Review Shop Ramen - Fitzroy

One of the best Ramen places in Melbourne, in my opinion. Broth richness was just right and both the vegetables and protein were super flavourful. A definite recommend!

Nice little ramen place that serves bao, ramen and a few cold dishes. We ordered the Shoyu, Shio and Tan Tan Men ramen. Although the broth in the Shoyu and Shio was pleasant, the overall taste was quite bland and the quantity of pork belly served was pretty low. The Tan Tan Men had very smooth beef brisket but the taste was a bit overwhelming. Staff were friendly and efficient, meals came out with very little wait time.

Excellent food, service and experience. Had the shoyu ramen and was great value for money. The pork belly cuts was generous, with two large thick cuts coming as standard and you easily get more when compared to the one small piece you get at Hakata Gensuke. Great vibe inside, the service is quick and got my meal about 10 mins after ordering. Great drinks on offer, I highly recommend the Orion beer which in my opinion is Japan’s best commercial beer.

Excellent ramen. Incredibly rich broth, good noodles and some of the best chashu pork I've ever had. I was a bit disappointed when I requested a few Japanese pickles and was told no but otherwise the meal was delicious. The sparse decor and average service are the only things holding this place back from a five star rating.

This place has been a staple for a long time. Consistently good ramen and now they serve sake!! Good vegetarian options too.

My first try this ramen and I really love it. Soup is so tasty and clear. Best ramen in Melbourne for sure. Highly recommend

Came all the way across town to eat this noodly goodness 😋 well worth it, those who rated this a 1 star really are as salty as they claim the broth to be. Delicate taste, good service and really nice whisky. Thanks guys!

Giving it a 5-er for the vibe more than the food. I mean the food was still great though. The optional yuzu oil in the ramen is kinda interesting. Worth experiencing once, but i probs won't do it again.

Ordered the pork belly bun and beef brisket ramen. What I liked about the bun was that the bun was warm when served, and the pork belly was melt in your mouth. However the sauce was too salty for my liking and could use some sugar for balance. The beef brisket ramen was the star. Although not your traditional ramen (when you have kimchi, Chinese chives, bean sprouts and peanuts - it was like all of Asia in one pot), it worked and it was damn delicious. There was not a drop of broth left when I was done with it. Overall, 5/10 for the bun and a winning 8/10 for the beef ramen.

Its the best ramen iv'e ever had ! So delicious and fresh ! The ramen is cheep and crap at most jap restaurants ...

Love love love this place. Consistently delivers fresh, flavourful, interesting, and quick ramen and bun. The milkshakes are delish. (omg the black sesame)

OMG amazing Rahmen!! Super tasty broth, noodles perfect and meat delicious. Service is also 100% better than Shuzuku Rahmen who are nothing but rude to customers. Shop Rahmen the best in Melbourne!! 👌🏻

Fantastic. The beef brisket ramen is my favourite meal at the moment. They really know what they're doing here.

Terrible Ramen - it was like a Hipster who has never been to Japan went to New York, ate at Momofuku Noodle Bar and thought 'we could do this in Melbourne'. Unfortunately, unlike Momofuku the ramen at Ramen Shop is devoid of flavour and the technique required to turn a simple bowl of noodle soup into something truly delicious. We now have an abundance of Ramen options in Melbourne many of which have their roots in Japan. Do your self a favour and give this place a miss.

Place where you actually can sit down, relax, enjoying bowl of beautiful broth and homemade ramen.

Really delicious food, amazing mushrooms in the ramen. I would really like to see them use re-usable chop sticks rather than throw away ones, much more environmental.

Great customer service, best cold tofu rice bowl ever. Coming back with the wife this weekend!!

Omg.. These noodles are the best I've had! Best ramen in town hands down!

stumbled across this place and will definitely be back!! so yum - loved your vegetarian version (y)

What a shack ! Super tasty food, and that neon... woof!

Very tasty, fresh great value for money. Relaxing Atmosphere :)

Shoyu..... you rock ! I love this place.

Amazing food!!

The noodles are chewy, soup is not too salty, pork melts in your mouth, oyster mushroom has a tasty buttery taste - basically the whole bowl ramen is amazingly delicious and easily one of the best ramen I've ever tried. I hope that the portion is bigger though, but I'll definitely come back again! 😋

Best ramen I’ve ever tried!!! Tastes very clean and healthy, not as greasy and fatty as from other ramen places and still full of flavour. Broth tastes very complex and good proportion of meat and veggies. Pork belly is a thick cut meat.<br/><br/>😍Pork belly ramen<br/>🤤Pork belly bun<br/>😍Chilli bomb<br/><br/>📌Highly recommend getting the Pork belly ramen and adding a chilli bomb into the broth.

On a wet rainy Monday evening, our plans changed suddenly when majority of friends cancelled last minute due to the weather. So my 2 remaining friends and I still decided to meet up but not in the city.  They suggested to have ramen which I was all for it. My first time visiting Shop Ramen and I was quite impressed with the food quality.<br/><br/>🔆LOCATION🔆<br/><br/>Shop Ramen is situated on Smith Street near the corner of Johnston. Easily reached by tram or bus if taking public transport. The premise is very small and fits about 26 people at maximum capacity.<br/><br/>There is a large long communal table in the middle, with 3 small tables against the wall and a round table near the front that can seat 4 people and against the register counter there are a few seats there too.<br/><br/>The interior is very basic with light green tiles against one wall and the opposite wall is piled high with boxes of Japanese beer and other beverages.<br/><br/>🔆SERVICE🔆<br/><br/>The service was very chilled and relaxed, it matches the vibe of Shop Ramen. <br/>I wouldnt say it is traditional ramen this place serves but has a modern twist.<br/><br/>🔆MENU/PRICE🔆<br/>The Shop Ramen menu is simple with main feature clearly being ramen, but they also have rice bowls, cold noodles and buns.<br/><br/>Note: Home-made ramen noodles with free range chicken broth<br/><br/>We ordered: <br/><br/>Pork Belly, $17.50<br/>(Shoyu ramen with nori, spring onion, marinated egg, king oyster mushrooms, Chinese broccoli)<br/><br/>BBQ Chicken, $17.50<br/>(Miso ramen with organic red & white miso, burnt cabbage, red onion, buttered corn, marinated egg, peashoots)<br/><br/>Organic Tofu, $17.00(<br/>Creamy vegetable ramen with tofu, sesame, kale, pickled shiitake mushrooms, peashoots, edamame and marinated egg)<br/><br/>Housemade Yuzu soda & lime, $7.00<br/><br/>Yuzu Sipper, $14.00<br/>(yuzu shu, yuzhu jice, soda, dried orange)<br/><br/>🔆VERDICT🔆<br/><br/> Shop Ramen serves their food with a fusion modern twist. My Pork Belly Ramen came with Chinese broccoli which is an odd combination but it works! The pork belly was lightly chargrilled and was very meaty and tender! Yum!! The Shoyu soup was strong in flavour but not overpowering. The ramen noodles were chewy and slightly firm, really good texture. Overall I was quite impressed with my dish.<br/><br/>My friend who is a vegetarian (and was the one who suggested to dine here) always order the Organic Tofu ramen and he absolutely loves it.<br/><br/>Our other friend who had the BBQ Chicken polished his food so fast and drank all the miso based soup as well. Needless to say, he enjoyed it alot too!<br/><br/>If you visit Shop Ramen, come with the expectation that its not traditional Japanese ramen and you will maybe pleasantly surprised.

