MK Group Launches Affordable Tora Ramen Brand
Thailand's MK Restaurant Group has launched Tora Ramen, a new affordable ramen brand developed with two renowned Fukuoka chefs. Bowls start at 89 baht with no extra charges, featuring authentic tonkotsu broth simmered over eight hours and four noodle styles. The first outlet opened at True Digital Park in Bangkok, expanding MK's Japanese food portfolio.
The suki war is still heating up, and major player MK Group is leveraging its advertising clout to storm the Japanese food arena, crashing the ramen market by launching new brand Tora Ramen. They sell rich tonkotsu ramen at prices under 100 baht — starting at 89 baht, max 189 baht. Light on the wallet but no compromise on taste: the flavor is authentically Japanese, with toppings piled high — fine-sliced spring onions, chili threads, bamboo shoots, plus soy-marinated soft-boiled eggs and ajitsuke tamago, served both whole and halved with the shop logo stamped on. The chashu pork is impressive — cut into large, thick, satisfying slices. It's a bowl packed with substance, definitely not a small boat-noodle portion. Crucially, the price you see is net — no service charge or VAT added. That's the hook: you can eat here often, true to the 'Everyday Ramen' concept.
The first flagship is planted at True Digital Park, 1st floor, East Wing, establishing the newest Japanese food sibling under MK Group after Yayoi, Hakata Toco Tome, Miyazaki, and Hakata Ramen on delivery platforms.
The name Tora means 'tiger,' signaling the real deal in ramen from Fukuoka, combining excellence in both 'soup' and 'noodles' because two tiger-level masters co-developed the recipes.
'Tiger of Soup' Chef Kosuge Yoshimura, owner of famed Hakata Ikkousha, stands behind the Hakata-style tonkotsu soup and is the 2011 Ultimate Ramen Champion.
'Tiger of Noodles' Chef Ryota Ishimatsu, a major Fukuoka noodle producer with over 30 years' experience, supplies one million noodle portions monthly to famous ramen shops across Japan.
With two such heavyweight profiles, it's no surprise Tora's soup is a dense pork bone broth simmered over 8 hours until rich and mellow, preserving the original Fukuoka character. It branches into three styles. The noodles are springy, soft, with a distinctive texture that pairs perfectly with varied soups — the chef offers four styles: Hakata, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Tokyo.
Thus Tora's highlight is the pairing of noodle and soup: 'Hakata noodles' are thin, straight, long, ideal for pork bone broth; 'Hokkaido noodles' are wavy, chewy, fairly thick, holding and soaking up rich soups well — especially the spicy tom yum prawn. Dry dishes exist too: 'Mazemen' with a special dry ramen sauce, chashu, and onsen egg, paired with Tokyo noodles — slightly wavy, medium-thick, perfect for dry mixing, the more you toss the better it coats.
Other items include snacks: gyoza, fried chicken, fries, fried golden needle mushrooms at 59-105 baht; drinks: green tea 25 baht, soda 39 baht; and ramen toppings — chashu, eggs, crispy seaweed, etc. — to fill you up.
The shop isn't huge, decorated simply but stylish in a 'tiger cave' theme per the fable. There's a Japanese-style counter bar and tables, with an open kitchen where you can watch chefs craft ramen amid continuous loud greetings and thanks to customers. Ordering is via QR code scan.
Mr. Theer Theerakomol, Executive Director of MK Restaurants Group PLC, admitted pricing wasn't easy — costs far exceeded the selling price — but fortunately the two Japanese chefs collaborated on ingredients to achieve authentic flavor suited to Thai palates, backed by MK's central kitchen and Japanese food expertise.
