No doubt this is a bomb ramen in Aldgate - service was excellent! Lost 2 star because the owner was constantly yelling at his servers and workers when not necessary... chill vibe that was ruined by unkind owners. Will be back but hope they are not there. read more

Koi Ramen Bar - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL

Really cozy and cool ramen bar. Limited menu but that's all you need. Perfect tonkastu for a rainy chilly night, service was very quick and bellies full read more

Koi Ramen Bar - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL

Coming from Malaysia, I'm a great fan of street food - the smells, flavours and outdoorsy ambiance all adds to the fun of eating alfresco I'm so glad to see the ramen revolution sweeping London the last few years and even international chains like Ippudo have set up shop in London with their large glittery operations I was therefore excited to see an advert for Koi ramen, which has been taking ramen literally back to the street in Brixton and Brick Lane. I did have a little trouble locating their exact patch of street in Brixton but a quick phonecall and I was instructed to turn left out of Brixton Underground station, take the second turning on the right and look for the stall with the pretty girl in front of it This cheeky friendly service continued throughout my meal. The proprietor came back from Singapore to set up this venture, driven to make the ramen he would like to eat. They offer a 20 hour pork tonkotsu broth for the meat eaters and a yellow miso version for vegetarians My tonkotsu version came with noodles, 2 slices of pork belly blowtorched for more charcoal flavour, cloud ear fungus and spring onion. I added half an egg for 50p. My enjoyment of ramen is based mainly on the quality of the soup - Koi's version had the requisite depth and complexity and a smooth roundedness similar to Kanada Ya's rather than the powerful milkiness of Bone Daddies. I drunk all of mine You have to bear in mind that Koi ramen costs £5, half of their competitors. So, don't come expecting handmade noodles and it will be served in a takeaway style container. There are some tables and stools set up and sone DIY condiments available After a year's trading, they're set to move imminently into a more permanent location just down the road from their current pitch. If I can persuade fellow Yelpers to venture south of the river, thus could be the next target for the Yelp Ramen Club read more

See all

The look of Koi shouted Japan to me all over. It's how ramen represents itself in Japan, a fast food dish catered for students and salary men, usually served in a stall along underground passage ways and surrounding areas with only a few seats, sometimes only a stand up only bar. Koi had that look to it, except instead of being served in a bowl it was served in a large paper cup instead. I wanted to love it but sadly the food itself let me down. We chose both the ramen variety, mellow miso vegetarian ramen (£6.00) and pure white tonkotsu ramen (£6.00) adding half an egg to both (50p each) , then along with that, a full set of gyoza for £4.00. We both found the miso ramen slightly bizarre. It had a slight sourness vinegary flavour in it that tasted nothing like miso. It tasted like ones you pick off the shelf at 'EAT' which was not awful but just not what we were after. The crunchier vegetables did not balance well with the softer noodles and became overpowering. It was a shame as the noodles was the only thing that did it justice. The tonkotsu lacked depth and flavour. It definitely does not compete with the more popular ramen joints out there such as Shoryu and Bone Daddies. The noodles were nice though. I was more able to enjoy the bounciness of the noodles along with the nice slice of fatty pork. The addition of an egg made it more special along with the whole experience itself of eating from a stall. If you were to try their ramen I recommend adding one or half an egg. Luckily the gyoza did a better job at satisfying our taste buds. They were herby and juicy, casing soft and pan fried well like we like it. Nothing too special or memorable but nice. Will I return? Probably not even if it is half the price of a regular tonkotsu in other places. I am glad I got to experience a bit of Japan though but sadly quality and flavour does not deliver to attract me back. Try it for novelty rather than taste. read more

Koi Ramen Bar - The stall itself - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL

See all

While their main pop-up is usually at Brixton, on Sundays they can be found at the Bricklane Market. That's where we tried them out as it isn't too far from where we live and we were having a stroll around the market. The day was pretty chilly; thus, I was definitely in the mood for some ramen! I was impressed that they were cooking the noodles to order and the pork slices were being heated with a small blow torch only after someone ordered. I appreciate that everything hadn't already been thrown together; which will efficiency would be increased, quality would definitely suffer. I put in an order for their Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen (£5) with the addition of a full egg (£0.50/half egg) and waited about 5 minutes for my ramen. at Bricklane, they do have a couple of stools available behind their stand for people to wait/eat. They asked if we wanted all the additions (pickled ginger, shichimi, chili oil (la-yu), grated sesame) and I was all about it! Loved the little additions for the ramen - especially since we're talking street food! The ramen came piping hot and the noodles were a bit more than al dente (maybe just personal preference). The pork was thinly sliced and well flavored. The egg was cooked past what I would prefer (love me a runny/soft yolk). The broth was warming but didn't have the depth of flavour or richness (read: porky greasy goodness) that I've had at other places. However, we are talking street food (thus, the four stars) and I was impressed with what they were churning out on the street! The price was quite reasonable for the amount of food I received - definitely filled me up. As we move into winter and you happen to see them in Brixton or Bricklane, they are definitely a solid choice for some warm and filling ramen. read more

Koi Ramen Bar - Pure White Tonkotsu Ramen (£5) with addition of a full egg (£0.50/half egg) - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL

I know everyone comes here for the ramen - and to be fair, it looked delicious. But I didn't fancy a big bunch of food for lunch, so I opted for the chicken dumplings. They are so tasty! £4.50 for 6, cooked to order so fresh and soft yet crunchy on the side that was on the flattop. Garnished simply with chili oil and some spring onions, I wolfed these down in no time. I could easily have eaten more. I'll be back for sure to try the ramen, and I'll definitely be having a side of 3 of these dumplings, nom nom nom (they're £2.50 for 3). Downsides are that it's a bit cramped, of course, and while cooking to order is great because it's lovely and fresh, it does take a bit of time when you're in a rush. They said 5 minutes but it was closer to 10. Luckily, I had the time! read more

Koi Ramen Bar - Chicken dumplings - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL

Yes! Finally an amazing ramen bar discovery! This place is deeeelicious. I had the tonkotsu ramen and it was ready in 5 mins with scrummy egg noodles and the egg was cooked to perfection! Brill brill ramen! read more

Cute little ramen shop in Pop Brixton. I ordered the tofu miso ramen (with fried bean curd, vegetables such as carrots and bean sprouts, and pickled ginger). It was a cold day and the steaming bowl of ramen really hit the spot. There are a few stools at the shop and several tables throughout Pop Brixton. Accepts credit card but minimum purchase is 10 GBP. The ramen was a very reasonable 6 GBP (just under $7.50 USD). read more

Koi Ramen Bar - Miso tofu ramen - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Koi ramen is good, not great but good. Warming, satisfying and flavourful once you've added all the extras. I have opted for the miso pork twice now. The soup isn't too thick which I like and the pork is tasty but for me a little too fatty. What I will say is that there are plenty of noodles within the pot and the noodles are tasty! Once you've added ginger, chilli sauce and sesame it's a good ramen but without is rather plain. I have also had their gyoza. Now we all know I love the dumplings and these are good but definitely not made in store which is upsetting. As you can see, good is the word of the day and don't get me wrong I'll probably eat this ramen every day this week because it's healthy and satisfying but I've definitely had better ramen. read more

There is a lot to like about Koi. They have a short, focused menu centred around ramen and gyoza. It's a fun little noodle shop and you can either sit at the stools right next to their small kitchen or find somewhere to sit elsewhere in Pop Brixton. I wanted to try their vegetarian offering this time and got the ramen and gyoza. The ramen noodles were toothsome and tasty but the broth was overwhelming miso based and the toppings could have had more contrasting flavour profiles (tofu, bean sprouts, carrots - all a bit meh). The gyoza was well cooked and browned but the healthy dose of vinegar splashed on top was all I could taste. It was all only £12 so good value all things considered but I'd go elsewhere for a veggie meal. read more

Koi Ramen Bar is perfect. Now let me qualify. Perfection, in my lingo, is fit for context. Koi Ramen Bar in POP Brixton is not a mid-SoHo establishment charging 12 pounds a bowl, and it's not an Ippudo-like brand of international excellence. Here, in this context, it is an outdoor ramen bar in a city that is usually cloudy and rather chilly. The ramen that they serve is perfectly warm - not overly hot - and is perfectly designed to be eaten quite quickly to warm you up and satisfy your immediate needs. The noodles are soft, the pork is extra-thin, and the mushrooms are long and mushy - all perfect for eating on the go out of a tall paper bowl. Leaving chilli, sesame and the like on the side for you to add means that you can customise, or not. Again, fit for context. And the broth. The ramen purist will often knock the broth for being thin. For where they are and what they're doing, IMHO this broth is perfect. It's very drinkable and not too rich, but has enough depth to be something well beyond a simple noodle soup. It's smooth and silky, and not overpowering. If I were to sit down at Ippudo and be served this bowl of ramen, I may leave feeling underwhelmed - but that's because I'm expecting something more from a sit-down restaurant in expensive bowls (and paying for it). Here at Koi Ramen Bar, you'll get exactly what you need when walking up to an outdoor ramen bar on a chilly spring evening in London. read more

