Broth, tare, noodles, and toppings all come together to make a satisfying bowl of ramen.
Ramen. The classic combination of pasta and broth is so good for you, and it has stood the test of time. Noodles prepared just how the customer likes them (firm, medium, or soft). A rich, creamy, powerful soup foundation can be prepared by using a variety of broths, from a light and salty broth to one made by quietly pork bones for hours. Common toppings include soft-boiled oysters marinated in a mixture of substances that are often kept secret, and pork cooked in soy sauce, sake, and sugar until meltingly delicious.
Both the rich tonkatsu stock and the lighter chicken variant are well-known in Melbourne, with the former being simmered for half day or more with rice and salmon flakes to add a deep umami taste.
Additional depth is provided by traditional ingredients including shoyu, shio, and spicy miso. Most ramen chefs will protect their tare recipes with their lives.
Noodles, like their Italian counterpart, can come in hundreds of varieties. Only one constant? As they will keep cooking in the dish, they are best served firm and just underdone. You won't find anyone waiting around for their friend's soup to arrive in Japan. Instead, it's customary to slurp and chow down on your noodles as soon as the bowl is placed on the table. This will keep the noodles from becoming mushy.
Barbecued pork, a soft-boiled yolk, black beans, black fungus, glutinous rice (seaweed), naruto fish fingers, spring onions, maize, and even butter are all possible toppings.
Find out where to get the best ramen in Melbourne now that you know whether to get.
Shyun Ramen Bar
You may be surprised to learn that some of Melbourne's finest ramen joints are located outside the central business district. Shyun Ramen Bar is a little piece of Japan transplanted to the suburbs, right down to the joyful Japanese greetings greeted by every member of staff and the open kitchen confronting ramen aficionados in the long, wide dining table. The greatest bowls of ramen, soba, and udon in Melbourne are the main attraction at this modest industrial diner. Karaage ramen combines the best of both worlds: bite-sized morsels of deep-fried chicken rest on a mound of soft noodles in a shoyu or dashi broth with a sprinkling of corn kernels and green onions for crunch.
Little Ramen Bar
The staff at Little Ramen Bar claims that, in addition to the sound of slurping, a platter of gyoza is the typical accompaniment to ramen. When paired with a cold bottle of Sapporo or some of Melbourne's finest ramen in the central business district, the succulent pork dumplings really shine. There's the traditional ramen and the tan-tan guys, both with varying degrees of heat. For dipping gyoza, try the latter, a substantial and rich take on ramen with lots of vermicelli in a broth laced with chillies and packed to the brim with minced pork.
This inventive ramen shop makes up for its cramped quarters by offering Godzilla-sized bowls as an add-on. Neither the veggie miso ramen nor the Chinese-inspired tantanmen skimp on the umami, so branch out and try something else. The name of this Melbourne restaurant pretty much gives it away: Little Ramen Bar is a cosy ramen establishment serving some of the city's best ramen. You can pick between shoyu, miso, or shio. You can then customise your bowl with any of your prefered toppings, such as a seasoned egg, quick pork broth, roasted sesame seed, bamboo shoots, or a seafood medley. The level of heat and whether or not it comes with meat or vegetables are both options.
Shujinko
It's great that we have a midnight kebab, but Melbourne could always use additional late-night food options. To fill this void, there is Shujinko Ramen. Hot bowls of ramen, gyoza, and takoyaki are served at this 24-hour ramen bar, making it the only place in town to get these delicious Japanese dishes at any time of the night. In any condition, you can count on their trademark Tonkotsu Ramen, which is loaded with collagen. A soft-boiled egg half, pork belly, and wheat noodles produced in a hidden kitchen with a window are served in the soup. Among the best appetisers to share are the crispy cunws, chicken Karaage, and pan-fried gyoza. Shujinko has everything you could want: a soup with just the right amount of flavour; noodles that are both thick and fresh; excellent service; and a menu that won't break the bank. Except, perhaps, for additional trips after the food has digested. And if that wasn't enough, this Melbourne Central Business District ramen shop is open nonstop so you may satisfy your appetite whenever it strikes.
When you get the munchies at 3 a.m., try something healthier than greasy hot chips. If you were hitting the bars late at night, the next day will be much better thanks to Shujinko, which is open nonstop. If you're looking for something to cool you down this summer, try the Hayashi tantanmen, which is made with chicken broth and giant prawns instead of the hot karakuchi ramen.