Noodles are fabulous and firm, ramen broth is rich and has plenty of flavour. Portions are decent, not overly large though. Dessert was matcha and black sesame icecream cake - delicious!

I loved shop ramen! It is such a cute place. It’s prices are so reasonable for the quality of food that you are getting there. The service was prompt and friendly. We had two different types of ramen with a pork bun as an entré and I could not recommend it enough! I had the pork ramen and it was simply delicious. A must when on smith street.

Super tasty ramen! The chewy noodles and clean but flavoursome broth were a stand out, but the pork meat was freaking amazing. So tender, smoky and gelatinous. I could eat this every day. Service was fast and friendly too.

One of the best spots around for vegan ramen. The broth is super creamy thanks to sesame, and features a punch of sourness thanks to marinated mushrooms. The space is small so there's often a wait, but it's worth it.

one of the better ramen places in Fitzroy, this small but intimate place serves up some delicious bowls of ramen that also include vegetarian options.<br/>Loved the Pork belly ramen with the added yuzu oil.<br/>the broth was hearty and coated the noodles well.<br/><br/>the only downside is the price, at $18.5 (with the yuzu oil) its already $3 more than the average bowl and this isn't the best ramen I've had in Melbourne so I can only think of visiting this place when i'm with a vego company.

It doesn’t get any better than sitting down to a delicious steaming hot bowl of ramen! <br/><br/>This little establishment was small, intimate & authentic! <br/><br/>Ramen is one of my FAVOURITE foods believe it or not! I loved this broth is was full of flavour and coated the noodles so beautifully! The corn was a beautiful sweet of flavour, oozing yolk and well cooked pork! Yum <br/>

One of the best ramen places around Fitzroy if not in Melbourne. While they don't exactly do traditional Japanese ramen (e.g. kimchi found in tantan men), I would come here any day than a typical big name franchise ramen shop. The chicken broth is amazing and the texture of the men (i.e. noodle) is fantastic. You can also get different baos and alcohols and your order is served promptly. The place is not that big and gets full rather quickly, so expect some waiting time before being seated. The only possible improvement I'd suggest to the management is to provide some complimentary pickles to complement the ramen.

3.5<br/>A small ramen specialising eatery.<br/><br/>The place is quite small, with few individual tables ans one long one. We had to wait for a while before being seated. Staffs were okay but not the friendliest. Food came after a reasonable wait.<br/><br/>Their pork belly ramen was quite good. I feel like the taste is just right, not too salty or bland. The noodle texture was nice too, and meat melted in my mouth. Garnished with egg and shrooms which I enjoyed.<br/><br/>Brocolli rice bowl was enjoyable. The sauce was tasty and components worked well together, generous portion too. That being said, it was pricy for what we get.<br/><br/>Overall, a good place for some ramen but it's just bit on the pricy side.<br/><br/>( follow for more!✨)<br/><br/>ｘｘ，ｊｏｅｌｌｅ.

Used to love going here weekly but quality has really gone downhill. Found a fly in my soup halfway through my ramen about a month ago. When i informed the staff, they didn’t really seem sorry and just assumed I wanted a new one but in reality I had lost my appetite. They didn’t really appear to be apologetic and still charged me for my meal. Pity. Not going back anymore.

Holy Moly. It was a place of dreams even when I first heard about it. **Paging Dr. Phil** I’ve found my new crack-cocaine!!! <br/>Seriously, do I deserve this?! To be fair dinkum the ramen at this joint is far better than the lame oily crap. And it’s located smack-bang on Smith Street. Can I say yum one more time!?!? I’m gonna, I’m gonna say yuuuuum!!!!!!!’

I got the pork ramen with the yuzu oil added, which was a nice touch. The food was tasty, service was quick, bill was cheap, great experience overall. Only downside was a 15 min wait to get a table!

Look, it was fine but if you’re going to charge $17+ for a what is essentially a bowl of noodles you want it to be something delightful or at least satisfying which sadly it was not. It was all a bit of a rip off. My taste buds did not experience anything like what the glowing reviews and best ramen listicles promised.

Came by here for a quick ramen fix. And for today, I had the pork belly ramen. The broth is clear and does not have the depth of meaty flavour of some of the other more traditional ramen shops. It wasn’t bad though, in fact, quite the opposite. It had that umami kick, and the generous serving of just the right texture of noodles and pork belly meats was delicious. The addition of the soft egg, oyster mushroom and leafy veg all makes sense. It’s not a big place, but you can see why the locals dig this place and come back for this bowl of ramen time and again.

The ramen here is really delicious but the wait times are always crazy long . As the restaurant is very small you have to wait awhile to get seated but even once you are seated , prepare to wait for your food . I cannot say it is worth the wait but it’s still yum nevertheless- my faves are the pork belly and bbq chicken ramen

I heard such good things about this place so i thought why not? It became instantly clear this was like no other Ramen place and the overall vibe and decor was pretty different. The food was different too however, the Ramen was downright boring, it wasn’t bad it was just flavourless and it was lacking. It doesn’t have that great broth taste you get from other places. The meat in it was great however! <br/>I also got a pork bun which was quite delicious! Overall i guess it’s worth a try for the price, but don’t expect this to be the best ramen you’ve ever had.

I came here with my lovely gf (not sure why that's relevant) and ordered the pork belly ramen and the beef brisket ramen - after all, the place is called Shop Ramen. I'm the type that eats out a lot but is not very fussy with food so it's got to be really bad for me to leave a bad review. If this resonates with you then please go ahead and keep reading. <br/><br/>I found both bowls enjoyable although it looked like the broth for the pork belly one was quite oily. The king oyster mushrooms were a good addition though. Good vibes because the place was full when we arrived but fortunately we didn’t have to wait for a seat. Got seated next to where you pay and it was a bit uncomfortable having to hunch over my bowl of ramen as the seat was a bit too high and table not high enough. At $17/bowl, it is on the pricey side for ramen and being the value for money type of guy that I am, I probably won’t be back on this side of Christmas. $3 for extra noodles is a bit steep as well considering other places have that option for free or for $1. Amex not accepted if you were wondering. <br/><br/>Thanks for reading.

Passed by here for months now and finally made it here. I looooove ramen so I would consider myself a ramen pro :)) I have to say for this price I have had better. Sorry to say I was disappointed :((

Exited they had yuzu ramen. This place is not quite Tokyo's Afuri but brings back fond memories. The yuzu cocktail is a great pairing. Nice to see Shoyu getting some attention too, as Melbourne seems t on favour tonkotsu.

Delicious bowl of ramen. Loved the broth. Only reservation was the seating allocated -in the doorway on a freezing cold Melbourne day when there were tables free but apparently unavailable -although later occupied by another single dinner. Pity as the incessant cold air compromised my enjoyment of very good ramen.

3.5<br/>*Pork Belly bun - soft pork belly with a good cucumber pickle to cut through. The bun was nice and soft.<br/>*Brisket & Kimchi bun - tender brisket well paired with acidic kimchi and rounded out with mayo. <br/>*Pork Belly Ramen - shoyu soup had some deep flavour from the soy and mushrooms. The pork belly was very dry though, felt like it was way overcooked in the oven and dried out. <br/>*Tan Tan Men - The roast beef brisket was tender, and the soup had some mildly spicy nutty flavours.<br/><br/>The noodles are made in house, but I'm not sure about the recipe, as they didn't have that springy chewy resistance you get from proper alkaline noodles. It was almost like an al-dente bite you get from spaghetti. <br/><br/>A good option for locals as there are no other ramen shops around. It was pretty busy and the wait was around 10 minutes. <br/>Quite a cosy restaurant, most people will be seated around the communal table, which feels right for the area - I was surrounded by interesting discussions of politics, war and drunken escapades.