I was fortunate to try a gyoza from Koi at one of the #secretbrixton. My wife had mentioned them to me before, and had said that they were the best she'd ever had. She wasn't wrong! Mind bogglingly good. So I came back the following week, and made best use of Pop - a shared lunch of gyoza from Koi and then the chicken from Zoe's. Seriously one of the best lunches I've had in a long, long time. The gyoza are succulent, flavourful and just so darn near perfection that it's painful. They put some gyoza I had a few days earlier at a chain to shame. Two other things need to be mentioned - first they do the Asian lemonade Ramune. It's only the second place in London I've seen it, and I do love it so. It has the most crazy complex opening system of any bottle over ever seen - seriously, it involves a glass marble, and a tool you have to deconstruct from the cap. But it's well worth it. The other thing is just how friendly the people working there are. They were super concerned about the length of time the cooking process takes, but I was fine with it. Five minutes isn't much when something is getting cooked to order. All in all, a great experience, and down the food alley in the middle of Pop gives it the feeling of finding a secret treasure down a side street in Tokyo. Superb. read more

Good ramen, especially form such a small stand. Ordered the Tonkotsu ramen (which at £6 is a steal, even if you have to eat it outdoors). And was given my takeout container along with a side of chili moeyashi (that's blanched beansprouts in a chili and sesame oil). It's good but I think there was a little less meat than at other places (although I was paying less so this may be where that comes from). The noodles had a good bite and were what I expected from a proper ramen place. I would like to try the other places in Pop Brixton, but good to know that there is always a good place to fall back on. read more

Hands down one of the best Ramen I have ever had. Everyone knows that when it is cold and you are starving, a big bowl of ramen is the only thing that hits the spot. I ordered the veggie one and some veggie gyozas. After being surprised by how spectacular the gyozas were (yes, they are that good) it was time to get busy with the ramen. Tasty broth, plenty of noodles, tofu and veggies, my mouth was having quite a party. The tofu was crispy and the amount of food was quite generous. Once I managed to finish everything (Maybe I should have ordered less gyozas...NOT SORRY) I happily rolled out of Pop Brixton knowing that this little gem, was now one of my favourite Ramen Bars. Never leave Brixton, please. read more

Seriously good ramen. The queue told me it might be god but I didn't expect it be THAT good! Properly good broth in that ramen and would convince me to go here first at Pop Brixton if I came back. Impressive. read more

See all

We were in Brixton, we were cold, it was raining, and we needed food. And then we saw a sign for a ramen store. Amen. We got greeted by an extremely smiley team that were talking Japanese to us. Sure, we didn't understand. But made us smile. It's a streetfood stand. It's rustic. It has a few benches to eat there if you want. Choices are relatively slim: pork ramen or veggie ramen. And you can add an egg on top if you want. So there we were, in the heart of Brixton, under the rain and enjoying our FANTASTIC ramen. The noodles were fabulous, the broth creamy. Toppings were a bit slim. But for £5? Bargain. Shall definitely be going back. Soon. Today? read more

I headed to Koi Ramen Bar in Pop Brixton after the first Secret Brixton. Koi is a little stand along with the other places of PB. I had the tonkotsu, it's pork ramen (a japanese soup with noodle, vegetables and in that case, pork). The broth is everything in a ramen, and this one was brilliant. In fact in was the perfect meal for that chill-ish night wether, when it's not properly summer and the cold arise as soon as th sun disapears. The portion and meat portion were sufficient regarding the small £6 spent (in comparison to other places). The reason I can't award it 5 stars is that it's in fact a counter. No sitting apart from outside on the benches and tables of PB, no service whatsoever obviously. So it couldn't measure to the equivalent in quality restaurants i've awarded 5 stars to, in that sense. I'm not enven sure i'm making any sense haha. Final word is: go for it if you like ramen. read more

