Hong Kong Ramen #1

Although I know much less about ramen in HK then I do about ramen in Japan, I have started to go to ramen shops frequently enough on my trips to HK over the last few years to see that:

1 - a small ramen culture is starting to appear (in a city that is well-known for food and devotion to it)
2 - more ramen shops are appearing, some due to the Japanese influence (every time I go to HK I swear I see more Japanese signage and shops)
3 - the quality of them appears to be increasing

As of today I have been to:

Yokozuna (Mongkok)
Santouka (TST)
Kakurega
Butao (Causeway Bay)
Hide-Chan
several places in the Sheung Wan area
Ippudo
Ippei-an

Kakurega is the best so far.

Kamakura/Ebisu神座/恵比寿

 

 






Chotto hisashiburi dessho ka. Although I have not posted very frequently since leaving Japan, I stil keep in touch occasionally with my former ramen comrades in and outside of work. WHen they send me notable ramen information, I will post it as appropriate.


Although easy to understand visually, this use of the "kamakura" compound is a very odd kanji compound that does not appear right away in many dictionaries. It is not the same as the town of the same name (the one with the Big Buddha).


This article is about the newly-opened (April 2012) branch of Kamakura ramen. This is one of a chain of about 25 branches, most of which are in the Osaka area. On the same back street to the west of Ebisu Station, the back street that has the Keijyo yakuniku place, and my former favorite discount barbershop on the corner (above the "Curry and Food Bar"), you will find Kamakura. The word from my intrepid coworkers is that while it has a varied menu, it was nothing special. It was good, but did not make a deep impression on them. Pictures are courtesy of them.


Google Maps

Ebisu Shop Announcement Page

Futaba/Kamiogi二葉/上荻

 

Futaba (two leaves) had a wait outside on a cold day of about 20 minutes. It was very hold, humid and cramped inside though. Both the shop and the bowl were jam packed, one with closely-seated customers that took up the 9 seats shoulder-to-shoulder, another with soup components that included cabbage and onions, and a well blended but clearerand still fatty broth. Be sure to read the various notes on the sign, or have someone read them for you. I had the Ramen Jiro look-alike dish and it was fairly good. There are two shops in this chain, less than a quarter-mile straight line distance from each other, and both within close walking distance of JR Ogikubo Station.

Google Maps
Shop Home Page
Kigeki Ramen Page

Tenkoo/Mita天空/三田

  

Well if you are going to go to this place you might as well go to the Ramen Jiro honten. Lots of space, lots of aluminum. Shio tsukemen. Decently-ranked.

Google Maps
Shop Home Page

MenDokoro Okaji/Jinbocho麺処 おかじ/神保町

 

Mendokoro Okaji has several types of ramen but the kind that I recommend going for is their sort of version of tori pai tan, rich chicken broth with either a chicken patty or pork slab (sometimes with bones) in it. Tori pai tan (see here) is a slightly creamier version of chicken broth, sort of the chicken version of tonkotsu. This place had a good version, they tried to be all artistic with the garnish and the lemon. They had the usual set of instructions pasted to the counter on when to add the lemon etc. Took them quite a while to fry up the chicken thing though, and they were a bit suprised when I ordered it. I was the first one there for lunch but the place started filling up a bit afterwards. Just off of Hakusan Dori north of Jinbocho Station. 11-7, closed Sundays and holidays.

Google Maps
ZATSU Blog (w/better pics)

Menya Sou/NakaMeguro麺屋 宗/中目黒

  

Please see our previous review of Menya Sou's original shop in Takadanobaba here.

Please also see some good background on the original shop here.

This is the second branch of Menya Sou. It's a short walk south from NakaMeguro Station on Yamate Dori. If you pass the blue-fronted Kennedy Steak House you've gone (much) too far. They have free wifi available and NakaMeguro is a nice residential neighborhood with some nice shops to walk around in prior to or after your meal. I had the shio ramen with extra noodles and chashu. They added some of those long stringy "take" mushrooms that I am not crazy about. I also had the chashu donburi as a side dish, that was actually the better of the two. The ramen was good but not great, however the broth had a clear rich taste. Few customers in the place on a weeknight. In a slightly awkward location next to/behind one of the kosenkyou's along Yamate Dori.

Google Maps
Shop Home Page

Hazuki/Fudomae葉月/不動前

 

Excellent tonkotsu gyokai near Fudomae Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line. This shop opened in April 2011 and is the sister shop of the Yukigaotsuka shop (Ikegami Line) that we reviewed at the end of 2009 and was also a Recommended shop. Same great broth and generous portions, with thicker chunks of fatty pork as you can see from the pictures and a lemon slice to put in about half way through. Come right at the opening and there won't be a large line. I recommend the pictured dish, the Hatsuki niku-tsukemen. (葉月肉つけ麺).

Google Maps
Supleks Page