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A snug little joint away from the mayhem of Elephant & Castle, Koi Ramen is a hip space with fashionable industrial vibes. Staff are charming and extremely helpful, too. As for the food, it’s a mixed bag. Ironically, the star creation was not the ramen, but a dish of chicken gyoza: fried crisp on one side, juicy and well-filled.
But on to the eponymous soup. A bowl of tonkotsu pork ramen was the best of a very average bunch. The noodles had a bit of bite and there was a nice spread of garnishes, from pickled ginger to earthy black mini-mushrooms. The broth was creamy to an extent, but ultimately low on the necessary richness.
The other two bowls were similar, with the broths also lacking that much-needed depth of flavour. Plus, the noodles in both were too soft. The mellow miso version with tofu was particularly disappointing: there was barely any flavour to the soup, while the bean curd was painfully bland.
Still, the warm service, stylish decor and cheap price tags – it’s £7 for any bowl of eat-in ramen at lunchtime – are big plus points. A handy lunch spot for workers in the area.