Hyper Japan 2013 Special: Bento Ramen

It took some effort to figure out something to write for this entry; my initial reaction was, 'well, what can I really say about the ramen?' and I suppose this says something about the unremarkable nature of it. It's not bad, but it doesn't have any hugely stand-out qualities either.

The soup is based on miso, not MSG-laden packet stock - which is a definite plus - but the flavour of it was rather weak. The few bits of spring onion in there didn't bolster it enough to stop it tasting a bit watery. Points for using real ingredients, but the ramen soup is crucial and should be robust. Despite the humble status of ramen outlets in Japan, ramen chefs take pride in the soup and it plays a large part in the signature of the house.

2 ebi tempuras and 4 fish balls in ramen

The fried fish balls were the flavour highlight, and plump and juicy with a satisfying spring in the texture. The ebi (prawn) tempura was of a decent size and the breadcrumbs held together despite being subjected to the soup for a good few minutes. The noodles were cooked well; soft but firm in texture, slick without being slimy. The problem was, it felt like they were just floating around lost in the watery broth. Even the added ingredients didn't impart enough flavour to make the soup satisfying.

Perhaps the idea was to customise the soup using the available soy sauce, but that shouldn't be at the expense of base flavour. Perhaps the demands of catering for hundreds of patrons at Hyper Japan lowered the standards for the day; but as it stands my experience with Bento Ramen was distinctively mediocre and for £7, I was disappointed.