Use Your Noodle
Ramen restaurants are everywhere, but a truly good one is a rare find in Hong Kong. Johannes Pong and Cyril Leung hunt out the best bowls in town.
Ah, ramen, the ultimate comfort food. And like everything Japanese, good ramen should be artfully presented. Everything from the cute kamaboko fishcake with the iconic pink swirl to the carefully prepared soft-boiled egg oozing a bright orange yolk is immaculately turned out for the ravenous diner. Because a decent bowl of noodles is surprisingly hard to find, we’ve narrowed down the best ramen joints Hong Kong has to offer.
The Big Three
Ippei-An
A favorite of the local Japanese expat community (probably because of the well-stocked bar), with a charmingly quaint interior and an Astrud Gilberto soundtrack, this ramen restaurant and bar is all warm red woods and unbelievably comfortable armchairs. The signature ramen here is the robust, Kumamoto-style Higomonzu, with huge chunks of kakuni (stewed pork) and cabbage. Their fragrant and balanced broth is a result of pork bones being boiled for a whole night to produce a milky, white potion full of collagen and minerals, and flavored with Okinawan sea salt and their special garlic oil. Check out their extensive sake and shochu list and try three different shots from the $68 tasting set.
4/F, Circle Plaza, 490-498 Hennessy Rd., Causeway Bay, 3741-1166
Yokozuna
Named after the highest rank in professional sumo, this institution has been doling out quality ramen since 1987. An open kitchen allows diners to watch the chefs do their thing (the seats at the bar are also the comfiest). Everyone usually goes for the perennial favorite, the savory pork bone broth, but try out their quirky offerings, like a nostalgic, old-school Showa-period soup noodle; or a new-style Yokohama curry ramen, with sliced onions, okra, tomato, bacon and optional parmesan cheese—weird, but it works, and unlike anything you have tasted before. Try their chicken wing-tip gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) as a side. Central ghetto dwellers, remember to bring a map, though the long queues outside will be hard to miss.
466-472 Nathan Rd., Yau Ma Tei, 2783-0784
Sapporo Japanese Restaurant
With big see-through glass windows, this ramen place situated in the middle of the busy city center is still open through a gradual renovation. It’s best known for its hearty northern miso broth, which is deep, nutty and slightly sweet with a giant slab of butter thrown in for that extra blanket of Hokkaido unctuousness. Sapporo-style portions are huge and toppings are generous. Love carbs? Get the fried mochi and potato cake on the side—that’s mashed potato wrapped around a gooey rice cake with a crispy exterior. Service is shaky, but their firm, chewy ramen flown directly from Hokkaido isn’t to be missed.
The Forum, 8 Connaught Place, Central, 2140-6883
