KUALA LUMPUR: It looks like Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has come to the right city after being away from home enduring weeks of international engagements.
He has already tasted the Japanese fare in the city, and yesterday recommended the place where ramen noodles connoisseurs should head to.
He heard that ramen noodles were gaining popularity in Kuala Lumpur, with famous restaurants from Japan setting up branches here.
"If any of you have yet to try ramen, I recommend you head to "Tokyo Street" in Bukit Bintang after today's sessions," he quipped during his speech at the Asean Business and Investment Summit today.
Japan's delicious ramen consists of a delicately-balanced harmony of soup, noodles, and toppings.
"But we Japanese don't bring the Japanese dish to Malaysia as is."
He narrated how one restaurant got the halal certification after taking into consideration religious sensitivities in Malaysia.
"It uses a chicken base for the soup instead of pork bone, and tops up the noodles with slices of chicken rather than roasted pork."
The ones preparing the meals are Malaysians who have received training, he said.
"Thanks to efforts like these that some ramen restaurants are expanding their number of branches here,"he added.
"We Japanese do not impose ourselves on others... we take a long-term view, cultivating firm roots in a country. We think together, and move forward together, with the local people."