At the entrance of the Japanese food store Tagawa located near Stockel Square, the small ramen counter of Nobutomo Ishi (who was lured to Brussels by the master Tomoyasu Kamo himself) has the sleazy charm of mall canteens like you only find in Japan (wooden counter, high chairs, laminated menu), where two chefs work in silence, demonstrating an indifference towards passers-by who have come to satisfy their whims of the day. To warm us up from the inside, that winter afternoon we backflipped into a large bowl of miso broth swirling with tangy umami, where slurpingly delicious noodles swam, topped with roast pork chashu (so tender it’ll have you crying soy sauce tears), runny marinated eggs and crunchy greens. It was hot, it was good, it left us with our mouths still watering for more. Simply put, wow! The Platonic ideal of ramen IRL – and probably our only reason for revisiting this corner of Stockel. // Toni Negroni

FEELING THIRSTY? Japanese Pokka iced tea (€3), Kirin Ichiban beer (€4), and natural wine from Vignerons d’Estézargues, in white or red (€5 a glass).

PRICE: Ramen €16-19.