Pork belly ramen... what more can I say. Easily hands down the best ramen in Melbourne. I only wish that they would bring back the recipe from 2017. Maybe I will find it in their new shop ramen in Preston. Fingers crossed. Enjoy everything that this little shop has to offer. The staff are super friendly, the ambience is relaxed and the ramen is delish!!!!

If you have never had ramen then you might like this place. Alot of hype for not much return, the bar next door is pretty good to get past the soy sauce ramen soup and expensive plum wine. Sorry to leave this kind of review, I really wanted to like it but it just made me sad.

Great chicken ramen, the broth was delicious and it made me feel better since I was down with a cold. Overall, I enjoyed it even though it isn’t super authentic but it was a satisfying lunch.

Popped in for lunch after checking out the markets in Fitzroy one day, and having seen some good reviews about this place. Was a very different take on the traditional Japanese ramen. Considering I’ve also been to Japan and have tried many types of ramen before (including fusion/“___ inspired”), personally found it to be a bit too different to what I was expecting and wasn’t sure what to make of the flavours. The pork belly ramen I ordered left me unsatisfied. Milkshake was also average, and considering the price of the dishes ($17 for the ramen and $9.50 for the shake!) we did not really enjoy the experience overall... would not return.

Wow now this is the best Ramen 🍜 I’ve eaten in a very long time. I think the key is that it’s not too salty. But still incredibly tasty. The service was friendly and attentive. I really can not wait to come back!!

This place is quite small and serves a 'hip' version of ramen as opposed to the traditional type. I sat on a communal table, giving me this unfamiliar but comfortable feeling. The staff are nice and helpful. I ordered the pork belly ramen ($17). Its broth is clear with a very obvious soy sauce (shoyu) taste, it's good though, I could not taste any msg. There is bok choy, king oyster mushrooms, which are asian ingredients but they are not typically in Japanese style ramen. I love what they did with the king oyster mushrooms and the edge of the char siu pieces had a barbequed taste, it was not just boiled and put into the bowl. Interesting. The noodles were chewy. <br/><br/>Filling and pleasing meal. I bought a Shop Ramen tote ($20) too, the fabric is also great quality fyi.

After living in Japan, finding great ramen in Melbourne is harder than you would think. Shop Ramen wins on multiple levels. Broth=win, meat=win, creative menu=win, vibe=win, music selection=win. They put their own creative spin on a Japanese classic with interesting toppings and combinations. The place is super popular and always buzzing. No# 1 ramen in Melbourne from a ramen lover!! Fave: beef brisket with American cheese.

Average ramen at a premium price. They forgot my order so had to sit and wait for it after other people at my table had been served. Had the beef brisket tan tan and the stock had little flavour and was bland. $5 for a steamed bun is a joke. You should get two for that price. Many other Ramen establishments in Melbourne that are considerably better than shop ramen.

I had lunch here and OMGosh haha this place is amazing. I had some of the best ramen in a very very long time.<br/><br/>This place is small and busy, w 1 main shared table and a couple of smaller ones. But that didn’t matter, you come here for the food! The service was friendly and quick.<br/><br/>I had a pork belly ramen and if I wasn’t w Simmyeats.Melb and her partner I’d be seriously tempted to lock the bowl hahaha. <br/><br/>The broth tasted full of flavour, such a delicate balance of flavours. A hint of saltiness, full of prom flavours, and the rest of the ingredients were just perfect. <br/><br/>This place has inspired me to go back to Japan lol.<br/><br/>Visit this place if you like delicious fresh food which is reasonably priced for what you get.

Todays weather had me on the hunt for some ramen, Shop Ramen was an excellent choice after a google search. <br/><br/>We were seated on a communal table and service was very prompt. The restaurant was very busy and the waft of ramen as soon as we walked in was tantalising for my taste buds. <br/><br/>My partner had the pork belly bao to start with which he enjoyed, he wolfed that down straight away.  I ordered the beef brisket ramen which was so full of flavour, the beef tender and of good quality.  The spiciness perfect with the occasional kimchi and peanut which gave it a nice texture and zing in flavour.  The marinated egg was eggcelent with a nice gooey yolk :) My partner and Tim.E got the pork belly ramen which was also very good, the pork belly juicy and a little salty, the broth was beautiful. The noodles in our ramen were yummy.<br/><br/>We will definitely be back!

Walked passed this shop around dinner time and decided to give it a go. Very friendly staffs. This restaurant offers ramen with a slight western twist, not traditional Japanese ramen. Ordered two beef brisket buns and pork belly ramen for me. Husband ordered beef and kimchi ramen. Both of us liked the buns, soft and Duffy buns with well season stuffings. For ramen, I liked how the noodles tasted and their texture. Braised egg was nicely cooked. And there are veggies. :) However I'm not sure the pork belly is cooked to my liking. I think the salty flavour was a bit over powering. But the meat was tender enough. The soup itself was a bit bland. Husband's soup was rich in flavours and I liked it more than mine. Possibility it's because I like rich soups for ramen. I would have given it a 3.5 stars it this rating was available. Overall nice experience.

Shop Ramen in Fitzroy is an absolutely delicious morsel of a restaurant on Smith St! <br/>Just effortlessly serving up hot bowls of amazing ramen and delicious cocktails to the populace. <br/><br/>Came here for an emergency summit ramen before hitting some nerdy booklearning and had the pork belly ramen and tan tan ramen. Especially loved the butter-sauteed mushrooms! Scrumptious broth and excellent drinks to pair with on a cold autumnal Melbourne day. <br/><br/>Will definitely be back!

Melbourne's winter is designed to let us try all different ramen soups... Friday was extremely miserable, cold, windy and wet, perfect day for ramen. Apparently everyone agreed with me because theres a wait list on a weekday!<br/><br/>I ordered Beef brisket and kimchi bun and pork belly ramen. Food arrived really quickly the bun was soft and full of flavour. The ramen was medium texture just to my like, 2 pieces of pork belly (probably can spare one more piece?) and I added a flavoured egg (because I love them but half an egg was $1) soup was clear and very nice flavour. Service was brief and friendly.

I appreciate the value of a small menu. Shop Ramen has done this well. We had steam buns which were delicious followed by the pork ramen and tofu ramen. The pork had a clear broth which was light and tasty. Tofu had a milky broth with kale and raw tofu. The ramens came with a soft boiled egg which was not how I make it at home. They magic a perfect yolk inside. My mushroom was marinated and offered a different welcome texture to the meal.

This was a pretty tasty Ramen. The venue is nice too and they seem to have an interesting menu worth exploring further. This would be a good choice for a delicious bowl of Ramen when the craving hits. Keen to try some of their other stuff next time though.

I went early so got a table quickly; I live nearby, drive past often and have seen the queues out the front frequently. Being a bit of a traditionalist I went for the pork belly ramen - being the closest to what I would normally have. I would also go for tonkotsu broth if I had the option, but shoyu was also a good choice. <br/><br/>Anyway, onto the food... well, my only complaint was that I could have smashed another bowl. The serving size was good but not massive, the service was excellent (as long as you like sharing tables!), the meat was really quite sensational and the noodle had an excellent texture. <br/><br/>I took a point off as it is rather pricey; I really don't expect to pay north of $15 for a bowl of ramen and by the time you add the extra noodles and the like it gets rather expensive. I'll be back, but perhaps not as often as I would really want to because of the price.