Mr Ramen San
Tucked on the Little Bourke St end of Mid-City Arcade, Mr. Ramen San is a popular Japanese restaurant that consistently draws a long queue of hungry patrons. This restaurant serves out some of the tastiest broth in Melbourne, as well as some of the city's longest-running tonkatsu broth, all day, every day. Additionally, Mr. Ramen San provides a wide selection of ramen flavours, including spicy chicken soup, seafood goreng, family-style congee with pork broth, and, most remarkably, a totally vegan 'Cha Siu' ramen.
At Mr. Ramen San, you can get authentic Japanese ramen, which comes all the way from Hakata, Japan. While serving some of the best Japanese ramen in Australia, they never lose sight of prioritising rich flavours and welcoming service by making their noodles fresh in-house every day. Come on in and try the freshly cooked eggs, inhale the wonderful aromas, and savour the crisp flavour of their premium, soup-infused ingredients for yourself.
Tokyo Tina
If it wants to be considered one of the hippest spots on Chapel Street, Tokyo Tina must serve authentic ramen with a Japanese twist. As a matter of fact, they do it multiple times. There's ordinary chicken, spicy chicken, standard chicken, mushroom, and miso, but the smoked pork, bok choy, and ramen egg in Amy's Black Tare sauce is where it's at. Get there early if you want to avoid waiting or plan on spending some time in Chapel.
Shizuku
Shizuku is a newer option for ramen in Melbourne. This hip spot specialises on ramen and craft beer, and its decor consists of charcoal walls, huge blonde wood light shades, and terrariums. The ramen plate is just as varied as the drink menu, which features everything from the standard Asahi to the more exotic bacon maple ale and delectable rum-infused umeshu. It is recommended that first-time ramen eaters try the traditional shoyu ramen, which consists of wheat noodles, pork, and a little salty soup. But if you're a ramen purist, you should try the similar to what happens shio ramen, which features pork belly plus noodles that are springy at first but soften and absorb more flavour the longer you let them soak in the pig bone broth.
Shop Ramen
Shop Ramen in Melbourne's inner-north serves up the ramen that the locals love. The chicken balsamic ramen is delicious, and the classic ramen with soft-boiled egg and pork is hard to beat, but the vegetarian version has quickly become a fan favourite for its inventive twists on the original. Broccoli and zucchini provide crunch and flavour, while a handful or nuts and seeds provide textural variety in a cashew milk soup that is just as delicious as its porky sibling. Shop Ramen is a top candidate for the title of greatest ramen in Melbourne, and that's true whether you're in Fitzroy or Preston.
Mugen Ramen
The ramen at Mugen Ramen is a perfect representation of the city of Melbourne as a whole. It is tucked away in a laneway, like many of Melbourne's best brunch restaurants, and is renowned for its tsukemen. In a rush? Get the ramen; if you've got a lot of time, nibble on Wagyu steak or Scallop Gratinas while watching Japanese cult films on the enormous wall screen.
Hakata Gensuke
The Hakata Gensuke locations in Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD), Hawthorn, and Carlton might easily pass for their original Japanese counterparts, what with their tick-sheet ordering systems and individualised noodle dishes. In addition to the usual options of toppings and spiciness, you may specify how al cooked you'd want your noodles to be in this, one of the most classic ramen Melbourne has to offer. Black 2–6 ramen, which features black walnuts and garlic for something like an added layer of rich, smokey flavour, is a good place to start when you're not sure what to order.
Hakata Gensuke won Best Bang for the Buck in the 2015 Time In Food Festival due to its excellent tonkatsu broth. Beware the fiery wrath of God Fire ramen, and try the black miso ramen for an almost smooth pork skeleton soup with a blast of garlic and black sesame.
Hakata Gensuke's ramen in Auckland Cbd and Hawthorn is prepared with a yobimimodoshi that is exclusively used in the finest ramen restaurants in Japan. The soup is cooked for three days to infuse it with full flavour, and also the squad of chefs eats a full bowl daily to make sure it always pays homage to the high standards. When you add in the chanting wait staff and authentic Japanese cuisine, you can feel like you've been transported to the kingdom of both the sunrise for the night.
