The 1,500sqft Izumi in Bandra manages to squeeze in 54 seats, a live sushi bar and what is often considered the best ramen in the country, without feeling cramped or crowded. Izumi started off as a delivery business led by head chef and co-owner Nooresha Kably, who works with bold ingredients and intense flavours with an impressive balance. Their innovative takes on dishes like the Hamachi Truffle Ponzu with Wasabi Jelly, Sashimi Salad, and the Shoyu Chintan Vegetarian Ramen, remain their biggest draws even today, six years after they opened.

Starting as a small pocket-sized eatery in Bandra’s bylanes, this restaurant run by Nooresha Kably, who trained in Japan at Yokohama’s Ramen School has become an iconic destination in the city, and even expanded business to Goa. Their broths are rich and slow-cooked with options ranging from chicken to pork and even a vegan version with a range of variations from Miso, Teriyaki, Shoyu, Shio, Curry and more. Each comes with delicious handmade noodles and offers a range of customisations in toppings and seasonings so you get the perfect bowl every time.

With one of India’s top chefs – Nooresha Kably – at the helm of affairs, this destination promises the most authentic, visually-appealing ramen. The live sushi counter draws hundreds from across the country to this Japanese restaurant, but the bowls of broth and noodles are just as exciting. The menu features options like pork tonkotsu ramen – a thick, umami-packed pork broth with soy seasoning and pork charsu as well as seafood ramen with a host of veggies like bean sprouts and carrots.

A recent addition to the authentic Japanese experience offered by the Kablys, Izumi is Nooresha Kably’s newest venture with a focus on delicious sushi and ramen dishes. A quaint little restaurant, with a long queue that just doesn’t seem to get shorter, located in Pali Hill – Izumi is for anyone waiting to gorge on a perfectly-flavoured, or even customised, bowl of hot ramen. Their sushi and sashimi plates are served up right in front of you from the live sushi counter.

With a dedicated Japanese menu, Izumi offers favourites such as the Sashimi Salad with Crispy Crab Stick (INR 780), Tempura Prawns with Spicy Mayo and Citrus Ponzu Sushi (INR 550). Vegetarians must not miss out on the Teriyaki Veg Chirashi Roll (INR 520), or the Spicy Wakame Miso Soup (INR 200). The restaurant offers several types of ramen, including Seafood Ramen (INR 820), Pork Tonkotsu Ramen (INR Spicy Curry Ramen (INR 670), and Spicy Miso Tantanmen (INR 670).

Known for its Japanese cuisine, Izumi is celebrating its completion of 5 years with new additions to its menu. The highlight is the flavour-packed Chawanmushi, a steamed savoury egg custard with shitake, chicken and prawns served with a soy kombu dashi. But there are other must-tries too–kombujime salmon sashimi with kombu oil, pork and nappa cabbage rolls, rock shrimp and squid tempura, hantaba tempura, kale and curried prawn salad and spicy miso ramen.

Mira and Shahid Kapoor’s go-to place for Japanese food in Mumbai, Izumi is a quaint 17-seater diner in Bandra that focuses on comforting ramen variations. The kitchen is helmed by Nooresha Kably, who has trained at the International Ramen School in Yokohama. Izumi serves a carefully composed bowl, which features slow-cooked intense broth, al dente noodles and a selection of toppings like egg, meat, vegetable, black fungus, bamboo shoot and tofu.

The popularity of Izumi is unmatched and we think it's because they really do give us a taste of Japan by using the highest quality of ingredients. With 14 ramen options to choose from, there's one for every mood. Keep it simple with shoyu chintan ramen, try something different and order the potato and almond ramen or fully indulge yourself with the seafood ramen, where the broth is made from slow cooked fish bone, kelp and bonito flakes.

Best for: Satisfying your ramen cravingsAddress: Ground Floor, Sunrise Cooperative Society, Rd Number 24, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050Price: Plates from 300 INR / 3.15 USD. When Izumi first opened as a small 15-seater eatery back in 2018, the ramen was so coveted that hopeful diners queued outside for hours. It’s since moved to a much bigger space in Bandra, where crowds continue to flock to slurp up their specialty noodles.

Nestled in the heart of Bandra, Izumi is a Japanese eatery renowned for its elite selection of sushi, sashimi, ramen, beverages, and a wide array of delectable desserts. This elegant spot will definitely transport you to Japan with its authentic dishes and cosy ambiance. Don't miss out on their expertly-crafted sushi rolls, which are as visually stunning as they are delicious.

Lovers of seafood, the Seafood Ramen by Izumi may just be your Achilles heel. Topped off with prawns, squid and anchored by slow-cooked fish bone, Izumi serves an assortment of popular seafood delicacies upon this plate — err, bowl. An array of toppings crown the slurp-worthy ramen noodles, with a quintessential umami broth flavoured with kelp and bonito flakes.

Izumi in Bandra West is still a top spot for some comforting but also excellent sushi. Run by head chef NooreshaKably, Izumi remains a cozyneighborhood spot while also serving up some of the best food in all of Mumbai. No wonder then that it has reserved top spots for itself on the Conde Nast rankings of best restaurants in the country.

We love Izumi for their beautiful izakaya-style atmosphere, they've even got an actual sushi bar and an open kitchen where you can watch all the action, and most of all for their fantastic food. We have to recommend the slow-cooked Pork Tonkotsu Ramen for its rich broth and its delicious toppings. What To Try: Pork Tonkotsu Ramen.

Izumi allows a fair amount of customisation with a ramen order form that lists protein, soup base, seasoning categories, thick or thin noodles and toppings as boxes to tick.

Address: Ground Floor, Sunrise Bldg, Rd Number 24, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050, India. Schedule: Open until 10:30 PM. Telephone: +91 86574 55585

Izumi – One of the city’s go-to Japanese restaurants, always buzzing with regulars hungry for its sushi, yakitori and ramen.