Hey foodies! Have you ever heard of the popular ramen bar located downtown at Pandungan Street, Kuching? The place is called Himawari Ramen Bar, and there is where you can find Aruba Soba Specialists that serve up some pretty tasty bowls of handmade noodles! One of the must try places if you’re ever in Kuching for sure!
Himawari Ramen Bar at Kuching, Sarawak
Himawari is a unique fusion ramen bar located right at the heart of Kuching city and first opened up their business in 2018. The shop is owned by this friendly and humble Uncle who envisions to serve affordable quality ramen so that everyone can enjoy. He uses fresh and quality ingredients for all his menu items to ensure the quality and flavours are on point. The chicken and beef products Himawari uses are all sourced from Halal-certified suppliers as well.
Now, what’s great about this place? I would say everything, from the dining experience to the food, and also the customer service. Each bowl of ramen noodles is prepared carefully and whole-heartedly by the owner himself. It is without a doubt, you can feel the warmth and love put into the dishes. The owner also handmade the noodles, giving it that nice and smooth texture like no other. All their food are Pork-Free (contains NO PORK), Alcohol-Free, MSG-Free and also Trans-Fat Free. Thus, rest assured!
There are several items on their menu such as Vegetarian Aruba Soba Hikari, Kimchi Chicken Aruba Soba Hikari, Spicy Sour Gyuniku Paitan and also Tori Misoya (Salty) Paitan Ramen. But, here’s what we tried:
Gyuniku Aruba Soba Hikari
First up, we tried their Gyuniku Aruba Soba Hikari which happens to be my personal favourite. This dish contains Ramen, slow braised Australian Beef, Chili Paste, Tare, Vegetable of the day, Mayu and Superior Beef Broth. No joke, the broth indeed tasted superior! It was soo rich and flavourful, pairing well with the silky and delicate noodles. As for the tender and juicy beef, it was cooked to perfection! It basically just falls apart in my mouth when taking a bite of it. Until today, I still reminisce the flavours of this dish.
Chicken Kankitsuri Aruba Soba Hikari
Next on the menu, we tried out their Chicken Kankitsuri Aruba Soba Hikari. For those who aren’t a fan of beef, you can opt for this. It taste equally as good as the previous dish, so no worries on missing out on anything. This bowl of noodles contains Ramen, Chili Paste, Tare, Chilled Citrus Boneless Pulled Chicken Meat, Vegetable of the day and also Kizame Nori (Dried Shredded Seaweed).
The dried shredded seaweed, which has been slightly roasted, being placed on top added a special umami flavour. It contrasts perfectly with the handmade noodles, the superior tasting broth and the other toppings. It really completes the whole dish. Customers are also able to add-on certain toppings to their bowl of Ramen such as extra Beef, Beef Balls, Pandan Chicken, Kizame Nori and Kimchi.
Steamed Rice Water Cakes
Another dish we recommend trying out at Himawari, Kuching is their Steamed Rice Water Cakes (also known as “Chwee Kueh”). It would be great to have these as a side dish while waiting for your noodles to be served. This famous breakfast food originated from the Chinese Teochew people. It is made up of water, rice flour and a combination of various gluten-free flour. The cooking method for this is steaming, giving it that nice and soft texture. Best paired with a teaspoon of sambal chili or any other savoury toppings.
There is always a long queue during the afternoons on a weekday, so it is best to go early to avoid the crowd! If you’re visiting Kuching for the first time, I highly recommend this place because aside from the good food with reasonable prices, the owner is also very welcoming. You will definitely enjoy the eating experience at this ramen bar.
Price
Gyuniku Aruba Soba Hikari – RM 13.90
Chicken Kankitsuri Aruba Soba Hikari – RM 9.90
Steamed Rice Water Cakes – RM 1.10 each
Location
Shop Name: Himawari Ramen Bar
Address: 179, Jalan Pandungan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday (9 am – 3 pm) [Wednesday Offday]
Google Maps/ Waze: Search for “Himawari Ramen Bar”
Status: Muslim-Friendly
Facebook Page: Himawari Ramen Bar
I really hope to go here again in the future as I have been yearning for the Uncle’s bowls of yummy ramen for months. What are you waiting for? Head on down to Himawari and show some support to this local food vendor!
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