The ramen has a Aussie twist to it and serve using local ingredients. They make their own noodle which has some bite (love it). I got the chicken miso and my friend got the shoyu. The chicken tasted like satay which is weird but surprisingly good .

Decent ramen, not amazing. Quite subtle in flavour but without redeeming depth or balance. If you order the pork or chicken, make sure you get the extras as they add key flavour components necessary to the dish.<br/>Buns were okay, flavour was out of balance again, either too subtle (beef) or too sweet/salty (pork). <br/>With some tweaking could be quite good, until then, okay option in the area.

Food was delicious ! I had the bao and one ramen bowl and it was delicious. Wish the menu was bigger!!! Venue is very cool and well designed in a small space.

Shop ramen is a very hipster and cosy restaurant. It is not your typical bowl of ramen but it is full of flavour and delicious! Hits the spot every time! My favourite is the beef brisket ramen. Yum!

Great vegan ramen. Rich, hearty broth that tastes like it includes A Lot of ingredients and has taken A Long time to cook. Excellent Umami factor especially if you also add the garlic and chilli bombs. I wish there were more toppings to choose from. Good noodles.

Well, I got it!! <br/>I finally got a seat at the famous Shop Ramen. Was it worth it? Who can tell, but it felt like an accomplishment. I liked it.

I absolutely love the ramen here. I ordered the pork belly ramen for lunch and was satisfied. The noodles were springy and the texture was perfect. The pork belly was tender and had a melt in the mouth texture. The broth was a little salty but still enjoyable. I will revisit again!

A good balance of Japanese and hipster Fitzroy. Menu is limited and very simple, which allows all dishes to be spot on! The bao is really soft and fluffy and the ramen is really tasty.

Authentic Japanese? Not really.<br/>Does that bother me? Absolutely not!<br/><br/>This place is packed with favours!! The fusion style breaks away the traditional broth and I'm happy to see peanut / kimchi added to my beef ramen. <br/><br/>Steam buns are so soft. <br/>Gonna love the smoke tofu (really uncommon in Melbourne these days)

Tried this place again after several years. I must admit that I enjoyed it a lot more this time than my previous experience. Between my friend and I we ordered the beef ramen and the bbq chicken ramen.<br/>The bbq chicken ramen was nice and creamy and had a good bbq flavour. There was also a fairly generous serving of meat.<br/>The ramen is quite tasty but still does not compare with the ramen from hakata gensuke or shyun ramen bar.<br/>However it is probably the best ramen for that area.<br/>It is also a pricier lunch option than other nearby restaurants and is the same price as the other ramen shops but not as worth it.

First time at shop ramen on Tuesday night and was really REALLY good!!! I would love to give 5 stars but while we were waiting outside I gently asked to the lady (the one that she was taking the booking, with glasses) if i could have a menu to begin to look at it, and she has not EVEN answered me, turning herself and leaving , "like: i'm busy right now, you can have a look the menu once you are in the restaurant" very rude i was very disappointed..and during all the night she never smiling! Lucky the other waitress helped us with everything, she was lovely. Anyway guys your food is really good, my compliments.

Absolutely loved this place! Perfect Melbourne winter eats! Be prepared to wait awhile or if you don't mind braving the cold weather than you'll get seated outside quite quickly. The pork belly ramen with extra pork is a must!

Tofu ramen and the beef brisket bun are some of the best dishes in Melbourne. Highly recommend. Staff are great too! And a cool style to the little restaurant.

Very flavoursome warm soup, friendly good service but cut my lip on my visit with their cheap metal spoons so had to mark them down otherwise would have been much higher score as the meal was delicious. Be careful!

There is nothing more satisfying in winter than a big bowl of warming soup. My favourite in the form of a flavoursome full bodied Japanese Ramen.<br/><br/>I'm constantly looking out for new ramen joints to try and this one was at the top of my list.<br/><br/>Boasting ramen and buns I had to try both. The bao buns were tasty but nothing spectacular however the ramen was well flavoured and hit the spot.<br/><br/>Although the ramen didn't taste as traditional as others I've sampled the flavour was delicious and you can't really go wrong with a perfectly soft boiled seasoned ramen egg and beautifully charred pork belly.<br/><br/>The pork ramen was definitely a winner in my eyes and the perfect winter meal for our cold Melbourne nights.<br/><br/>Standout dish - Pork Ramen

If you've been to Japan and have tasted real ramen, you'll be very disappointed by this place. No tsukemen either, although I'd imagine that would be just as bland as the dishes they already serve. Look somewhere else.

Besides waiting out in the cold, you have to put your name down on the clip board and wait for a table. <br/>Nice little place with friendly staff. Food was very tasty and fresh. Would be better if they had a mobile text system to let you know when your table is ready. Come on shop ramen get with the times seriously.

Wouldn't call it your traditional ramen but it was enough to satisfy our ramen craving on a Fri night. Really simple menu. Baos were delicious and the meats in the general cooked cooked really well. Not in a hurry to be back but I just wish Melbourne could step up their game with Ramen in general.

First time ramen so not sure what to expect. I'm vegetarian so skeptical..the tofu bun was delicious, yummy hoisin sauce. The ramen was nice but nothing to write home about. Was missing a zest or some kind of something, and yes I'm aware I'm vegetarian so there is no flavour from bone broth, but there is still a lack of flavour that makes me want ramen over a pho or other veggie broth soup.<br/><br/>Boyfriend liked the beef brisket bun but didn't love, the pho he said was yum.

Shop Ramen is a tiny but intimate ramen kitchen, nestled in amongst busy Smith Street. It gets pretty busy, so expect to put down a name and wait a little while for a table if arriving later (totally worth the wait however)!<br/>The Bao buns were my favourite in the area, the pork belly was a little plain, but the beef brisket and tofu buns packed a tonne of flavour! I highly recommend the beef!<br/><br/>The ramen is full of flavour too, and perfect on a cold night. The food came out super fast after ordering, so you don't have to stare at everyone else's plates with major food envy for too long.<br/><br/>Lastly, if you want a little dessert after please try the sweet pies. The flavour changes everyday, and they're perfect, subtle and chilled after a hot bowl of ramen 👌🏻

Shop Ramen definitely had a mega twist on your normal ramen and I can't deny that I loved it. I loved the hip-cool atmosphere of the restaurant and the crowd it brought in. Ramen, bun and pie! How can you complain. Service was quick, staff were attentive and approachable, we waited around 15 mins which wasn't too bad although it's quite busy at dinner time. We firstly had the buns and they were yum!! The baos/buns were super fluffy, light and flavoursome, loved every bite and I highly recommend it. The ramen dishes were different to what you'd normally get with ramen, with their BBQ chicken/watercress and pork belly, but every element worked so well! Loved the change. The garlic bomb was so bomb haha Made the broth of the pork belly ramen more flavoursome and bold. The sweet pie was rhubarb-flavoured, well balanced and it wasn't too sweet. Good end to a good night! Would definitely come back.

Very nice Ramen shop. Have been here several times by myself and with friends, always lovely experience. Love their Pork Belly Bao and Beef Brisket Ball. Ramen is very nice as well. Service is always quick and attentive. Perfect spot for a quick lunch.

Solid birthday lunch feed on a cold Monday. <br/>Doing the basics well on the Pork Belly ramen and washed down well with a Matcha/Apple drink combo.

