Hakoya Ramen
609 Lonsdale St, Melbourne Japanese
$
Food
- Hakoya Tokatsu Ramen
- TanTanMen
- Karaage Chicken
- Gyoza
The Good
We thoroughly enjoyed the Hakoya Tokatsu. The rich, flavoursome broth was served hot and offered up plenty I depth in flavour. With an almost creamy texture, the soup clung nicely into the delicate strands of noodles cooked to ‘hard’, providing a hint of chewy sensation and a beautiful silky texture. The Chashu accompanying the ramen deserves special mention. The outer was blowtorched and caramelised, creating a lovely charred sensation and an excellent aroma. The pork itself was just divine, effortlessly melting away in your mouth while providing an exceptionally porky, flavoursome sensation.
We also enjoyed the rather unconventional TanTanMen. Opting for the mild option, the spicy pork broth carried with it an exceptional spice that was neither too hot nor spicy, allowing it to pair beautifully with the beautiful porky sensation. This was coupled with tasty crumbs of spicy minced pork as well as crispy bits of fried onions offering an excellent crunch. Combined with the once again flawless chashu and perfectly cooked noodles, this was one enjoyable bowl of noodles. Though we will stop short of calling this a Japanese ramen.
The sides certainly weren’t bad either. The Karaage Chicken was nicely fried, it’s golden brown outer offering an excellent crunch that made way for a tender and juicy inner. We also enjoyed the Gyoza, their thin delicate skin wrapped an inner filled with juicy mince mixed with sweet cabbage.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Competition is undoubtedly fierce between an ever increasing number of ramen joints popping up in Melbourne. Despite this, Hakoya ranks amongst one of the top ramen we’ve sampled in Melbourne.
While their ramen may not be strictly authentic, the delicious, flavourful broth, coupled with amazing chashu and silky smooth noodles, definitely won us over!
Would Penguin Eat Again?
We will definitely be back!
Penguineats would like to thank Hakoya Ramen for inviting us.