Restaurant review: Torihana Tei Ramen - great fare under HK$100
Excellent soup base makes this Japanese noodle joint in Wan Chai stand out from the crowd, and their deep-fried chicken is spectacular too
Torihana Tei Ramen in Wan Chai is one of the latest additions to the (seemingly) never-ending list of ramen shops opening in Hong Kong, and it's one we think is worth a return visit. The shop is tucked away on a quiet street, but the giant red lantern at the entrance is so eye-catching it is impossible to miss.
The rectangular-shaped shop features an open kitchen on one side and 17 seats on the other. The menu is a simple one-pager that lists five different ramen bowls and three side dishes. You show your preferences by ticking on the order sheet, which allows you to choose the type of noodles, the firmness as well as whether you want onion.
The soup base of our Number 1 premium chicken ramen (HK$88) is excellent. It is creamy and rich in chicken flavour, without being too oily. The secret, they say, is to simmer a generous amount of chicken feet and breast bones for at least 12 hours. The curly noodles are also very good: silky but with a pleasant chewy bite, although we're not a big fan of the chicken char siu.
The spicy chicken ramen (HK$80) is great for those who crave some heat. The flavour was similar to Shanghainese hot and sour soup and the cooks are not stingy with the chilli so be prepared to sweat.
We wanted to try the dumplings (HK$38) but they were not available, so we had to try more chicken instead. The deep-fried chicken didn't look that attractive, but the big chunks of poultry are amazingly moist with a thin and crunchy exterior.
We wished for more of the chopped onion salad served on the side — lemony and refreshing, it cut through the grease.
We were too full to try the chicken omelette rice (HK$58), but the photo of it on the menu looked tempting.
Torihana Tei Ramen, Wah To Building, 22-30 Cross Lane, Wan Chai, tel: 2366 1332. Open: 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-10pm