Amsterdam’s Red Light District. For many locals, this is a place to avoid at all costs. Drunken tourists claiming the narrow streets, bike taxis swindling its passengers and on every corner a shop with either Nutella waffles or sex toys. Nothing comforting and tasteful about that. But hidden in a seemingly small basement, there’s something that is exactly that. Here, you can find Ramen-Ya: the perfect place to settle down when you’re looking for some quick heartwarming comfort in the form of homemade ramen. A ‘quicky’ will get a whole new meaning.
Once you found the tiny stairs of Ramen-Ya (which basically means ‘noodle soup house’) you immediately get a peek inside the kitchen filled with large pots of broth and a noodle-making machine. Because yes, everything here is homemade. The different broths are rich, flavorful and almost milky, while the homemade noodles are stretchy with a perfect bite. My favorite ramen here is not the classic tonkotsu, but the sesame chicken. The creamy chicken broth is topped with chicken charsiu, a beautiful soft-boiled egg, wood ear mushrooms, spring onions, nori and sesame seeds. Perfection.
So, if you’re hungry and in the neighborhood, you can have a steaming bowl of ramen in front of you within 5 minutes. After another 10 minutes of slurping and making a bunch of ‘hmm’ noises, you’ll be out the door and ready to face the busy streets again. The only quicky you’ll ever need.
Find your way with 153 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
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153 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
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✓ 153 Insider Tips