Hakata Gensuke

Baby, it’s cold outside. It’s wet, it’s dark and it’s pouring with rain. Ramen is suddenly the only thing that makes sense. Hakata Gensuke ramen that is.

God Fire

I must say, Ramen has to be one of my ultimate comfort foods. And the ramen at Hakata Gensuke is no exception. If anything, it's the rule. My Level 4 God Fire was wickedly spicy, a steaming bowl of Gensuke's silky tonkotsu broth with a secret blend of 'Spicy Fire' swimming with bouncy noodles and your basic trimmings. I also went for an added egg because really, who can say no to a gooey centered egg ? Seriously, I can not think of anything better to warm the soul on a chilly, grizzly day.

Signature Tonkotsu

On the other end of the table was the Signature Tonkotsu - rich, cloudy and collagen-full pork bone broth served with thin noodles and an upgrade on the trimmings. For an extra $8, you get three more slices of fatty cha shu, seaweed and flavoured egg. All politely slurped up in no time.

Hakata Gyoza

Chicken Karaage

We also grabbed ourselves some bite-sized Hakata Gyozas and Chicken Karaage. Juicy Hakata style fried chicken tossed in secret spices - so so luscious on the inside yet amazingly crispy on the outside. Oh man, biggest craving for this JFC right now. 

Guys, hang up your dripping umbrella and wet jacket, shrug off those winter woes and fill up Hakata Gensuke. Best ramen in Melbourne I tell you.

Hakata Gensuke

860 Glenferrie Road 

Hawthorn, VIC 3122

http://www.gensuke.com.au/ 

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Shyun Ramen Bar

Carnegie has always been one of my favourite places to dine at, and boy has Carnegie changed over the years. What started off as a quiet suburb with just a handful of family restaurants has now exploded into one of the hottest foodie destinations in Melbourne. You've got your old time favourites Kuala Lumpur, Paradai Thai and Kimchi Grandma, the newer kids to the block like Shyun, Mrs Kims Grill and Spilt Milk and with the likes of Pho66 and Petaling Street opening shop in the next few months. 

It was just two weeks ago that Carnegie said "Irrashaimase" to Shyun Ramen Bar, the newest addition to Melbourne's ramen scene. And it hasn't taken long for locals and Shyun devotees to find their way to Shyun Ramen Bar, just down the road from sister restaurant Shyun - myself included. Cold weather demands comfort food. 

Upon walking, you'll realise just how small the ramen bar is - seating up to 24 remen-goers or perhaps 30 if you really want to push it. It's a casual and simple space - open kitchen, wooden tables, black metal stools and a self-service ordering system. 

Tori-gara

Titled Chef's Pick, the Tori-gara had to be ordered. The broth was golden, thick and robust in chicken flavour. Just a sip of this broth told stories of the countless hours it simmered over the stove. The rich broth enveloped perfect bouncy and chewy noodles, two slices of fatty chashu, an overcooked egg and your usual trimmings. 

Tonkotsu 

The tonkotsu broth, also boiled over hours, was a wonderfully rich and creamy consistency. In comparison to the Tori-gara, though the broth had a lot of depth to it, we found the complexity of the flavours did not quite hit the same notes. 

Takoyaki

Of course, we also ordered a serving of their Takoyaki. Complete with dancing bonito flakes, these were extremely satisfying with its crisp exterior and lovely creamy texture inside. Check out that octopus tentacle ! Clearly a winning dish, I'd have to say these are one of the best ones I've had in Melbourne.

Overall, our speedy meal at Shyun Ramen Bar was a great winter warmer. Portions here may be small for some, but the quality is there. I must add though, my main gripe is how small the space is - with hungry queuers hawk eyeing you as you eat, and the countless times I was bumped or asked to get up mid-eating so that people could get out/get in, it isn't the most comfortable place to be.

If you're in the area, do go and try if you're feeling like a quick meal, but do not expect to stay for more than 30 minutes.

