Cocolo

Authentic Japanese-style ramen is booming everywhere. Originally imported from China into Japan, the dish consists of three key constituent parts: the base broth (usually made from pork stock), the noodles (varying wildly in size but made with alkaline water giving them elasticity and their characteristic yellow colour) and finally the ‘style’, which includes both the added soup flavouring and toppings. Head to Cocolo for the best in Berlin: originally a tiny bar in Mitte, due to popular demand it has opened a spacious second space by the canal in Kreuzberg. There’s a small choice of sides, such as gyoza dumplings in both pork and vegetable varieties, edamame and extra portions of braised pork belly. Then there are representative versions of all the classic ramen styles, from the light shoyu (soy sauce) soup with roast pork to more unconventional varieties like Tantan, a spicy broth with sweet corn and minced meat. Ramen fads in Japan change as hyperactively as their street fashion and Tonkotsu is a style of soup hailing from the southern island of Kyushu currently reigning supreme in ramen shops the world over. The pork stock is kicked up to a piggy eleven by adding the milky liquid derived from hard-boiling bones, collagen and fat for hours. This is then topped with a soft-boiled egg, red pickled ginger, crispy seaweed sheets, slices of roast pork and braised sweet pork belly.