We experienced friendly attentive staff. Dining early we didn't have to wait for our table. Delicious ramen loved the stock & perfectly cooked noodles as well as fresh ingredients beautifully presented. Great comfort food. A really enjoyable dining experience.

I have been an occasional take away-er of this joint. Love the Pork belly buns so tasty and juicy. Their Sho-Yu ramen can be Fantastic but once or twice for me was quite going towards the salty side. That's ok. It's still delicious 😋

Pretty good ramen here last night. <br/>Consensus at the table was that the noodles were cooked well and the broth was pretty tasty. There was also a good amount of vegetables and 'fillers' too. Really liked the edamame beans (but I just have a soft spot for them) added to the tofu ramen. <br/><br/>Overall, I'd come back for ramen again here, but I will say choose your timing as there are not very many sit down tables so probably best to arrive around the start or the end of service time for a good seat and no waiting time.

If you're after 2-minute-noodle style ramen and unaccomodating, leering staff, then this shop is the place for you.<br/><br/>My friends and I ordered the pork and beef ramen, both of which lacked depth. We also sampled the buns but like the ramen, they tasted like disappointment.

Shop Ramen, where modern Ramen mets old school rap tunes on Smith St. I'm a stickler for traditional Japanese but Shop Ramen is an exception. Amazing pork belly Ramen, great flavoursome buns and good service. The owner personally selects organic, non-mass produced wines. <br/>We're regulars here on weeknights that we're too lazy to cook. Never disappoints.

Ramen – but not quite as you know it. Taking a much more contemporary take and targeting a hip, young crowd Shop Ramen adds a little something different to the Japantown that Smith Street already is. I’ve had takeout from the store when it was too busy to sit in, and sat in for a ramen lunch. This was the $16 BBQ chicken option with a white organic miso, buttered corn, egg, burnt cabbage, spring onion, watercress and a decent-sized fillet of the chicken. Good little mix and the buttery corn and charred cabbage/ chicken keep the broth flavourful. It’s not quite the usual tonkotsu, pork chasu, bamboo/ seaweed outputs but makes for a most satisfactory diversion.

Amazing place! Went here twice for ramen and the rice bowls! I ordered the Beef Rice bowl and my partner ordered the Cape Grim Beef Brisket ramen bowl. We had drinks, mine was the Sparkling Apple Matcha drink and he got the Vegan Mango shake! These complimented our meals so well! The rice bowl was filling and a combination of fresh ingredients and was served with lots of flavour. The ramen was also very filling and though he ordered a few extras (that being noodles and pork) it seemed to also satisfy his cravings. The mango shake was light in texture and not too sweet and my sparkling apple matcha drink was amazing as it was very minty as there was mint leaves, sparkling apple and matcha combined. All three ingredients were recognised when consumed and is by far my favourite drink! Loved every bit of this place and can't wait to come back :)

While there can be a long wait for tables it's pretty worth it. You're not going to get the most authentic ramen but the dishes they serve are delicious, especially the tofu ramen - delicious and light and filling. The buns are yum and the staff have always been friendly. Would recommend.

Buns, ramen and pie - what's not to love?!<br/><br/>All three staples of this menu I absolutely love. The buns are divine (brisket and pork belly). The ramen is fantastic and close to the best ramen you'll find in Melbourne. And the real surprise packet of this venue is the pie, which changes weekly and is always fantastic.<br/><br/>The setting reminds me of a busy Tokyo ramen shop whilst the hipster service is pretty reflective of the area but don't let that scare you away!

Wanted to come here to give it a try but should've trusted my instincts.<br/>This place couldn't serve proper ramen, it was pretty disappointing although how their soup isn't too bad. You don't get much pork... although I like how you can order more ramen noodles.<br/>What really put us off on top of their so called ramen was the staff. No one knew how to smile, no one knew how to greet their customers, they just threw us the menu. When asking further questions about the dishes, we were given attitude... on top of that, they had enough staff for them to clean the restaurant up as the place did not look spotless, I'm sorry but standing around isn't what you are paid for, please learn to hire proper staff that are passionate about Japanese food and are hard working. <br/>Don't waste your Japanese desires here, there are plenty of other better ramen stores in Melbourne.

Addictive ramen in a great casual environment. The broth isn't nearly as good as you get in Japan but the bowls are full of non-traditional interesting toppings. I usually get the BBQ chicken & corn with added chilli crisps and pickled jalapeños or the beef brisket with kimchi (and chuck some more chilli in there for good measure). SO GOOD!

Pretty good vegan ramen, I really liked the broth. But it would have been better with seaweed and bamboo and if the mushrooms were hot and if they did something with the tofu. The tofu bun was really delicious but overpriced.

Great Ramen or Hipster joint on a cool location????? Or can it be both?<br/><br/>Unfortunately, it wasn't both, all I've got was the Hipster joint on a cool location with a cool interior.<br/><br/>Food wise, it was disappointing, boring, lack of character, it wasn't well made and expensive for what it is. True I've been to Japan and roamed a couple of their Ramen shops, It feels like a genuine fake Rolex and I'm not even comparing it with them.<br/><br/>I reckon, go back to their root (what Ramen is all about), infused a bit of their culture and keep the Hipster cool interior, that would be a blast .....

If it wasn't called ramen I'd rate it higher. The food is fine but the only similarity with ramen is they're both wet and in a bowl. Don't go there for a ramen craving but for a generic soup it's fine if a little small in serving size.

Nice ambience shop, a little fusion taste to me.<br/><br/>I ordered the cape grim beef brisket, I don't really like the taste of the kimchi, not my preference, maybe the deonjang taste was too strong and overall was a little salty. The beef brisket was tender, love the texture of the peanuts.<br/><br/>I also had a taste on the Pork Belly soup, was quite salty as well, maybe too condensed. <br/><br/>Overall was alright, nothing too impressive to comment, not my preference of flavour.

(English Reviews Below)<br/>Pork belly ramen: shoyu汤底味道清澈，层次丰富，虽然不是那种很浓稠的但汤依然可以挂在面上，面软硬适宜，蘑菇烤的很香，猪肉入碗前煎了一下很香，但稍嫌瘦了点，个人偏爱稍肥的猪肉泡在汤里后入嘴即溶，鸡蛋的碱味很浓不知道为什么。<br/>Beef ramen: 汤底有浓浓的酒槽味（可能泡菜是用酒槽？）牛肉很好吃。<br/>Bun: 面皮还蛮软的，总体不错<br/>服务态度不好，水杯往桌子上一扔，每个服务生脸上都是那种心情不好的表情。<br/><br/>Pork belly ramen: shoyu broth was lighter than some other places, still got clear layers of flavour, there's just the right amount of fat to make soup stick to the noodles. umami mushroom. Pork belly was lighted browned before adding to the broth, but they're a bit lean for me cause i'd prefer fattier ones which could partly melt in your mouth. Egg tasted a bit wired.<br/>Beef ramen: delicious beef brisket, soup tasted interesting.<br/>Bun: really good<br/>Service to be improved.

​<br/><br/>The current political climate is as good an excuse of any for not getting out of bed, but huddling under the covers worrying about Donald Trump is a very inefficient way of sticking it to the man. So just get up. Get out. Have a bowl of this delicious ramen. You will be invigorated and whole. Go on. Get the Kraft cheese  too. You dark horse. You.

