Gudetama ramen pop-up in London

By Eva Tao

Photo credit: Eva Tao

Gudetama （ぐでたま）, a fictional humanised egg yolk with a prominent butt crack, one with limbs but not fingers, one with a big mouth but no teeth, one with a head but no neck, was born into the world of human beings in 2013. It looks like someone who has given up on life; just as it is aptly named, ‘gude’ (ぐで), a Japanese term that describes someone with no strength or energy, and ‘tama’ （たま） simply means egg – Gudetama, a lazy egg, quite literally speaking. Yet, people can’t get enough of its apathetic personality. It can talk, even though in only short sentences; it can move, even though it wiggles more than anything; it has emotions and it can breathe, it is practically a human being, in egg form.

Imagine a ‘living’ egg, floating in your bowl, winking his eyes at you… Yes, Shoryu is making this happen right here in the UK! It has launched a two-week autumn pop-up in collaboration with Sanrio Japan in London. You will get a three-course menu with a drink featuring Gudetama himself in the form of an egg for £22. Gudetama is a big hit in Japan; it has two cafes located in Tokyo and Osaka, but this is only their second pop-up store in London.

The outside of Shoryu is covered in giant stickers of Gudetama in various lazy poses. “Irasshaimase!” (いらっしゃいませ), you hear the staff bellowing the traditional Japanese welcome greeting at you and a loud bang of the hanging drum comes right after when you part the noren curtain and enter the restaurant. As one of the punctilious noodle masters in London, it has a much closer Japanese touch than any other restaurants. A minimalistic open-style kitchen, with chefs boiling ramen soup bases and generating a rich scent of happiness.

The chefs are from Hakata, a city famous for its delicious ramen, and the restaurant operates with a rather succinct menu, including a variety of six tonkotsu plus different soup base options. The Hakata-style hosamen noodles has its distinguishing springiness and bite to it, and the soup has a gravy-like texture. Just imagine a piece of perfectly roasted pork being liquidised and strained into a bowl full of collagen – what a heavenly taste!

The special Gudetama set includes a choice of a barbeque char siu (pork) bun or a pumpkin croquette, a main course of signature tonkotsu ramen, or the vegetarian-friendly white natural ramen with soy milk soup base, green tea or yuzu flavoured mochi ice-cream served up in a Gudetama cup with a coaster which you may take home.

The barbeque char siu bun combines the pork and squashy dough perfectly with Japanese mayo, but what’s more pleasantly surprising is the pumpkin croquette steamed bun. The crispiness of the croquette meshes well with the soft bun, and the smashed pumpkin with Shoryu’s top-secret spicy sauce are coupled perfectly together. All the buns are served in a dim sum steamer with a cute flag picturing the lazy egg’s bum. While a nice and simple appetiser to start with, the ramen is the true highlight of this set meal.

Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen, has a rich, creamy broth, and the secret recipe of this soup is eight hours of boiling pork bone until its nutrition becomes absorbed in the soup and the broth turns milky white and juicily suffused with pork flavours. The white natural is ramen soaked in soy milk and mushroom broth, loaded with a forest of bamboo shoots and chewy shiitake mushrooms. Japanese cuisine is often best accompanied by seasoning, and Shoryu offers customers a sesame grinder, a jar of crushed garlic and chilli powder on the table. Waiters would ask you about your preference for noodle hardness; in my experience, firm would be the best choice, as the noodles will not be overcooked and disintegrated into a mash. The steaming bowl of ramen arrives at your table, complemented with an incredibly cute Gudetama egg floating in your bowl, has an alluring effect and beckons you in for a slurp.

The set includes a drink as well, either mango iced tea, or calpico, a Japanese yogurt soda drink. The mango iced tea was not as sweet as I had expected, but the good thing is that customers can bring the Gudetama cup home with them. Mochi ice-cream is a scoop of ice cream in a gelatinous skin, akin to a rice dumpling, but it is served in limited stock – but pop in earlier in the day and you may have a chance to eat it.

All in all, the £22 set meal is definitely worth it, especially for fans of Gudetama or Japanese culture. The menu gives you an authentic taste at a reasonable price, with a free cartoon coaster and Gudetama key ring to take home – sounds egg-cellent right? If you missed out on this pop-up, there will be another one in April so keep your eyes peeled for more updates with Geeky Girl.

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