This week I was in Ghent (Belgium) for work and wanted to try out a very new ramen (Japanese noodles in soup broth) that was recommended to me by a friend. From what I understand, the place is only about half a year old at the time of this writing, and run by someone who has a keen interest in both food and drinks (especially cocktails). So, it was all quite intriguing, and this is my @tasteem review of the restaurant!

The Space

As you can see, the restaurant is pretty non-descript from the outside. I’m not even sure that they had a proper sign up yet! It is also in an area of town that is outside the usual trails of the tourist crowd, but despite this, it seemed to have some healthy customer traffic.

This “chalked” message on the front glass door is perhaps the only indication to the outside world that you have the right place! However, the décor is pretty pinkish, so that would be another thing that would catch your eye. From the front, you can see easily the cocktail bar area, something that I didn’t have the pleasure of trying this time…

There are a few seating opportunities downstairs, but there are more seating places upstairs. Upstairs is much nicer, as there is less chill from the wind blowing in when the front door opens.

The tables and décor is very simple and basic. I’m not sure if it is a hip thing, or if it really is a concept of function over style! Or maybe that is the new style?

This is the view from upstairs where we were seated. As you can see there is quite a fair bit of seating downstairs, its just that in winter, it is much more cosy upstairs!

Open kitchen? CHECK! This is the preparation area for the Ramen and the cocktails. Interestingly enough, the staff are not Japanese, which is usually a bad sign for Japanese food, but in this case it was not a disaster!

The Menu

The menu is pretty simple, there is a good selection of ramen and soups with a few small appetisers and desserts. This is the best approach for menus, small selection done well!

There is also a nice selection of interesting beers and wines. In the end, I had the Pony’s beer from the tap, and it was quite a decent one for a tap beer!

The other highlight of the place is the cocktail menu. Some very interesting concoctions are on offer here, and as the owner seems to have had some background in cocktail making, it would be nice to try this part of the menu out if you have the time!

The Food

I ended up settling on the Miso Ramen, I pretty much order this every time I visit a Ramen shop (a bit like my duck fetish!). There are three parts to a great ramen, the broth, the noddles and the additions.

I have to say, this was pretty decent! The broth was perfect, not too salty but with good taste and the additions were pretty decent. The egg, the mushrooms and the greens were perfect with great taste, however I have to say the pork was pretty disappointing.

So, that just leaves the ramen. It was okay, I found that it was a touch overcooked with a onsistency that wasn’t quite right. Not terrible, but not the best.

Well, who could pass up the idea of a Miso Brownie? I guess it follows the similar principle as salted caramel, with the saltiness of the miso emphasising and combining with the sweetness of the chocolate? In the end, it was quite tasty even if it was a touch strange. Perhaps a bit too salty, but I could see that it would work, perhaps In a slightly different balance of salty and sweet.

The Experience

The staff were really very friendly, and the service was very quick. The beer on tap and that was featured was really very good, and I’m told that the cocktails were also excellent. The ramen (the main event) was quite good, although with a few small tweaks I would say it would be one of the best that I’ve had. Even as is, it was one of the best that I’ve had in Europe.
Prices were a touch expensive, but the place is a great stop for a cosy and warm winter meal. Highly recommended!

Opening Times

Monday Closed
Tuesday 6–10pm
Wednesday 6–10pm
Thursday 6–10pm
Friday 6–10pm
Saturday 6–10pm
Sunday Closed

Contact Details

Address: Dampoortstraat 11, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Phone: +32 9 329 37 01
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.goldengai.be/

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