they're more elegant and not so rough. There are areas of Japan where it's very intensely flavorful, strong and spicy, and in Tokyo it's cleaner and more elegant," he explains.

The menu is short and consists of four fixed ramen options, including the shoyu chintan (€19.50) and the shio chintan (€19), two interpretations based on chintan, a clear Japanese broth made from poultry, one soy-based and the other salt-based, respectively. MAGG tried the shoyu chintan, a lighter Tokyo classic, made with soy – and it was delicious, but let's go into more detail later.

If you prefer something more colorful, you should order the tori paitan (€20), which is a ramen with emulsified poultry broth, a bit creamier and milkier. The Tonkotsu (€21) is the only one not originally from Tokyo, but they make a version adapted to that city, with pork, making it the most robust on the menu. There's also a fifth ramen option that rotates weekly, and the idea is to showcase ramens specific to certain areas of Japan.

How was our experience?

Before the ramen, we started our meal with four delicious appetizers. The first was nikuman (€9), a creamy and indulgent Japanese sweet dough ball filled with pork belly in a gelatinous broth. This was followed by karaage (€10), which is chicken marinated with soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, and mayonnaise – a real treat. We also tried spicy menma (€6), bamboo shoots cooked in chicken broth and Japanese spices, with a very interesting and different texture than what we're used to. Finally, we finished with a classic that never fails: pork gyozas (€10), which were delicious. Which was our favorite? Without a doubt, the nikuman and the karaage take the gold and silver.

After the appetizers, we moved on to the most anticipated part of the experience, the ramen. We ate the shoyu chintan (€19.50) with a clear Japanese broth made from poultry and soy, and we can say that it has everything a good and comforting ramen should have: great sauce, creamy noodles, the classic delicious ajitama egg, a gyoza to complement the dish, and meat that was cooked to perfection.

Finally, we had two desserts. We started with a version of a "beijinho," a sweet treat with mochi dough on the outside, filled with condensed milk and coconut, and a strawberry (€6), which turned out to be a real treat where the condensed milk flavor stood out and was eventually balanced by the fruit's taste. We also tried the purin (€6), a lighter, less sweet Japanese pudding with honey on top and a touch of Madagascar vanilla, which left our stomachs rumbling. The menu also includes other desserts, hakkaido (€8), a handcrafted sundae-style ice cream typical of Hokkaido, a region known for its dairy products. The ice cream cone is made of cat's tongue (a type of cookie).

See what you can eat.

Our meal was accompanied by sake, which was a perfect fit – and we must say that we weren't fans of this drink, something that changed with our visit to Yokocho Ramen. The sake came in a cup inside a wooden masu, a traditional Japanese square vessel, and was served until it overflowed. This gesture may seem strange at first glance, but in reality it is a symbol of hospitality towards guests, symbolizing prosperity and good wishes for the recipient, serving as a sign of respect.

The verdict? We just left Yokocho Ramen and we're already thinking about going back. It's a relaxed restaurant, in the style of Kappo and Izakaya, and ideal for enjoying a good comfort meal that follows Japanese tradition. With around 40 seats, including tables and a counter, a completely open kitchen, and a dining area inspired by contemporary Japanese urban culture, this is a space that has managed to bring a little bit of Tokyo to Lisbon.

Yokocho Ramen is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 6:30 PM to midnight, and in the future will also serve lunch starting at noon and will be open every day. During our visit to Yokocho Ramen, Tiago Penão confirmed that he will open a new restaurant next year, bringing another Japanese concept. But before that, the chef will travel to Japan, a trip that will also result in a documentary.