Kodawari, the Culture of Ramen

An essential element of Japanese cuisine, ramen is a popular dish that is constantly reinvented over time as tastes change. In Paris, restaurants Kodawari Ramen Yokocho (opened in 2016 and listed in the Michelin Guide) and Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji (opened in 2019) both invite us to (re)discover this emblematic Japanese street food dish.

Jean-Baptiste Meusnier was not destined to venture into the world of ramen. However, one thing is certain: his 16-year-long career as a fighter pilot, and then commercial pilot, has given him a sense of rigor and attention to detail. In Japanese, this is called kodawari and it has become his trademark and the name he chose for his two restaurants! He remembers having a keen curiosity for Japanese culture since childhood. Later, during his numerous stopovers in Japan, he never missed an opportunity to taste this invigorating bowl of noodles served in broth with a soft-boiled egg and a slice of roasted pork, an inexpensive dish offered everywhere in the Archipelago. After several "ramen road trips," he embarked on training at the Ramen Dream Academy in Osaka and then at a noodle machine manufacturer. Between flights, he honed his skills in Tokyo and dreamed of opening a restaurant in Paris.

Since March 29, 2016, the opening date of Kodawari Ramen Yokocho, a long line invariably stretches outside 29 rue Mazarine. Customers are greeted with a resounding "Irasshaimase!" before finally being able to savor the thick broth of a Paitan Ramen at the bar or on a table placed on Japanese brewery beer crates. It feels like being in a lively alley in old Tokyo, which is called yokochō in Japanese. Lanterns, posters, Japanese music from the fifties, neon signs, and even Tokyo manhole covers: everything is there. As for the cuisine, the products are of high quality. A farmer from the Grand Est region provides flour made from protein-rich hard wheat in his own mill; for the chicken broth - more digestible and less fatty – grain-fed poultry are raised in a farm in Loiret; the pork belly comes from the Basque Country; the salty base (moto-dare) of Shio Ramen is prepared from shellfish dashi and various French salts; the chashu is either Iberian Pata Negra pork raised in Salamanca (Spain) or chicken cooked at low temperature and marinated in sansho (Japanese pepper); as for Kurogoma Ramen, the homemade sauce is based on black sesame, garlic, and ginger, and the broth is seasoned with three types of Japanese soy sauce. On the dessert menu, there is White Sesame Whipped Cream with Szechuan pepper and tart pears, or Yuzu cream from Japan with a crumble.

Located at 12 rue de Richelieu (Paris 1st), a stone's throw from the Comédie française, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji is an exact replica of a small part of the old Tsukiji fish market that was relocated to the new Toyosu site at the end of 2018. The result is stunning! Everything has been recreated down to the smallest detail! "We knew Tsukiji was going to close, so I started making trips back and forth to continue to be inspired by the place and collect all the objects I could," recalls Jean-Baptiste Meusnier. Tools, old scales, aquarium bubblers, logoed plastic bags... so many little treasures destined to disappear that were recovered at the last minute to the delight of the restaurant's customers. Like at Tsukiji, the styrofoam trays are overflowing with shells, ultra-realistic fish, and servers wearing rubber boots and holding megaphones. It’s time to take a delicious journey through time and space!

The specialty of Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji? Brittany sardine or Mediterranean sea bream broth. The highly gourmet Lobster Mazemen is a brothless ramen, made with a rich lobster juice, sautéed scallops, Calabrian Nduja sausage, a perfect egg yolk, salmon roe, nori seaweed... Also without broth, the vegan Miso Mazemen of herbs, prepared with kombu and shiitake dashi, is garnished with a mix of aromatic herbs and is enjoyed with a sauce made from Japanese country miso. The ramen is preceded by delicious appetizers like homemade tsukudani, a confit of kombu, shiitake, and niboshi (boiled and dried small fish) cooked according to an age-old Japanese method. For dessert, one hesitates between the succulent caramelized rice pudding made with Japonica rice, and the miso cream and iced coffee, a magnificent example of transforming Japanese products into French delicacies.

There are differences with Kodawari Yokocho, indeed, but the same spirit prevails. Moreover, Jonathan Tache, formerly of the Bristol, who joined the Tsukiji team from the beginning, is now head chef at both restaurants.

After achieving fame even in Japan (a team from Kodawari Ramen had the honor of participating in the Tokyo Ramen Festa 2023 - a first for foreigners), the year 2024 should see the opening of two new Parisian restaurants in the same vein and always with great originality. Jean-Baptiste Meusnier and his partner Fleur, who is involved in the project, certainly never cease to surprise us: they have even acquired a superb food truck that will allow them to serve ramen wherever they please! One thing is certain, the sincerity of the approach, freedom, and creativity are the driving force behind Kodawari Ramen. And the reason for its success! With 9,000 customers per week and 100,000 followers on Instagram - the former airplane pilot has succeeded in his endeavor: allowing his customers to enjoy excellent ramen and to travel very far away... while staying in Paris!