The posterboy of Japanese cuisine in Chennai has been sushi for a while. While ramen has been a strong contender globally, the city has had little luck with ramen restaurants. Almost a decade ago, Go Go Ramen opened in Alwarpet, letting people live their anime and manga fantasies. But its closing down in 2019 left a gap, which the recently opened Oji Ramen aims to fill.
This restaurant on Bawa Road is reminiscent of the several hole-in-the-wall places seen in Japanese movies and anime where middle aged chefs put together bowls of soupy noodles with exacting precision. This is where the restaurant’s name also comes from; “Oji in Japanese is uncle,” says Arunima Karmakar, head of operations.
