Hakata Gensuke Ramen Professionals (Hawthorn)
Shop 4/860 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
03 8658 3130
Japanese
$
Food
- Signature Tonkotsu Ramen
- God Fire Ramen
- Karaage Chicken
- Gyoza
The Good
The ramen was what we came here for and boy did it not disappoint one bit.
Filled to the brim, the broth of our Signature Tonkotsu Ramen was an instant standout. The broth was rich and creamy, full bodied with a sensational pork flavour with every spoonful.
Another essential component of any ramen is of course the noodles. We found accompanying our excellent broth, strands beautifully cooked noodles that were freshly made in house and beautifully delicate. With just the perfect texture and chewy goodness, slowly soaking up flavours from the flavoursome broth.
And of course no ramen can be complete without slices of cha-shu, which were amazingly tender without being fatty, offering an almost melt in your mouth texture. Complete with a flawless soft boiled egg with a still-runny yolk, plenty of fresh, crisp spring onions and black fungus providing crunch,
The God Fire utilises the same base as the Signature Tonkotsu, but with added chilli. We opted for a mere one chilli, which added a good amount of spice without being overwhelming. This still allowed you to enjoy the beautiful porky flavour of the broth itself. But honestly, the pork broth was just so good that the chilli simply distracts away from the original taste.
We also enjoyed the Karaage Chicken. With a light batter fried to a crisp golden brown, the generously sized, meaty chicken was incredibly succulent and juicy. With an almost bouncy feedback, the chicken itself was cooked to perfection and each mouthful was simply a joy to devour.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
As one of our favourite dishes in Japanese cuisine, we’ve no doubt devoured ramen from each and every ramen joint across Melbourne. To date however, none even manages to comes close to the authenticity and deliciousness that Hakata offers.
Starting from the full-bodied, creamy broth. Silky, delicate noodles. Tender slices of pork. Flawless half-boiled egg. This is a recipe for success, and undoubtedly makes for the best ramen in Melbourne.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
With a verdict like that, what do you think?! Of course. Again and again.
Penguineats would like to thank Hakata Gensuke for inviting us.