Tamura Sake & Jazz Bar
Classifier Sake & Jazz Bar is Fumi Tamura's latest venture, bringing trendy, low-key Japanese cuisine to Fitzroy. Some of the best ramen in Melbourne, served in a warm, genuine setting, with classic highballs, shochu, and sake to complement the fresh salmon ceviche and Japanese fried chicken.
Ippudo
Ippudo, a franchise with Japanese roots, is widely recognised as the gold standard when it comes to ramen. Since its inception in 1985 by Shigemi Kawahara in Hakata, Japan, the company has expanded to over 200 sites globally. The ramen here is delicious and well worth the trip, as seen by the slew of prizes it has received.
If you're a first-time visitor, you absolutely must order the Akamaru Shinaji Ramen over Tonkatsu broth. In addition to pork loin, black beans, black fungus, and fine noodles cooked to your prefered density, you can also order a properly cooked, flavoured egg. The pork broth is textural, creamy, and genuinely heart-warming.
Gogyo is a good example of Melbourne's ramen scene. Their charred miso ramen is a house speciality that can't be found anywhere else, and the heat level of their hotter options won't be for wimps. In furthermore, Gogyo is part of the enormous Japanese chain IPPUDO, which has been serving up delicious bowls of ramen for years.
Yoku Ono
Yoku Ono is, along with the other places on our list, a strong contender for the title of "greatest ramen in Melbourne." If you're in the southern part of Melbourne and craving ramen, this is the place to go. The menu is seasonal, creative, and fresh, but there are a few ramen classics that you simply must have, such as their version of sesame chicken ramen and iconic Yoku Ono ramen.
Neko Neko
Neko Neko's vegan ramen may be found among the traditional Japanese curries, karaage, tempura, and gyoza. This unique ramen has come a long way from Tokyo all the way to Australia. The founders and chefs are almost all Japanese, giving the nutritious handmade broth as well as eggless noodles a genuine flavour. Though vegetarian, it ranks among Melbourne's greatest ramens.
Fukuryu Ramen
Be on the lookout for Fukuryu Ramen, a Soho ramen establishment that prioritises speed over anything else. Chicken spicy beef ramen, vegetarian miso ramen, and a chilled seafood rice dish with yuzu jelly are three of the more out-of-the-ordinary dishes on the extensive menu of classic ramen.
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Premium Japanese ramen, known as your tastes, may be found at either of Melbourne's two Ikkoryu Frankfurt Ramen restaurants. You won't find better ramen anywhere else, and they put their expertise in chikuho noodles and spicy beef soup to use in making a rich and flavorful dish. To give you a taste of the exquisite aroma that has been polished and perfected and over course of 40 years of manufacturing some of the best classic ramens in Japan, the culture of Japanese ramen has been brought to Melbourne.
Conclusion
Ramen is a time-honored dish consisting of noodles and broth. A wide range of broths and condiments can be used to make it, including soy sauce, sake, and sugar-braised pork, and oysters marinated in a variety of things. You can find hundreds of different kinds of noodles, but they all benefit from being cooked until they are al dente. The greatest bowls of ramen, soba, and udon in Melbourne can be found at Shyun Ramen Bar, a little bit of Japan brought to the suburbs. The karaage ramen dish is a delicious fusion of the two.
The ramen at Little Ramen Bar, located in a cosy space, is some of the best in town. As an extra, they have Godzilla-sized bowls available, in addition to the regular ramen and tan-tan men. Collagen-rich Tonkotsu Ramen is served alongside chicken Karaage, pan-fried gyoza, and crispy cunws as starters. Hot bowls of ramen, gyoza, and takoyaki are available at all hours of the night and day at Shujinko Ramen. Both Mr. Ramen San and Tokyo Tina, two well-known Japanese restaurants in Melbourne, serve traditional ramen with a modern Japanese twist.
Spicy chicken soup, shrimp goreng, family-style congee with pork broth, and a completely vegan 'Cha Siu' ramen are just a few of the ramen varieties offered at Mr. Ramen San. Tokyo Using Amy's Black Tare sauce, Tina makes traditional ramen with a Japanese spin, topping it with smoked pork, bok choy, and a ramen egg. If you want to spend time in Chapel or avoid waiting, you should arrive early. One of Melbourne's most popular eateries, Shizuku is known for its excellent ramen and wide selection of local craft beers. Try the shoyu ramen if it's your first time, but if you're a ramen purist, go for the shio ramen, which has pork belly and noodles that are springy at first but soften and absorb more flavour the longer you let them soak in the pig bone broth.
