Tasty, light, filling chicken soup ramen for US$15 at Ramen Cubism in Central, Hong Kong

Tucked away in an alley on Wellington Street in Central is Ramen Cubism. Opened in January by Japanese ramen master Hayashi Takao,  it is a popular spot for those in search of chicken soup ramen.

We arrived just before noon and we didn’t have to wait long for a table. By the time we left at about 1pm – peak lunch hour – there was a queue. The facade of the restaurant is colourful and whimsical, while the wooden furniture and yellow lights inside make it warm and cosy.

The chef’s recommendation, Premium Cubism (HK$118) was made with the signature chicken soup and ingredients that included bamboo shoots, spring onions and half a boiled egg. Three pieces of slow-cooked pork belly were placed on the rim ofthe bowl, which was so large it took up about one-third of our table for two people.

The chicken soup was not as thick as the pork bone soup that many other ramen places offer, and the layers of fat and lean meat in the pork slices went well with the fresh spring onions and crunchy bamboo shoots. Black pepper added another layer of flavourand the noodles had a springy, yet firm texture. It’s a substantial portion, though, and we couldn’t finish the bowl.

In addition to the Premium Cubism, there were four other ramen choices with different soup bases: sea-soy soup, white soup, clear broth and spicy white soup.

We tried the sea-soy soup ramen with thick pork belly (HK$88), which, the menu says, mixes nine types of Japanese premium soy sauce. Despite that, we didn’t care for it: it was too salty, and the 3cm-thick pork belly pieces weren’t tender.