Wow! What a fabulous place! Amazing bao, delicious ramen and lovely staff. The beef bao is just incredible and we also tried the peanutbutter and choc tart which wasn't japanese but still yum! It's not a huge place so an early sunday dinner was perfect and it had a lovely cosy relaxed feel. Really wish there was a place like this closer to home but it was worth the drive! Emrisun

Shop ramen is the go-to cool hipster joint for some Japanese noodles. The noodles are made on site which is impressive, but the prices are higher than the typical ramen joints. Broth was good but trying it out once is probably enough for me. Organic Tofu $15 – with white organic miso, chinese broccoli, pickled shiitake mushrooms, edamame beans, baby pea shoots, marinated egg, cashew milk, sesame

Unique vegetarian ramen, this shop has. I had the Organic Tofu ramen and I must say that it had a unique taste. I ordered the Smoked Tofu Bun too, but the bun was cold upon arrival and the sauce was slightly salty.

Saw shop ramen on the urbanlist ramen places in Melb to try so off hubby and I went to explore!! Located on smith st just before Johnston street - my old hood.. Nostalgic it was! Tram stop right outside also for your convenience. <br/><br/>Lil hippy shop that fit about 20 or so customers - couple and communal tables. Simple design with some Japanese design - perhaps too westernised but then thats all it needs really? Menu was small with buns, ramen et al. I wouldn't call it authentic but i was pleasantly surprise at how good it was. We both opt for the pork belly ramen - most authentic item on the menu and i ordered extra pork belly - 2 slices for $4. Broth was flavoursome and just enough noodles and broth to warrant the $16 a bowl price tag. Perfectly presented in a nice ceramic bowl with disposable chopsticks. Hubby also got a beer to wash it down whilst i ordered the matcha shake. $8 was sorta exxy but i love matcha so what can i say. Ive had better though.. The shake was a bit too powdery - sorta just matcha tea powder and a whole lota milk? <br/><br/>Overall a lovely experience. Service was friendly and efficient. Def. recommend if you are in the neighbourhood!

Not your traditional ramen but still absolutely delicious! We can't go past this place without eating there when we're on Smith Street. Service is always pretty quick and prices are great.<br/>Standouts are the beef brisket and BBQ chicken. If you get the chicken make sure to get the extra chilli and jalapenos so very very good.

Another one of the most overrated places in Fitzroy/Collingwood. Soup was lacking flavor, ramen noodles were so far to be called ramen. It was just some sort of light flavoured soup with noodles to me. Really, the definition of westernised version of ramen, which still is cool if it tastes nice but it didn't. Never coming back

Had ramen for the first time in my life. We had a bun with beef which was tiny but nice. Then tried the ramen with pork belly and the one with beef brisket. The pork belly one was very nice. The broth of the beef ramen was a bit strange, made me think of Indonesian peanut soup, we didn't really like it. The meat in both soups was beautifully soft.<br/><br/>We had to wait for probably 20 minutes for a table, which was ok.

I stopped coming here for about 12 months and have recently come back to eat here again.<br/><br/>They have stepped up their game massively.<br/><br/>The beef brisket ramen is deliciously epic & add jalapenos for an extra kick.<br/><br/>I love eating in as you get to listen to straight up 90's west coast gangsta rap, snoop dogg, dr. dre, 2 pac & cypress hill have all been on rotation - yeah!<br/><br/>The stuff are nice although a little timid, the service is a little basic.<br/><br/>Don't come here expecting 'traditional' ramen. This place creates gnarly fusion ramen. <br/>

Below average ramen which was over oily. The broth lacked a strong savoury flavour and together with the noodles was very bland. The chicken and egg were cooked well, but nothing really tied the taste of the meal together.

$8 caramel coconut shake, great flavour, coconut not too overpowering. $16 pork ramen, shoyu base quite salty, tasty pork belly. Above average price compared to all the great ramen you can get in the city.

Went for dinner after another fun day in Melbourne. <br/><br/>BBQ Chicken Ramen was freaking outstanding. So much flavor in the broth, chicken was tender/juicy could taste the meat & seasoning. Noodles were perfectly cooked & the hard boiled Egg was nice n gooey in the center. Just beautiful.<br/><br/>Then a pork belly bun with onion, cucumber, and special sauce. The bun was light, warm, and soft. Lovely flavor combination & the pork was outstanding.<br/><br/>Great meal. Sat outside with A friend in this lovely cool weather (I've got shorts & tshirt, just loving this cooler weather compared to our Texas Heat). Can't be beat! <br/><br/>Will def be back to try their brisket bun & pies.

I guess I'm just not a ramen person. The beef brisket ramen comes with a cheese option, which ain't too bad, but the secret to a good ramen is a balanced salty unami flavoured broth which this didn't have. To be fair, the tofu ramen broth was better, and the smoked tofu bun had some goodness going for it. As for pie, think pumpkin pie not apple pie - it's like a raspberry cheesecake, the best bit is the vanilla icecream with coco flakes on the side.

This place is awesome. Even though you sit shoulder to shoulder with people the ambience is perfect. Lighting, decor and everything is really comfortable. We stared with beef brisket buns which were tasty. I had the vegetarian ramen which was so creamy and delicious and my partner had the pork belly ramen which he loved. It's not like your traditional Japanese ramen that is quite heavy. We'll be back!

Terrible service. I had specifically made it clear when I arrived that I would be paying by card and that I had to leave in 25 minutes (I had to leave to make it to a doctor's appointment) and the very nice waitress said that would fine. My meal arrived, and admittedly I refused to eat it or pay for it because I had no cash and no time to get any. A male staff member took great offence and was very aggressive, refusing to let me have my attempt to draw their attention at their hopelessly slow payment process (which he attempted to blame on the malfunctioning eftpos machine, but in fact their system is hopelessly slow in any event, because they require patrons to line up to pay). Instead, he told me to leave and not come back. I called him a mildly rude name that rhymes with fickhead as he hightailed it back to the kitchen and I then proceeded to leave. As I was about to walk out the door he walked up and, getting in my face, repeated to tell me to leave and not come back (as if I needed reminding and as if I ever would) even though I was already at the door.

Absolutely delicious ramen! The set-up of the shop is simple and cosy, no-frills, which is perfect for sitting down with a hot bowl of ramen.  I tried the pork ramen.  The broth was well- balanced (not overly salty like other places), clear and non-oily.  The pork was yummy, and I loved the mushrooms.  I also tried their beef bao, and pork belly bao.  WOW! Super soft and delicate, and the flavours were spot on.  Will definitely come back!!

Most of my rating goes to the lovely staff behind the counter. However, food-wise, my choice was a let-down from first sip to last slurp. I ordered ramen minus the meat, which perhaps explains my lack of enthusiasm. It was basically noodles and broth with a few chard greens thrown on as a garnish. Another reviewer mentioned pickled mushrooms with their veggie ramen which I didn't get... maybe they were out at the time? I imagine if you weren't a vegetarian, this would be a whole different experience. Still, smiley, attentive staff and a nice vibe. Pity there isn't more on the menu for me to try.

Had the pork belly ramen. <br/>Loved the pork belly, the noodle and the mushrooms. <br/>However the broth was too salty and the char from the pork made the broth very earthy.

I love the baos here! The store is slick and simple and the customer service is very good. I highly recommend the Pork belly and smoked tofu baos.