Ramen lovers can get their fix at Shop Ramen, located in Melbourne's inner-north, while Mugen Ramen is the epitome of Melbourne itself. Tick-sheet ordering and customised noodle dishes are available at the Hakata Gensuke restaurants in the Melbourne Central Business District, Hawthorn, and Carlton. Tonkatsu broth, black miso ramen for an almost smooth pork skeleton soup with a blast of garlic and black sesame, and Akamaru Shinaji Ramen over Tonkatsu broth with pork loin, black beans, black fungus, and fine noodles cooked to your prefered density earned Hakata Gensuke the title of Best Bang for the Buck at the 2015 Time In Food Festival. Gogyo is a branch of the massive Japanese chain IPPUDO, which has been dishing up tasty bowls of ramen for years. Ippudo, a brand with Japanese origins, is widely regarded as the gold standard when it comes to ramen. Fumi Tamura's newest venture is the Tamura Sake & Jazz Bar, located in Fitzroy, and serving stylish, low-key Japanese cuisine.
Classic highballs, shochu, and sake pair well with the fresh salmon ceviche and Japanese fried chicken at Yoku Ono, a top pick in Melbourne's ramen scene. One of the best ramen restaurants in Melbourne is Yoku Ono. It changes with the seasons and is always inventive, but there are several ramen standards that you simply must have, like their take on the ubiquitous Yoku Ono ramen and the sesame chicken ramen. Whatsup, howdy, howdy, neko neko Vegan ramen may be served at Neko Neko with other classic Japanese dishes like curry, karaage, tempura, and gyoza. Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen serves authentic Japanese ramen, while Fukuryu Ramen, also in Soho, places an emphasis on speed.
Content Summary
- A bowl of ramen consists of the broth, tare, noodles, and toppings.
- Explore Melbourne's ramen scene if you've decided to get it or not.
- This Melbourne eatery's name gives the game away: The ramen at Little Ramen Bar, located in a cosy space, is some of the best in town.
- To address this need, there is Shujinko Ramen.
- The ramen at Mr. Ramen San is genuine and originates from Hakata, Japan.
- The ramen at Tokyo Tina needs a Japanese twist if it's going to be recognised as one of the coolest restaurants on Chapel Street.
- As a relatively recent addition to Melbourne's ramen scene, Shizuku Shizuku is worth checking out.
- Hakata Gensuke's tonkatsu broth is so good that it won the 2015 Time In Food Festival's Best Bang for the Buck award.
- The yobimimodoshi used to make the ramen at Hakata Gensuke's Auckland Cbd and Hawthorn locations is only found in the best ramen shops in Japan.
- If you're looking for a representative sample of Melbourne's ramen culture, go no further than Gogyo.
- One of the best ramen restaurants in Melbourne, Yoku Ono is also on our recommended list.
- The menu changes with the seasons and features original takes on ramen standards including the famous Yoku Ono and the more traditional sesame chicken ramen.
FAQs About Ramen
Shop Ramen Fitzroy, Ramen Ya, and Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen make some of the best ramen restaurants in Melbourne.
According to the Yokohama Ramen Museum record, ramen originated in China and made its way to Japan in 1859. Early versions were wheat noodles in broth topped with Chinese-style roast pork.
Ramen is one of the best-known and most popular Japanese foods worldwide. There are four major types of Japanese ramen, decided by the tare or base flavour:
- Shio (salt-based ramen)
- Shoyu (soy sauce-based ramen)
- Miso (soybean paste-flavoured ramen)
- Tonkotsu (pork bone broth ramen)
Ramen isn't healthy food. But it's pretty simple to add a bit of roughage to your starch. You can stir Quick-cooking vegetables like baby spinach, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, thinly sliced cabbage, watercress, and scallions (amongst others) into the soup right before serving.
Ramen swept the country after World War II when the US flooded a hungry Japan with cheap wheat. Popular regional styles emerged as ramen chefs riffed and created countless varieties. More than four decades later, the Japanese would vote instant ramen the country's best invention of the 20th century.