Hakata Gensuke Ramen – Melbourne

Was looking for something for dinner and decided to check on TripAdvisor. On the list was this place. This little eatery is popular in Melbourne with a line outside of people waiting to eat here when I arrived. They move customers quite fast while giving people menus outside and an ordering sheet. You then write down what you want with a tick and once you have been seated you give it to one of the staff.

Signature Tonkotsu

GENSUKE Original Pork Broth which is perfect vessels for the full-bodied and collagen-rich pork bone soup served with the homemade thin noodle, tender pork cha-shu,  black fungus and spring onions

This does not like the prettiest but wow this tasted good. The soup had so much depth to it and smooth and creamy. It must have come from the collagen-rich pork bones. The black fungus had a nice earthy flavour to the soup and also added a nice textural crunch. The noodles were nicely cooked with good texture and went really well with the soup. Finally, the cha-shu was good but slightly to flavoursome and was too thinly cut to my liking. However, over a really nice bowl of ramen.

Chicken Karaage

Hakata Gensukehouse special juicy chicken karaage served with our secret spiced pepper. 

I did wonder why there were only three pieces of chicken on the menu. However, when it arrived at my table, I could see why. The pieces were the size of golf balls and the chicken thighs were rolled into a ball and then deep-fried. The chicken had a nice crust to it and inside it was nicely cooked with juices coming out. The seasoning of the karaage was really good and dipping it into the spiced pepper was unnecessary as it was loaded with salt.

I was impressed with this place and would like to go back one day and try their God Fire Ramen. The service is fast and very efficient. The staff welcome you when you arrive and farewell you when you leave. There is also a lot of shared seating and quite cozy, but you are don’t spend a lot of time there so it is fine.

Address: 168 Russell St, Melbourne

Website: Hakata Gensuke Ramen