Japan

If you’re searching for Ramen Killer in Penang, here’s the quick orientation: it’s a reservation-only Japanese ramen bar in George Town, most often associated with Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai) and frequently tagged around “516, Beach Street / 516 Lebuh Pantai”, with posts also noting it’s near Khling Cafe. The store leans hard into controlled access, not foot traffic. Expect no walk-ins, very limited seating (often cited as about 10 seats), and limited portions per day (you’ll see “50 bowls” mentioned repeatedly across social posts).

Brought in and run by Japanese chefs, Kanbe leans into a very specific niche: Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen and tsukemen, with a menu built around customisation. You pick not just your style of noodle, but also how firm you want them, how intense you prefer the broth, and even the amount of oil and aromatics – a level of control that has made it popular with both local regulars and Japanese expats in KL.

Enishi is one of those ramen imports that arrives with a bit of a résumé. The shop hails from Kobe, Japan, where it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod and a spot among Tabelog’s Top 100 ramen restaurants, before branching out to cities like Bangkok, Singapore, and now Kuala Lumpur.  The Malaysia outpost sits in Mont Kiara, a neighbourhood popular with Japanese residents, and keeps things deliberately tight: an intimate bar-style space, an open kitchen, and a focused menu built around just two styles — their signature dan dan noodles and a dashi-based ramen.