Zuru Zuru Ramen

Name: Zuru Zuru Ramen
Address: Kortrijksesteenweg 110, 9000 Gent, Belgium, gent, be

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Core concept and our values

Zuru Zuru Ramen is an authentic Japanese ramen restaurant rooted in the heart of Ghent, Belgium — a city with its own deep ties to Japan through its sister-city relationship with Kanazawa. Founded by chef and owner Nick Hofman, the restaurant was born from a genuine passion for Japanese culinary culture, shaped by multiple journeys to Japan where Hofman trained in the art of ramen-making. That formative experience left a lasting impression, and what began as a personal obsession has grown into something quietly remarkable: a destination that brings the soul of a Japanese ramen bar to the streets of East Flanders. The no-reservations policy — queue up and slide in, just as you would in Japan — is not a quirk but a philosophy, one that keeps the experience honest and unpretentious. Hofman's visit to Kanazawa, on the invitation of the City of Ghent, speaks to the depth of that cultural commitment and the recognition it has earned.

Special offering and specialities

At the heart of everything Zuru Zuru Ramen does is the noodle itself — fresh, organic, and made entirely in-house in the restaurant's own atelier. Hofman holds a distinction that is genuinely rare: he is the only Belgian chef to produce ramen noodles fresh and organically in his own workshop, using locally sourced organic flour from Oudenaarde. The broths are built with equal rigour — bone broth simmered for sixteen hours, developed in two styles, the cloudy paitan and the clear chintan, each finished with a house-made taré that forms the flavour backbone of every bowl. Toppings are treated with the same care: pork belly slow-cooked sous vide for fourteen hours, free-range marinated eggs, wakame seaweed, bamboo shoots, and aromatic chicken-fat oil that coats the noodles and keeps them from overcooking as you eat. The menu spans classic styles — Miso, Shio, Yuzu Shio, Shoyu, and Spicy Miso — alongside vegan and vegetarian options, and a rotating cast of specials that have included a Niboshi Ramen built on a sardine, mackerel, and bonito broth, and a Valentine's edition featuring beetroot noodles, dark Belgian Callebaut cacao in the miso taré, and sous-vide pears marinated in Liège syrup. A lunch deal of ramen, gyoza, and iced tea is available Tuesday through Friday at €29.95.

Impact on the gastronomic ecosystem

Zuru Zuru Ramen occupies a distinctive place in Ghent's gastronomic landscape — not simply as a restaurant, but as a living point of connection between Japanese culinary tradition and the local food culture of East Flanders. The kitchen functions as a creative laboratory where seasonal specials push the boundaries of the form: a seventh-anniversary Wild Ramen featured a deep broth of partridge, duck, and pheasant, topped with wild boar soboro and Hokkaido pumpkin, while a collaboration with coffee specialist Tom Verheyden of Koji Coffee Culture produced a Coffee Duck Ramen that wove Colombian specialty decaf into both the broth and the aromatic oil. Beyond the restaurant itself, Hofman extends his knowledge through workshops and masterclasses — Noodle Basics and Dashi Basics sessions where participants learn to make ramen noodles and Japanese stock from scratch in small groups. These events, held at venues including Gand Gourmand and Ichiba, reflect a genuine desire to share craft rather than guard it. In this way, Zuru Zuru Ramen acts as a kind of cultural bridge — bringing the techniques, flavours, and philosophy of Japanese ramen into the everyday food conversation of Ghent.

Partnerships and collaborations

Sourcing is woven into the identity of Zuru Zuru Ramen at every level, with named producers and carefully chosen partners giving the menu a clear sense of provenance. The organic flour for the noodles comes from Oudenaarde; organic tofu is sourced locally from De Hobbit in Maldegem; and the sake selection is curated by Kaori, a specialist partner based in Meulebeke. The drinks list reflects the same ethos of considered collaboration — Belgian-Japanese beers from Tielrode, Herzele, and Walloon Brabant sit alongside house-infused sakés, organic iced teas brewed in-house, and a Ghent-made kombucha from Yugen. The beer programme includes Kirin Free, brewed without GMO ingredients or additives, and the non-alcoholic options extend to a Ghent-Surinamese ginger beer from Jeanberbier. Special menus are paired with cocktails developed in collaboration with partners such as Tazu Antwerp, using Japanese whisky and house-infused spirits. Each of these choices — from the flour mill to the sake importer — reflects a commitment to transparency, craft, and the kind of meaningful sourcing that makes a bowl of ramen more than the sum of its parts.