Shyun Ramen Bar

73 Koornang Road 

Carnegie VIC 3163

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SHIZUKU

Ramen Burgers. Yes, you heard me right, ramen burgers. Taken off to a humble start, SHIZUKU is nestled among the plethora of Vietnamese restaurants on Victoria Street. Serving up Izakaya-style plates, ramen and  donburi bowls, you can see how SHIZUKU would stick out like a sore thumb - for all the right reasons though. 

Surrounded by dark charcoal walls, hanging terrariums and intricate light fittings, the space has a lovely contemporary feel that welcomes you in the moment you step through the door. The menu is developed by Head Chef Ken Yoshida, who has been said to have worked in some of Japan's most renowned ramen shops. Bringing his expertise to SHIZUKU, the menu offers dishes with a twist, with a heavy focus on texture, taste and innovation. 

Oyster Sake Shots

Edamame

Takoyaki Senbei

Tuna Tartare

Wasabi Prawns

Grilled Cha Shu

Gyoza Cali and Gyoza Spicy

Karaage Popcorn Chicken

SHIZUKU Ninki No.1

Kanpai ! The night started off strong, with a round of Oyster Sake Shots for all. The zensais then started to come out progressively, allowing our tummies adequate time to digest, whilst readying our tastebuds in anticipation for the next dish. To sum up the zensais, my favourite zenzai for the night, was the Tuna Tartare. A dish I could eat on and on, with the lightness and crunch of deep fried gyoza skins, freshness of sashimi grade ground tuna in SHIZUKU dressing, and tang from the spring onion. Followed closely were the Wasabi Prawns - flash fried prawns served with a Japanese inspired wasabi mayo. Extremely addictive.

Ramen Burger

Hailing all the way from New York, the next culinary mash-up, has landed in Melbourne. In place of a bun, you will find tightly packed ramen noodles, which delicately held marinated pork belly with homemade plum sauce and Kewpie mayo. As expected, there were ooh's and ahh's, and camera's flashing away as the burger was unravelled. Though it was a little smaller in size than expected, and did  not look overly appealing, it still made a delicious mouthful and ticked the novelty box. It was definitely worth a try, but I think I'll stick to the traditional hot steaming bowls of ramen to curb my ramen cravings.

Tan Tan Men

Now, this is what I'm talking about ! Shame, I did not have much room to stomach my Tan Tan Men after the 10 dishes mentioned above. SHIZUKU has taken inspiration from the traditional Sichuan spicy noodles, Tan Tan Men (bouncy noodles) to bring us a big bowl of comforting ramen. The noodles swam around a thick and sesame rich broth, and featured pork mince, preserved vegetables, chilli oil and a gooey-centred boiled egg. It would be rude not to slurp this all up.

Annin Tofu

After all the savoury dishes, how did I fit in dessert ? Because it was bliss. Similar to the Chinese sweet tofu pudding 'Dau Fu Fa' , this chilled sweet almond tofu was light, refreshing and pretty much the perfect way to end the night.

I quite enjoyed SHIZUKU and believe with a little more time to grow into its own skin, they’ll be a raving success in no time. Rumours also say that ramen sushi and ramen desserts are to be expected soon. Now that's something to keep an eye on.

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of SHIZUKU.

SHIZUKU

309 Victoria Street 
Abbotsford, VIC

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Ramen Ya

Some people take their ramen very seriously. Aside from your traditional ramen, think instant ramen, ramen burgers, ramen pizzas, ramen salad and pretty much ramen-everything. There's even a museum dedicated to ramen. For now, I'm happy with the classic deep bowls of broth, filled with oodles of noodles and fun. 

Nestled in the maze of Melbourne's GPO, you will find Ramen Ya - voted one of Melbounians' most loved ramen cafes.  Let's put them to the test, shall we ?

