“Ramen x Shortcake” – Ramen noodles topped with a slice of strawberry shortcake

2 min read

8 months ago Robin

Fran Ken, a ramen restaurant located in Honmachi, Osaka, has built a reputation for serving traditional miso ramen with an unusual twist, in the shape of…a slice of strawberry shortcake.

The restaurant, that offers a limited menu that changes every three months, first made international news headlines last January when it started selling an unusual variant of sweet-and-sour red miso ramen with a cone of soft-serve vanilla ice cream melting in the middle of the bowl.
Well, although the combination sounds offputting, the restaurant was so confident that people would love it that it only served its red miso ramen with the ice cream cone.
At least until this month, when Franken started selling another creation: a miso ramen with a slice of strawberry shortcake soaking in the hearty soup!

Named not by chance “Ramen x Shortcake”, the dish is apparently the result of a long and grueling trial-and-error process that saw the restaurant staff try about 30 different types of shortcakes in combination with their iconic red miso ramen.
According to Mr. Shimizu, the chef in charge of product development at Franken, the strawberry shortcake complements the red miso ramen surprisingly well.
The cream and the mellow sponge reduce the spiciness of the soup, while the sweetness of the dessert brings out the flavor of the miso even more.
Just like the soft-serve ice cream miso ramen, this cake variant has also been getting a lot of attention on social media and surprisingly positive feedback from those brave enough to try it.
If you’re ever in Osaka, this looks like a must-try!

“Ramen x Shortcake” was added to the Franken Restaurant menu as a temporary item but could become a permanent offering if it proves popular enough, and a serving reportedly costs 850 yen ($6.6), which seems pretty good, considering it also includes dessert!