A typical northies eatery, cool and communal, Shop Ramen doesn’t exactly serve traditional ramen. I have to say that my expectations were a bit high just by looking at the restaurant’s name. I kinda expected super duper yummy selections of ramen but was a bit dissapointed with the limited options. I opted for the $16 pork belly ramen, the result wasn't great.<br/><br/>For the price tag, unfortunately my pork belly was overcooked and dry, the broth was lacking the depth of that soyu flavours. The thing I'm happy with is the texture of their perfectly cooked house-made ramen. Look it’s a good bowl of noodle soup, but would I call it ramen? Debatable. I’m glad I got to go as I’d been curious for a while but probably won’t go for a second.. The place's a massive hipster galore so do visit if it’s your thang!

Unbelievable ramen. Having been to Japan and eaten a lot of ramen. I have traveled across metro Melbourne in search of the perfect ramen. This little gem is one of the first that I ticked off and have since made it a regular. In terms of flavour, it Is certainly not the richest I have had but what it lacks in flavour it makes up in quality of noodles. The home made noodles are absolutely delicious. I real must to visit if you're a ramen enthusiast.

The most traditional item on the menu would be the Pork Belly Ramen ($16), but even that’s been reshaped into something a little more modern and gourmet. I could find no fault with the hand-made noodles, which were of medium thickness, toothsome, and carried that unique aroma of bicarbonate. The pork was equally as good, the thickly cut, tender slice of meat sandwiching a thin layer of fat that melted in the mouth with a hint of smokiness. On the flip side, I thought that the shoyu broth lacked the depth and umami to really give it substance, and the bitter watercress was just plain yucky.

Interesting flavours, definitely a deviation from traditional ramen. Very filling but slight overpriced. The fresh noodles are very nice. A nice treat but too salty for a regular meal. <br/><br/>Smoked tofu bun - not very good, little to much salty sauce, try a meat one.<br/><br/>Salted caramel shake - delicious and subtle, the flavour of the milk was not overpowered. <br/><br/>BBQ Chicken - the miso paste was nice however added a little to much salt to the game. Chicken was nice with slightly smokey grilled flavour. <br/><br/>Beef brisket - the soybean paste adds an interesting flavour. The Cheese addition also also good for a try. Meat was very nice. <br/>

These are some of the most well composed noodle dishes I've had in my life. You can taste that every single ingredient is given attention. Would recommend the pork belly ramen the most.

Was really looking forward to eating here as we drive past this sign regularly; the one with the sign that says, ramen, buns and pies and have often debated the correct use of the Oxford comma. The waiter was really nice but because of the wait we sat outside until the freezing cold made it unbearable by which time there were tables inside. The atmosphere is very chill with great unobtrusive but cool music. We are vegetarian and so started with the veggie steamed buns. Really delicious but could have been hotter in temperature. Same with the vegie ramen which we shared; could have been hot and steamy but it was still delicious. I think it's possible to achieved more depth of flavour even in vegie ramen, which was not quite there for me, but the veggies were beautiful, and the pickled mushroom was a brilliant element. Really nice and overall a really satisfying experience. Definitely looking forward to returning after their break.

The ramen here is okay. The broth lacks depth but it still enjoyable, it's just not amazing. Noodles and meat were cooked just right. Portion was about average and the pricing was mid-range for ramen in Melbourne these days (~$15). Not bad, and the fusion-ish twist on some of the ramen is certainly interesting.

Nestled along Smith Street, Shop Ramen is a cute little shop with limited seating. A simple one page menu consisting of buns, ramen and brown rice bowls, they prove that quality is definitely better than quantity. We first visited when they first opened and found it average but when we came today, we discovered how things have changed! We ordered the beef brisket ramen and salmon brown rice bowl and both were delicious. The beef brisket was soft and tender and the hearty broth was full of flavour. The brown rice mixed with raisins was served chilled and was topped with generous slices of salmon. The sweetness of the raisins and the tangy mayo really made this simple dish greatly satisfying. On my first visit I tried the salted caramel and coconut milkshake and found it too sweet so this time around I ordered the mango and coconut and I loved how refreshing it was. Definitely will be back more often now.

Really tasty ramen! We got the bbq chicken and the beef brisket flavours. Both were super yummy, not meats were juicy and soft, melt in your mouth, but very small portion of meat. Always very busy and quite a small shop front. Only complaint is we got there at 9 when a lot ppl were leaving where we sat and waited for a free table which was available after about only two mins. The girl took our name down but totally forgot about us and after about twelve minutes we watched so many ppl leave and were wondering what the hell was going on, she even sat down two guys who came in ages after us. I went up to her eventually and she so sorry I forgot!! It wasn't even busy at that time ...

A rad little ramen house tucked crammed into a small store on Smith St. With a nice open, simplistic and clean decor it is inviting and rather chill so not too noisy which is great. This place has a pretty simple menu but adds a modern australian twist on some ramen classics. My beef brisket ramen was comforting, clean and the broth was nice and rich. Serving size was good for $15 and I loved the flair to add a touch of kimichi and doenjang. The only thing I'd suggest was more meat. They were a bit in the shallow side there. Would pop by again if im in the area and after a decent cheap meal.

A great little ramen restaurant buzzing on a Tuesday night , wholesome food big serves and yummy sake and watermelon shochu drinks. A little sparse on the meat in the dishes but despite that very filling. Lively conversation at the long table. $50 for 2 including sake.

Went to shopping at Smith St and walk past this little ramen shop. A small little cute place with full of peoples!! We can see the kitchen from the outside. Really curious can an Australian chef make good ramen like how Japanese does. <br/>We order bbq chicken ramen and tofu brown rice. RAMEN WAS TASTY and YUM!! Tofu brown rice have really nice combination, love they put almond nut and raisin in it. The only bad thing is the brown rice was a bit uncooked. <br/>Note; love the pepper that they use <br/><br/>Will definitely come back for more. <br/><br/>

The gf and I were at odds as to what eat tonight, but finally decided to hit up a place we'd already had several enjoyable meals at over the last couple months in Shop Ramen. Residents of Collingwood are spoiled for choice when it comes to options for a relaxed and inexpensive mid-week feed, but you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with Shop Ramen. Even though I'm not vegetarian my favourite is the organic tofu. The broth is rich and tasty, without being too salty, noodles are perfectly cooked with an ideal texture and vegetables fresh. Their pork belly buns at $4 a throw are good too if you're feeling extra peckish. The place always seems to have a really upbeat yet relaxed atmosphere. Service from my experience has been friendly, efficient and on-point. You'll probably wait 10-15mins for a spot for two people most nights during the week, but it's well worth it.

Absolutely low key restaurant. Affordable and the ramen... You don't mess with those ramen alright? It's really tasty. I love it as they are not that fancy yet it's that food happiness feeling.

This place is nice, but they really skimp on the meat. I was recommended the chicken ramen and whilst the flavours were all there, only about two pieces of meat adorned the noodles. It's cheap-ish at $15 for a bowl, but I was still hungry afterwards. I wouldn't make this place a regular, but I'd stop by and try the beef and veg options.

Fun times both day and night. Everything is really nicely presented and well made. A cool vibe without being too much and the ramen is damn good.

Consistency! Been going here for 2 years and despite a change in staff from time to time the food here is 100% quality. Best Ramen in Melbourne.

The buns are tasty! The tofu ramen is thick and more interesting than a lot of vege ramen I've had in Mebourne. It's not a traditional Japanese ramen but it's pretty delicious. You can get garlic bombs to add to the broth. It gets busy but once you're seated it has a nice atmosphere, would recommend it for a relatively relaxed dinner.

