Neko Ramen, the great Japanese canteen in the 9th arrondissement

Open since early 2020 in Paris, the excellent Japanese canteen Neko Ramen welcomes us all year round to help you discover some of the best ramen in Paris and Japanese specialties just the way we like them.

Neko Ramen is the brainchild of owner Sedrik Allani, who trained in Japan at the prestigious Rajuku school, Tokyo's best ramen school.

Of course, the menu at Neko Ramen includes ramen - and good ramen, with vegetables, chicken, pork...

But also many other typical Japanese dishes (but no sushi!). On the menu, then, are rose-shaped giozas, soba noodles (the thin ones) and udon noodles (the thick ones), as well as katsu, tonkatsu, karaage and katsudon, recipes for fried and breaded meats.

Chicken karaage is fried to perfection, and arrives at the table hot and crispy on the outside. Inside the Japanese breading, tender chicken is marinated in soy and ginger for 6 hours. Delicious.

The minced beef used to garnish the yaki soba, a thin noodle sautéed in a wok, is also grilled à la plancha. And that's what makes the difference with the woks we're used to.

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In the katsudon, breaded organic pork is placed on a perfectly cooked Japanese omelette - neither slobbery nor overcooked, it's so creamy - and mixed with a secret Japanese sauce that makes this simple omelette a real treat.

For dessert, the summer heat made us opt for iced mochi. The green tea and black sesame recipes are not too sweet. Ideal for the end of a meal. However, it was difficult to choose, as the yuzu cheesecake and matcha cookies also tempted us.

On the drinks front, Neko Ramen offers Japanese beers and sakes, as well as iced teas and Japanese-inspired house cocktails, such as the Yuzu Highball, a blend of whisky, yuzu and ginger beer.

Beyond the delicious dishes, Neko Ramen is worth the trip for theexperience it offers. From the moment you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by shouts of welcome, just like in the Land of the Rising Sun. Everything about the decor is reminiscent of Japan, even the toilets that clean your bum. Nothing has been left to chance. The background music is Japanese pop.

Finally, if the first floor is reminiscent of a Japanese canteen, you absolutely must go upstairs, where Japan is even more present in the decor. A Japanese cherry tree is enthroned in the middle of the room.

Insummer, Neko Ramen sets up tables outside, on ephemeral green terraces with lots of bamboo. But also alongside the restaurant, in the Passage Verdeau.

Despite the large number of places available, Neko Ramen, with its not at all usurped reputation, is often full. There's often a queue on the sidewalk, but don't let that frighten you: customer turnover is quite high. There's plenty of room to enjoy your ramen.