Slurp Lab Ramen in Hua Hin: A Tiny Piece of Japan Hidden.

Before I write about a restaurant, I normally like to visit at least twice.

A first visit can be misleading. Perhaps I ordered the best dish on the menu, arrived when the chef was having a particularly good day, or simply enjoyed the atmosphere more than usual. A second visit tells me much more. Sometimes I go three times before recommending a place publicly.

That is exactly what I did with Slurp Lab Ramen in Hua Hin. Now, I have been there three times, tried different bowls, ordered side dishes and spoken with both the people running the restaurant and some of the customers sitting beside me.

My opinion remains the same.

Slurp Lab is one of the most interesting Japanese restaurants in Hua Hin.

[GOOGLE MAP PLACEMARK: SLURP LAB RAMEN, HUA HIN]

Here’s the Facebook Page.

I found Slurp Lab through Google Maps

Like many people, I first noticed Slurp Lab because of its unusually high Google Maps score. I should mention something about that score. Customers who leave a five-star review are offered free ice cream. This probably helps the rating, so I would not treat the number alone as proof that the restaurant is exceptional.

Still, the score made me curious enough to visit. The food made me return.

After three meals, I no longer need Google Maps to decide whether Slurp Lab deserves a recommendation.

Only six or seven seats

There are approximately six or seven seats inside, all positioned close to the kitchen. You sit at the counter, watch the bowls being prepared and see almost every movement of the people working behind it.

There is no unnecessary decoration and no attempt to create a large commercial restaurant. Instead, the place feels like a tiny ramen shop hidden along a quiet street in Japan.

A restaurant where strangers start talking

One of the unexpected pleasures of Slurp Lab is the mix of people who find their way there. With so few seats, everyone sits close together. Conversations start naturally.

During my visits, I met a Thai couple, an expat from China, someone from Japan, someone from France and a Thai student. That is a remarkably diverse collection of customers for a restaurant smaller than many living rooms.

You might arrive alone and begin by discussing the menu with the owner. A few minutes later, another customer joins the conversation. People compare bowls, ask about the broth, discuss Japanese food or explain how they found the restaurant.

Some restaurants are anonymous. You enter, eat, pay and leave. Slurp Lab feels more personal.

Ramen made by people who understand ramen

The focus is ramen, and the menu shows confidence rather than ambition to please everyone. There are richer pork-based broths and lighter broths prepared with dried fish and other Japanese ingredients. Each style has a completely different character.

One of the bowls I tried had a darker, richer broth with layers of savoury flavour, slices of tender pork, egg, delicate strips of onion and crispy garnishes. The broth looked almost simple at first, but the flavour kept developing as I ate.

Another bowl was much clearer and lighter. The golden broth came with thin noodles, grilled pork, chopped red onion, spring onion, a small piece of dried chilli and citrus peel. The presentation was restrained and elegant, but the flavour was still deep.

I had the dashi, the tonkotsu and tori. Dashi was tasting more fish, salty. My personal favorite is tonkotsu. They told me it takes 2 days to make that broth!

The pork deserves attention

The pork is also prepared with care.

One order arrived separately on a white plate, cut into thick slices and topped with finely shredded onion and black pepper. The meat had a lightly browned exterior while remaining tender and slightly pink inside.

Good ramen depends on dozens of details, and the pork is one of them. If the meat is dry or overly fatty, the entire bowl suffers. At Slurp Lab, the pork feels like a separate dish rather than an afterthought placed on top of the noodles.

Do not ignore the gyoza

The gyoza are also worth ordering.

They arrive pan-fried, with a browned and slightly crisp surface on one side while the rest of the wrapper remains soft and delicate. The filling is moist, and the dumplings are served with a small bowl of dipping sauce.

The gyoza are excellent, but the dipping sauce deserves special mention. It combines Japanese soy sauce, vinegar, mirin and another ingredient whose name I forgot. Rayu, the Japanese chilli oil, is available separately, although I personally prefer the sauce without it. The balance is already excellent: savoury, slightly sweet and sharp enough to cut through the richness of the dumplings.

The owner knows his subject

One of the owners speaks excellent English. I understand that his father is Filipino, making him luk krung, and that he previously worked with a respected ramen restaurant in Bangkok.

He understands the differences between the broths, explains the ingredients clearly and speaks about ramen with genuine interest.

You see it in the broth, the noodles, the temperature, the pork, the garnishes and even the way each bowl is assembled.

A good period for Japanese food in Hua Hin

Hua Hin seems to be going through an interesting period for Japanese food.

The newly opened Shakariki 432 brings the atmosphere of a large and energetic Osaka-style izakaya, with a broad menu and a completely different scale. Shakariki recreates the noise and energy of a large Japanese izakaya. I wrote a post about Matt’s place in Hua Hin yesterday. That’s also very ifferent.

Slurp Lab feels like a small neighbourhood shop where the chef remembers what you ordered last time.

Why You Should Try Slurp Lab Ramen in Hua Hin

Because these are fantastic Ramen prepared by passionate people. Slurp Lab normally opens from Thursday to Sunday, from approximately 2:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.