See all

Finally managed to get here this weekend after getting put off by the long queues on previous visits to Pop Brixton and found Koi's to be a reasonably priced and reasonably tasty bowl of ramen (particularly the roast pork) with nice people and good beer and sides. The tonkotsu soup was decently good but not thick/oily enough, noodles were on the soft side. Miso is nice but a bit light. Also the noodle portion is a bit on the lite side. Minus one star for the disposable paper bowl which sinks all the noodles to the bottom of the soup (they get soggy...)and plastic soupspoons which make it difficult to get a combo mouthful of soup and noodles, it really doesn't do the ramen any favours. Additionally i don't like the grandmothering of condiments by the people at the till. Would much prefer that they were left out on the counter for people to take as needed. read more

Koi Ramen Bar is a HUGE addition to the London ramen scene. A street stall and pop-up ramen bar, Koi serves just two types of ramen - tonkatsu (pork broth) and miso (vegetarian). Both are exquisite. My preference is the tonkatsu but you can't go wrong. Ramen has finally made a dent in the London food scene. But whereas, in Japan, ramen is affordable, casual, comfort food, here (like all 'exotic' cuisine) it has tended to be served in over-wrought restaurants at over-the-top prices. Koi sets the scene right. Affordable but authentic, this place just nails it. Plus, the chef and staff are all incredibly friendly. I will travel from across London for this ramen. read more

Good, but not as good as expected. The atmosphere is good, which reminds me of Tokyo. But the ramen is not flavorful enough for me to worth eight pounds. (It was six pounds before, according to previous reviews) So worth trying while I wouldn't expect a second visit. read more

This place is great. If we are ever in and want to get something delivered, this is always our first option. The broth is fantastic, and all 3 of the delivery options are amazing! Such a creamy broth... I think I can never go back to any other ramen place read more

Ramen is hard to get just right, but Koi have perfected the art. My girlfriend and I come here almost every week for our ramen fix. A great addition to the Brixton Markets. read more

I tried my first ramen here. Definitely the best ever. Soup was so delicious! I have been several places since then and they cannot compare at all. This is a hidden gem! Go there and you won't regret! read more

Great, heart-warming ramen: the veggie option with tofu and an egg is filling, easy to eat in their handy buckets and quick to be served. Loved it! read more

Hot, delicious, great service and a good price in an amazing setting. So happy I stumbled onto it.

Would be a three and a half if possible. Good miso ramen with generous portion, reasonably priced. Not the best bowl ever but very decent for essentially a food truck. read more

My sister-in-law took us to Brixton today, and we stumbled on this really great ramen spot in Pop Brixton. We're a ramen-loving family (especially my three little kids), so I knew when they gave their tonkatsu ramen a big thumbs up, it meant this place was up there with Ippudo and Rai Rai Ken, their two favs in New York. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the broth was tasty. We ordered an extra tamago for everyone (because who doesn't love soft boiled eggs?) and kadema because every single one of my kids (including the five-year-old) wanted more noodles. It was only one pound for each item! My kids also loaded up on chili oil, which made it even tastier. I felt like I was eating at a food stall in a Miyazaki film (maybe Spirited Away). A hearty and tasty meal for a family of five was only about 40 pounds, and everyone left with full bellies and happy faces. read more

After trying all of the top rated ramen places around the city we had given up on getting a real genuine bowl of tonkotsu (slow cooked pork broth) ramen. While searching for Caribbean eats in Brixton we stumbled upon Koi by accident and while very hesitant to waste anymore cash on mediocre ramen we smelled that very familiar roast pork broth flavor and gave it a go. Since then we travel almost 90 minutes into the city each week just to get our Koi tonkotsu ramen. Chef Ming san and his wife Hiroko san really have perfected that slow cooked, sweet-savory, rich roasted pork broth and serve it up with finely done egg noodles and handmade, slow roasted chashu (pork belly slices) with the very authentic kikurage (like a small, mild, mushroom) and green spring onions. They even give you the optional fresh ground sesame topping and rayu (seasoned, spicy hot oil) if that's your thing. The price, the outdoor pop-up setting, the casual, cool, friendly feel and the disposable chop sticks put you right on the exciting streets of Japan with your first bite. read more

Koi Ramen Bar - Food Trucks Near Me - London, XGL