Chasu Ramen

Tsukune Ramen

Their specialty tonkotsu broth was rich, hearty and ​full of flavour - ground up pork bones slow cooked for hours and hours. The round bowls were swimming with bouncy noodles, and garnished with tender fatty chasu/tsukune (minced chicken), kamaboko swirls, bamboo shoots, pickled mustard greens & ginger, chopped spring onion and salty sheets of seaweed. Unfortunately for me, the egg was hard boiled and there was none of that gooey-goodness.  

Ramen Ya served up a mean bowl of ramen. Though they certainly hit the spot, I really did want that gooey creamy egg.  The best ? I can't say for sure.

Ramen Ya

Shop 25G Melbourne GPO 

350 Bourke St, Melbourne

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Super Bowl Pho & Bun Bo Hue

A rainy Wednesday night brought my friends and me to Super Bowl Pho & Bun Bo Hue. Let me tell you, there is nothing more comforting than eating a hot steaming bowl of pho on a cold night. But wait, there is - a super bowl of pho.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Hanoi Style Spring Rolls 

Pork, vegetables and shrimp in rice paper rolls were deep fried to a golden brown, with the perfect crunch with each bite. The right way, and the only way to eat this dish is to eat with your hands. In fact, if you decided any other way, you would look ridiculous. Wrap these babies up with vermicelli rice noodles in a fresh leaf of lettuce and dip/soak in fish sauce. Yum !

Pho

The broth was light, slightly sweet and fragrant. You could taste the hours on end that the soup had have simmered for. The flat rice noodles were smooth, slippery and slurp worthy. Unfortunately, I found the thick slices of beef not as tender as I would have liked. Completing the dish, chopped spring onion and sliced onion added the perfect bursts of freshness. And boy, was the bowl gigantic.

Hanoi Style Vermicelli Noodle

The last dish was char-grilled pork chops and pork patties served with rice vermicelli, an abundance of fresh vegetables and pickled carrots and daikon. The pork was tender and full of flavour and was voted the favourite of the night by my friends.

Overall, Super Bowl Pho & Bun Bo Hue was fresh, fun and flavoursome. And you know what they all say - the bigger, the better.

Super Bowl Pho & Bun Bo Hue
252 Victoria St
Richmond

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Ajisen Ramen

Nah, I’m too lazy to travel to North side.  What ? But we just came from the City, can we please not go to the City again?   It was just one of those days. All I wanted was something simple, effortless and homely. Something like Ajisen Ramen.

Not only does Ajisen Ramen mean big steaming bowls of satisfaction, it also reminds me of the exciting times I had overseas. All the crazy Shangahi adventures and exhilarating Hong Kong fun are dug up by good old Ajisen Ramen. With over 750 branches all over the world, Ajisen is one I know I can count on.

Gyoza 

Tossing up between Takoyaki and Gyoza was  a tough decision, but the stomach helped make the final call. Luckily, the tastebuds agreed with these pan-fried parcels. Encased in a lovely crispy skin was a juicy pork and vegetable filling. Dip, or even double dip these into the gyoza sauce, and we are good to go.

Sizzling Seafood 

Like my days in Asia, I assumed that this was going to be Pepper Lunch style and come out on a scorching 260 degree hot plate where my meal would sizzle and cook before my very eyes. Instead, out came a not-so-sizzling warm-plate with a combination of calamari, mussels, fish and prawn stir-fried with bean-shoots in an overly-sweet cream sauce. 

Spicy Miso Ramen

Plump and tender ramen hid beneath an array of goodies. Sweet slices of cabbage, oozy soft boiled egg, truly spicy minced pork, and crunchy wood ear strips all balanced each other well.  The miso soup  was rich, fragrant and full of flavour. Warned with three chillies on the menu, it was no lie. Absolutely delicious and extremely satisfying.

Fast, tasty, affordably priced and a no fuss sense makes Ajisen Ramen an easy peasy Japanese-y choice.  

Ajisen Ramen

82 Kingsway 

Glen Waverley

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