Lisbon is home to more ramen shops than hamburger joints, which can only be rationalized through the Portuguese people’s love for pork or a weeaboo community that expands faster than the universe itself. Either way, Lisbon has all the key ingredients for great ramen: lots of pork, and a big enough demand to justify slow-cooking broths for 10-to-16 hours.
However, many ramen spots in Lisbon are, as the Japanese would say, dame! But Ramen House Aska defies this trend because its eponymous owner not only hails from Japan, but spent years working in Los Angeles’ Sawtelle Japantown. The first time I set foot in her little shop, I was reminded of Juzo Itami’s 1985 underdog comedy, Tampopo; in which a woman struggles to keep her tiny ramen shop alive.
As the popularity of Aska’s eatery has grown, it feels like she’s turned that film into reality.
O jornalismo que a Mensagem de Lisboa faz une comunidades,
conta histórias que ninguém conta e muda vidas.
Dantes pagava-se com publicidade,
mas isso agora é terreno das grandes plataformas.
Se gosta do que fazemos e acha que é importante,
se quer fazer parte desta comunidade cada vez maior,
apoie-nos com a sua contribuição: