OK, so I read that Duck Duck Goose in QV was doing a Kyushu style ramen in the white side of the restaurant (drool).  Furthermore, it boosted of a stock that’s been cooked for 16 [...]]]> 31-37 Artemis Lane QV, Melbourne
Phone 03 9040 2000
( Show on map )

OK, so I read that Duck Duck Goose in QV was doing a Kyushu style ramen in the white side of the restaurant (drool).  Furthermore, it boosted of a stock that’s been cooked for 16 hours (double drool).  So naturally I had to go check it out immediately.

DDG has always been a bit of a hit and miss for me.  They do a really tasty and great value teriyaki salmon with rice (which Mellie loves), and pretty good fried won tons.  However, DDG lacks direction in the food for mine, adopting a mish-mash pan-Asian style that crosses from Hong Kong to Malaysia before detouring to Vietnam and Japan.  The result is that not all of it works; a jack-of-all-trades means you’re a master of none.

So it was with the ramen ($18).  It arrived with all the requisite components of Kyushu (or Hakata) ramen: a white broth, whitish charshu, thin yellow noodles, spring onions, and bean sprouts.  However, alarm bells sounded when looking at the thinness of the broth and the lack of visible fat.

One sip confirm my suspicions.  The broth had an OK not-too-porky taste, but was far too weak, bland and watery, with no real depth of flavour that a broth that’s been cooking for 16 hours ought to have.  Strange.  If they had meant for the customer to season the broth themselves, then where were the traditional accompaniments for Hakata ramen, such as crushed garlic, beni shoga (pickled ginger) and spicy pickled mustard greens (karashi takana)?

Which brings me to the noodles.  They were way overcooked and were gluggy and doughy.  They were edible but not much more than that.

All of this is a shame because the charshu is actually very very tasty.  In fact, I would rank it as one of the best charshu’s in Melbourne.  You get a generous amount, and they were sliced perfectly with just the right amount of fat.  They literally just melted in your mouth.  Such a shame that the rest of the dish was not up to scratch.

I really want to like DDG.  They have a very interesting concept, the restaurant looks great and they have very flexible hours.  However, I wish they would not try to be a jack-of-all trades as, for something like ramen, it is a fatal mistake as great noodles take specialised dedication to achieve a truly great flavour.

Despite many visits, I’m surprised that I haven’t written about the venerable Momotaro Rahmen until now.  It’s the place that probably kicked it off for specialty ramen joints in Melbourne, boasting hand-made noodles and authentic flavour.  As I am ever on [...]]]> 392 Bridge Road, Richmond (map)
Phone 03 9421 1661

Despite many visits, I’m surprised that I haven’t written about the venerable Momotaro Rahmen until now.  It’s the place that probably kicked it off for specialty ramen joints in Melbourne, boasting hand-made noodles and authentic flavour.  As I am ever on the quest to find the best ramen in Australia, it would have been remiss not to include Momotaro on the list.  So we decided to check it out one afternoon after an intense ramen craving brought on by a viewing of Chef of the South Pole and Jeroxie’s tweets about going to Momotaro the night before.

Located on a street best known for cheap fashion rather than noodles, Momotaro is a small cafe that can be a bit hard to spot from the road (just look out for the awning in Mandarina Duck yellow).  Not quite the greasey spoon vibe of some of Japan’s ramenya’s, it’s a neat little space with cafe -style tables and chairs indoors and out; you can also perch on a benchtop next to the window.

The menu is of course geared towards ramen, and selections include shoyu (soya sauce), shio (salt), miso and tonkotsu (pork) broths, with toppings of either charshu (pork), seafood (my Dad’s favourite), wakame (seaweed), and yasai (vegetables).  Prices are very reasonable but be warned: servings are HUGE.  They also do other fare like gyoza and rice dishes, but trust me: stick with the ramen.

I almost always go for the shoyu ramen wih extra charshu, and this time was no exception   This beast of a bowl came chock full of beautifully tender charshu pork slices, dried seaweed, half a hard boil egg and plenty of veg including corn, mushroom, and spring onion.  It’s certainly not the usual shoyu ramen, but the broth has wonderful depth of flavour and the hand-made noodles were very tasty and eminently slurppable.  It certainly satisfied my ramen craving!

Mellie had the veg yasai ramen, which was similar to mine but with no meat and the addition of more greens like carrot and broccoli, all in a light flavoursome vegetable broth.  Vegetarians should rejoice in this one, and it’s pleasing to know that a ramen joint has such a fantastic meat-free option, as normally the chances of finding such an option in a similar noodle place is, let me see, zero.

We also tried the veggie gyoza.  They were filled with garlicky chives and were OK, but I much prefer the pork version.

So, is this the best ramen in Melbourne?  It is certainly an extremely good bowl of noodles but, if compared with the ones served in Japan, it’s sadly not the same.  But, I can categorically say that it’s probably the healthiest bowl of ramen in Melbourne, and one of the best value.  And the regular Japanese patrons don’t seem to mind that it’ s not 100% like in Japan.  Highly recommended!

Regular readers will know that I have *ahem* somewhat of an obsession for ramen.  I crave the stuff like crack cocaine.  Like Morpheus, I am determined to find “The One”: a ramen that is exactly like they have [...]]]> 421 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Phone 03 9417 3338
Open: Mon-Sat, 12 noon to 9pm

Regular readers will know that I have *ahem* somewhat of an obsession for ramen.  I crave the stuff like crack cocaine.  Like Morpheus, I am determined to find “The One”: a ramen that is exactly like they have in Japan (and does not resemble Keanu Reeves.  well, maybe the menma).  If this means trying out every single ramen in Melbourne then, dammit, so be it.

Past commenters have recommended Happy Kappa, so we happily decided to give it a go for dinner.  Alas, our plans were nearly thwarted by a seismic headache that I had since 2.30pm (work/headache = correlation hmm).  Decisions, decisions: heading home to curl up in the foetal position until the pain goes away OR noodle, fatty pork and MSG soup overdose??  Gluttony won through; I banked on two nurofens to get me to the shop, then hopefully a fortifying broth to finish the job

The Kappa is located at the quieter end of Brunswick Street, near the corner of Queens Parade.  There is another branch in Richmond, but we decided to try the Fitzroy one as it’s supposed to have more of a ramen focus.  Upon walking in, we found a pleasant space, with plywood-ish walls dotted with a mish-mash of Japanese prints and patterned happi and yukata.  The owner-chef emerged from behind a high counter that concealed the prep/cooking area, gave us a warm greeting, and told us to sit wherever we liked.  As we were the only ones there, it was very quiet; the silence punctuated only by the lilting strains of George Michael’s “Faith” in Japanese, playing in the background.

The small menu offered various donburi dishes, udon and soba noodle dishes, sushi, sashimi and bento boxes.  But we were here for ramen, so we focussed exclusively on the seven choices available.  I was intrigued by the Tonyu ramen, which promised ”soy milk taste”.  And Tomato Miso, Kimchi and Curry ramen flavours showed that the owner was prepared to innovate.  But being sticklers for the classic, we opted for the shoyu and straight miso ramens, with a side serving of gyoza.

The gyoza ($6.80 for 6) were some of the finest I’ve ever tasted.  They were plump, juicy and flavoursome, with wonderful sear marks akin to pot stickler dumplings.  They were bloody good!  Interestingly, the gyoza initially came with one of those ubiquitous soy sauce fishies.  When he sensed that we might be game to try authentic stuff, the owner advised that gyoza dipping sauce actually consisted of a mix of soy, sesame and vinegar, and offered it to us.  Of course we said Bring it Awwn!, and he quickly replaced the fishie with the “real” sauce.

Finally, to the piece de resistance!  My shoyu ramen ($9.80) certainly looked the business; standard toppings included nori, wakame, menma, spring onions and bean sprouts.  Additional toppings,  like boiled egg, are $2 extra.  But curiously, it did not have *gasp* chashu!!!  Instead there was grilled chicken.  When I asked whether my favourite topping was available, the owner sheepishly informed us that he used to have chashu, but patrons kept leaving it behind (heathens!!) and so he decided to use grilled chicken instead.  It was still a very good ramen; the noodles were a tad too overcooked for my liking, but the broth was delicate and tasty.  The grilled chicken was also delicious.  However, the ramen did lack the oomph of a ramen that you would find in Japan.  Sadly, not The One

Mellie’s miso ramen had a fiery kick and was very tasty as well; I preferred her broth to the shoyu ramen.

We got to talking with the owner, who said that his dream was to open a ramen shop just like in Japan.  However, we got the impression that with his current location and clientele, he offers a pared down version of ramen to stay in business.  But he was obviously passionate about authentic fare and was keen to share this with kindred spirits, like when he offered us the real gyoza dipping sauce, when he insisted that I have some sesame oil in my broth as that is the traditional acompaniment for shoyu ramen, and when he advised that the egg is never completely hard-boiled in Japan, instead being half-cooked with a soft yolk.  He certainly knew his stuff, but was somewhat restrained; again he said that he didn’t offer the egg with the soft yolk because his customers didn’t like it.

Well, I certainly hope that he realises his dream of an authentic ramen shop, and we’ll certainly encourage him when we return.  Oh yes, we’ll be back!  Though not The One, his ramen was very good; I just can’t wait to see what he can do when he breaks free and cuts loose!  Also, he did say that sometimes he offered chashu to regular patrons   And his ramen did do two things: it rid the last remnants of my headache, and inspired me to get off my lazy ass and write a blog post for a change!

As most of our regular readers know, I am obsessed with authentic Japanese ramen.  It was my favourite dish during my trip to Japan last year, highlights of which included the Shin Yokohama Raumen Museum and the [...]]]> G25 Postal Lane, GPO, 350 Bourke Street
Phone unknown at this stage

As most of our regular readers know, I am obsessed with authentic Japanese ramen.  It was my favourite dish during my trip to Japan last year, highlights of which included the Shin Yokohama Raumen Museum and the mighty Jiro Ramen.  By authentic, I mean a full bodied broth that doesn’t skimp on flavours (usually from a good dose of abura, or fat); perfectly cooked hand-made noodles with bite; and quality toppings such as melt-in-your mouth fatty chasu pork.  To date, I have not sampled any ramen in Melbourne that is exactly how it is in Japan.  Some come close, like Kenzan GPO, Momotaro Ramen, and Ajisen Ramen, but they always seem to fall down in some respect, whether it be the broth, noodles, toppings or a combo of all three.  Imagine my excitement when I read in the Age Epicure that a new ramen shop was opening right next to Kenzan GPO, in the space previously occupied by Nostro Baretto.  Ramen-Ya has been opened for about a week.  We walked by it yesterday and, despite already having had lunch, we just had to sample a bowl! 

As you can see in the sign above, Ramen-Ya claims to specialise in Hakata ramen, a style that originated on the island of Kyushu and which is characterised by a flavoursomely rich tonkotsu (pork) broth.  It’s quite renowned throughout Japan, and Mellie and I sampled some in Yokohama and Kyoto.  One thing that I’d have to disagree with the sign is that slurping is not optional.  It is compulsory!   By agreement with Kenzan GPO, Ramen-Ya does not offer any sushi, sashimi or don rice dishes, which may seem a bit anti-competitive but then again, true ramen shops in Japan do not offer these things as well.  Ramen-Ya does serve gyoza dumplings, which is a popular accompaniment to ramen in Japan, as well as Japanese fried rice.  The location, down a covered alleyway next to the GPO, is quite pleasant and seating is abundant.  Two types of broth are offered – shoyu (soya sauce) or tonkotsu – with a number of toppings including chashu, minced chicken, pork gyoza and seafood gyoza.  Basic noodles are around $9.50 but you can get extra toppings ($2.50-$3).  Ordering is done at the counter, where you will be issued with a number.  Pity that they didn’t have a ticket vending machine as they do in Japan!

Mellie and I ordered a bowl of tonkotsu chashu ramen to share but, through confusion with the order, I believe that we got the shoyu version instead (see first picture).  Being new, I think there is definite improvement to be made in the service.  Nevertheless, we tucked in with gusto.  As you can see from the pic, all the requisite toppings were present, including half a hard boiled egg, spring onions, Japanese fish cakes, wakame and Japanese veg.  The ramen looked very similar to the shoyu ramen we had at Takayama.  It was also the right size too; not too big and certainly not the monstrous serving that you get at Momotaro.  

And the verdict on the taste?  Well, I thought that it was very good indeed.  It didn’t have the full flavour punch of the ramen in Japan, probably due to it being a much healthier version, but the broth was still very tasty and delicate.  The thin noodles had a great bite to them, which I loved.  There is nothing worse than soggy noodles, though personally I would have preferred them to be thicker.  I’m not sure if they’re hand-made or not, but they’re quite good.  A standout for us was the chashu, which had been slow-cooked to tenderness, and was almost reminiscent of slow braised brisket.  Damn it was good!  Surprisingly , it was also quite lean, unlike the fat overload of the chashu in Japan.  Between the two of us, we polished off the whole bowl.  We witnessed a guy at the next table demolish TWO bowls of ramen!!  Sugoi!        

It’s always great to see more ramen shops in Melbourne that aim to serve a more authentic version of this often misunderstood noodle dish.  It’s still not the same as in Japan, but Ramen-Ya is certainly up there with the best ramens that I’ve had in Melbourne.  Hopefully their service will improve with time, as there was a bit of confusion with the ordering, with waiters unsure about which tables ordered what dish.  However, our noodles did arrive very quickly, albeit the wrong one   I’ll definitely be back though, if only to try the tonkotsu ramen!

Ah, the lengths that ramen addicts go to in order to find a cult noodle joint. That’s what we were asking ourselves (or at least Mel was asking me) as we wondered around the concrete neon jungle of Shinjuku for what seemed like hours. Foot-sore, hungry, and delirious from the incongruity of [...]]]>

Ah, the lengths that ramen addicts go to in order to find a cult noodle joint. That’s what we were asking ourselves (or at least Mel was asking me) as we wondered around the concrete neon jungle of Shinjuku for what seemed like hours. Foot-sore, hungry, and delirious from the incongruity of Japan’s address “system” and the crapness of Lonely Planet maps, we had asked at least four people for directions. Whilst each appeared very willing to help, the directions they provided were vague in the least, plain incorrect at the most.

“Ramen Jiro wa doko desu ka?” we asked a shoe salesman in heavily accented Japanese.

“Ahh, Ramen Jiro, hehehe,” he knowingly laughed, as if mocking the slavishness with which we were trying to find this infamous ramen chain. With pointed finger, he sent us onwards into the concrete sprawl.

Whilst researching ramen places on the Internet, I stumbled upon Ramen Jiro, which had developed somewhat of a cult following in Tokyo. It is not an official franchise but rather a series of branches dotted in various locations in Tokyo, all of which serve this particular style of noodles. The infamy of Jiro stem from the soup, a tonkotsu-based broth with added shoyu and garlic that is so rich, porky and garlicky that it can’t be stomached even by some native ramen eaters. The Japanese blogs that pay homage to Jiro far outnumber the English-language ones, although I had a craving for this ramen after reading about it on the Ramen Tokyo website (which reviewed individual branches) and I was literally drooling on my keyboard after watching this YouTube video about Jiro.

Prior to Shinjuku, the first Ramen Jiro branch we tried was in Ikebukuro. Nowhere near as difficult to find as the Shinjuku branch, we easily located the signature glaring yellow sign of Jiro, which drew us in like moths to a naked flame. As with most popular ramen joints, a line snaked out the front. We eagerly queued with the hungry throng.

It must be said that we were pretty nervous at this stage. Far from the relatively safe confines of the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, this was our first, true bona fide ramen shop experience! We were perturbed by our lack of language skills and Jiro’s quirky ordering procedure (more later). We were also wondering what to do should we be split up, as seats are taken up as soon as they are vacated; they do not necessarily cater to couples.

Whilst in the line, we bought tickets from the vending machine. After reading the Ramen Tokyo website, we went the “Small” size which was ¥600 a bowl – a wise move as we discovered later. A spritely Japanese lass marshalled the “front of house” and allocated seats in a manner resembling the Soup Nazi. “Did you buy a ticket? Please do so at the machine! Please be seated. Here. No, HERE!” We meekly gave her our tickets and stood waiting for places to free up. Luckily, a couple left just as we hit the front of the queue, and we were given their seats. Phew – we breathed a sigh of relief and wished good karma on the departing couple.

The next step in the ordering procedure is that you will be asked what extra toppings you would like. These varied from branch to branch, but will usually include yasai (usually beansprout), ninniku (garlic), or even abura (extra fat from the pot). I asked for yasai mashi mashi (extra extra veggies) whilst Mellie stuck with no extra toppings.

Look at this bad boy!!! When my ramen arrived, we exhaled in awe at the pimped-up mountain of sprouts, and I was wondering how the hell I was going to finish it, and how on earth could people order anything other than a small?? Well, this was what I had waited for. Full of expectations, I sipped my first spoonful of soup. HOLY SHIT! HOLY FRIGGIN’ SHIT!! I swear to God that I had never before, in my 32 years on this planet, tasted anything like what I was sipping at that little noodle shop. It was like LSD for my tongue – my taste buds were taken on a trip. The thin-looking soup totally belied the richness, complexity and depth of flavour of the broth. It was salty, porky, and garlicky, and with each additional sip the aftertaste raised this triumvirate five-fold (and I’ve just drooled on my keyboard as I write this). Digging through the mass of sprouts, I found chashu (sliced pork) that was so meltingly tender and fatty that it rivalled the slow-cooked meats of top restaurants. The noodles were thick, curly, and of the most perfect consistency. There and then, I proclaimed to Mellie that this was the best noodle dish that I have ever tasted in my life. Seriously, it was THAT good.

Well, I managed to nearly finish mine; Mellie didn’t fare so well. We stumbled out of the shop into the night, overdosing on Jiro broth and MSG, but even then I swore to myself that I would have Jiro again before I left Japan.

My wish came true on our second last day when we went to the Shinjuku branch of Ramen Jiro. After searching for hours, we eventually managed to find the shop, which was far smaller and greasier than the Ikebukuro store. In other words – heaven.

Again we went the small, but this time I wisely didn’t get as much toppings as I did last time. The Shinjuku ramen was very good, the soup wasn’t as fatty as the Ikebukuro one and the chashu was leaner, but in my opinion, the Jiro here was eclipsed by the first one I had. Because this was my second time round, I had developed my Jiro stomach, demolishing my bowl, and polishing off the last of Mellie’s (paid for it later though!!!).

Sure, Jiro is a dieter’s ni
ghtmare – you would probably accumulate two day’s worth of calorie intake with just one bowl – but if you’re after a flavour punch that not only wounds you, it knocks your block off, Jiro is your thing. Artery-clogging goodness, and my favourite noodles in Japan. Now that I’m back in Melbourne, I get the shakes and need to find a Jiro Anonymous.