London's most expensive ramen blasted as 'rip off' - and it even has a Michelin star
The critic, who posts under the handle @matcha_samurai on TikTok and Instagram, documented his recent visit to Kinoya, a Michelin-starred Japanese ramen bar located within Harrods' famous Dining Hall.
Known for its 'nose-to-tail' philosophy and 'ultimate ramen experience,' Kinoya recently expanded from its Middle Eastern roots to London's upscale culinary scene.
Founded in Dubai by celebrated chef Neha Mishra, it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2023 and was ranked seventh on the Middle East & Africa 50 Best Restaurants list.
Its carefully curated menu includes inventive dishes like burnt butter scallops, wagyu tsukune (a traditional Japanese meatball), and slow-cooked pork belly tonkotsu.
But @matcha_samurai, who is of Japanese heritage, wasn't impressed after ordering what he called 'the most expensive ramen in London'.
In a TikTok video that has amassed half a million views, the diner is seen browsing Kinoya's menu, which includes £7 edamame, £10.50 miso butter eggplant, and £49.50 ramen made with A5 wagyu – the highest grade of Japanese Wagyu beef – and a shoyu chicken broth.
Opting for the menu's costliest bowl of noodle soup, the content creator wanted to test whether the price tag matched up with authentic Japanese cuisine.
Once the dish arrived, he and two companions tucked in – only to erupt into laughter after the first bite.
He said: 'The price is ridiculous. I'm not going to lie, I was expecting spectacular... and at least authentic. One bite is like £1. We got completely ripped off. I can make this at home – they basically warmed it up and assembled it.'
He went on to score the ramen 2 out of 10, criticising the 'unseasoned' meat, suspected 'instant noodles,' and a lack of depth in the broth.
As the group finished the meal and exited the restaurant, he added: 'It's not because of the chef – it's because of the concept. We paid that much and we're not even full. I'm still hungry.'
Hundreds of viewers shared their thoughts in the comments, with many agreeing the bowl of ramen was 'overpriced' and that it 'underdelivered'.
One person wrote '50 pound is absolute highway robbery oh my god', while another said 'London has this social ability to overcharge and underdeliver'.
A third commented: 'It's always prices like this and the food is the most mid bland thing you've ever tasted,' as another joked: 'It's in Harrods people who shop there don't know what anything is supposed to cost.'
Another viewer added: 'You could eat all week for £50 in Japan. We couldn't believe how cheap it was to eat out over there. We are definitely being ripped off in the UK.'
Hundreds of viewers shared their thoughts in the comments, with many agreeing the bowl of ramen was 'overpriced' and 'underdelivered'
Meanwhile, one former Kinoya diner shared: 'I went here and thought the same so I left a google review and the founder FOUND ME ON INSTAGRAM AND SEND ME MESSAGES ASKING WHY I WAS BEING MEAN.'
However, a number of viewers defended the restaurant's pricing, as one wrote: 'Ramen in Japan is a high-volume, get in/get out quick, workers meal ramen abroad is an exotic, once-in-a-while dining experience obviously the prices will be different.'
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