Invincible Ramen 无敌家: Beijing’s Best Ramen

Standard Ramen RMB 35

Japan is the undisputed King of the best Ramen worldwide, but if you are living in Beijing - Invincible Ramen无敌家 is your closest bet to traditional Kyushu-style ramen noodle soup.

Their fresh noodles and soup is what sets Invincible Ramen apart from other Japanese ramen chains – their simmering pork broth is both incredibly thick and flavorful, slowly cooked for hours on end.

Depending on the ingredients you would like in your ramen (ranging from vegetarian to extra eggs or meat), Invincible Ramen’s choices of ramen dishes run from RMB 28-45 – a steal compared to what you’d normally pay in Japan for the same dish.  The pork ramen (RMB 38) comes with steamed greens, seaweed, bamboo, bean sprouts, tender pork slices and a halved boiled egg with a creamy bright yellow yolk.

A few other noteworthy dishes: stir-fry bean sprouts (RMB 28), Jiaozi (RMB 18) and steamed egg tomago (RMB 23).  They also offer sushi rolls ranging from RMB 55-98, but I really wouldn’t bother.  Stick to what’s their specialty – if 1 order of their ramen isn’t enough, order a second.

Located on the second floor of a building opposite KFC on Xiaoyun Lu, Invincible Ramen is set in a cozy, intimate setting with a 2 separate rooms and one open kitchen with giant ramen pots of simmering pork broth.

Review of Invincible Ramen 无敌家: Across from KFC on Xiaoyun Lu 朝阳区霄云路32号2楼(KFC对面), Tel: +86 10 64677688 / 64672988

Best Part:

• Best place in Beijing for traditional Kyushu-style Japanese ramen

• Cozy atmosphere, a perfect place to warm you up this winter
• Prices are very reasonable, great value

Comments:

• While they offer a pretty extensive menu, stick with their ramen, it’s by far the best thing on their menu.
• It’s not the easiest place to spot on Xiaoyun lu, so just keep your eye out for hanging red Japanese lamps on the second floor.
• As with many of the world’s yummiest things to eat, Japanese ramen is a gluttonous indulgence (I think I packed on an extra 5 kilos after eating ramen 2 nights in a row last time I was in Tokyo), so as delicious as it is, you probably should not make this a regular dining destination (for the sake of both your arteries and physique).

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 6
• Overall Experience: 7