Food was average. The pork belly ramen looked great with perfectly cooked eggs hard boiled but still runny on the insides, greens on the sides to add that bit of colour but the broth was really too salty for my liking. Definitely could find better ramen elsewhere. Service was great though and the staff friendly.

Enjoyed the pork belly bun for $4 a pop, its definitely not a cheap bun. Keeping in mind it's also only about one and a half mouth full. We ordered the pork belly and beef brisket ramen. Pork belly has the taste of miso soup and the beef had kimichi (interesting combination) but not something I found very tasty. Service was good and we had friendly staff but i wouldn't go back unless I had a huge craving for over priced ramen.

Don't go here if you want real Japanese ramen. The pork belly noodles soup was bland and extremely salty. Disappointing as the 2 pieces of pork belly was the only good thing.

Great staff here. Menu looked incredible! Bbq chicken ramen includes burnt cabbage, corn (tastes fresh and delicious!) and bbqd chicken plus jalepenos. So yummy. <br/>The staff were lively enough to give me a take away container too.

Nice place to eat. I especially loved the pork buns. The chicken ramen was very tasty and the portion size was plentiful. I recommend eating here if you're in Smith St.

R-amen is how I would end every prayer if I had any sort of religious inclination. Shop Ramen offers a non-traditional ramen menu and had been on my to-do list for far too long. Laziness had usually triumphed but one lunchtime I was experiencing a hankering for soupy noodles. Not an unusual emotional state for those close to me.

Lackluster. Bland noodles and flavourless broth, Shop Ramen seems confused about what it wants to achieve. Its a decent enough noodle soup, but I wouldn't call it ramen. <br/>There are so many other really good ramen places popping up now, I can't see why you would bother trying this.

So I finally got myself to Shop Ramen on Smith Street in Collingwood and after hearing great things for ages, I wasn't disappointed. Along with a friend I sampled the chicken ramen, the beef and kimchi ramen and a delicious Japanese +C soda. Crunchy greens, crispy chicken, perfect noodles. Wonderful.

I liked the bun with beef and kimchi but the broth for the ramen was too salty for me. I wouldn't say the ramen here is authentic but the meat was cooked well. Would not recommend going in a big group as there's not much seating to accommodate for big groups.

I feel bad for the people that say this is the best ramen ever. To be honest, this tastes nothing like ramen. The proteins (pork/beef) were really well cooked though, and only for that reason I rated it a 2.0 and not a 0. Also, 40mins waiting time is not cool, unlike the hipsters serving you.

My work friend J has been banging on about Shop Ramen for ages. I always trust her recommendations, so we paid it a visit for dinner last week. I went for a plum wine to make thing interesting at my meeting later, while J got an old fashioned coke with a fun straw.

Super tender pork belly and complex, fatty broth with excellent mouthfeel. Just what we needed- visiting Melbourne on a budget with a lot of walking- the ramen was filling and super super yum!

My first Ramen experience, wow ! I had the BBQ Chicken for lunch, really enjoyable meal with friendly staff, look forward to our next visit.

I ate here last night and firstly must say that the bao or 'buns' as they label it on the menu are delightful. Braised beef bun would have had to be my favourite. As for the ramen, the noodles were amazing, I might just ask for a bowl of them next time! The pork belly and beef melted in your mouth, but the broth I was neither disappointed or 'wowed' by it. Not a bad establishment on a cold, Melbourne night.

I'm quite strict with my ramen and I have to admit this place have one of the best ramen I've ever ate.<br/>The BBQ chicken ramen is now one of my favorite ramen ever.<br/>Service is great as well, really friendly even when the place is packed.<br/>Gets full really quick at peak hours.<br/>Minimalist decor which looks great.<br/>Well worth the price.<br/><br/>Will be back very soon.

The Pork Belly ramen was absolutely delicious. And for the Fitzroy area, this shop is definitely a gem. However, it was not good value for the money at all. For $15, the small portion of noodles provided left me feeling very hungry.

Located along 329 Smith Street Collingwood is Shop Ramen. From the Street side, you’ll note that neon signage and its a fairly appealing and simple fitout inside. Pat Breen and Lydia Wegner’s Ramen Joint is a wholely appealing understated affair that reminded us of Rising Sun Workshop A fairly simple space with a long central table and various seating to the side. Its a simple enough space with a bit of “stuff” to the one side that elsewhere might be in storage. Our tableside condiments Shop Ramen eats – we picked their pork belly ramen . Smokey char on the pork, rich caramelised flavours and perfect eggs. Ramen itself apparently (from what we read online) made via a fettuccine machine so not typical (The noodles were thin narrow wheat noodles) but pretty good eating and this was a nice dish. The broth was a salty porky hit. Baos – we had their kim chi brisket and their pork belly – baos $4 each which is a great price for this as its really rather affordable. One of the things you’ll note is that the baos themselves are silky smooth to the touch and light. Delicious and a steal at 4 bucks a pop. Shop Ramen 329 Smith Street Collingwood The post Shop Ramen Fitzroy appeared first on Jugernauts Sydney Foodblog: A Sydney Food blog + Diners Guide .

Located along 329 Smith Street Collingwood is Shop Ramen. From the Street side, you’ll note that neon signage and its a fairly appealing and simple fitout inside. Pat Breen and Lydia Wegner’s Ramen Joint is a wholely appealing understated affair that reminded us of Rising Sun Workshop. A fairly simple space with a long central table and various seating to the side. Its a simple enough space with a bit of “stuff” to the one side that elsewhere might be in storage.

Omg the roast chicken ramen. Soo good.

Best vegetarian ramen... ever?!. It's not authentic but it is delicious. If I had my way there would be more veg in it, and half an egg is so stingy. However, the homemade cashew milk broth is full of flavour and the noodles are handmade and delicious. It's not cheap but it's tasty and very filling. And for a veggie/vegan this ramen is pretty darn amazing.<br/><br/>Tofu buns though... hmmm... go to Wonderbao instead.

Disgusting. Something not quite right with the flavours. What a waste of $30.

Best veg ramen. Best vegetarian ramen in town!

Top Ramen. Been a while since my last visit, and was was craving it. Did not disappoint. Cheesy brisket ramen and a pork belly bun 'pillow', craving satisfied...

Next time I'll just make it myself, it'll probably be better than whatever they served me. So disappointing

A balmy Tuesday evening and my walk home took me down Smith Street at dinner time. Uncertain of what to have I ended up at Shop Ramen. I've passed by often; it's always busy so I hoped it was good.

Shop Ramen is possibly a fusion of everything. Positioned in the heart of Smith Street, the hipster interior did not come as a surprise. We arrived somewhere between 7:30pm-8pm and waited 10 minutes for 4 people, which was pretty good considering the size of the shop wasn't meant to cater too many people at once. Next to the cashier, a ramen machine (might actually be a pasta machine. Fusion.) sit proudly at the counter-top where customers can see the noodles take form.

Overall it was worth the wait and I would definitely go back for another bowl of the ramen and lots more of the smoked tofu buns! I can see it being extra popular over summer when they have the outdoor seating in place as well as the liquor licence, so get in early or go mid-week!

The real draw for me is the vegetarian and vegan friendly offerings on the menu; Shop Ramen are doing a great service to the community by taking the basic form of ramen and the Momofuku bun and finding creative solutions to delivering them meat free.

This blog post contains photos only.

One look at the menu and I started smirking. The Shoyu Ramen is cooked in chicken broth, the Tan Tan Ramen is not your traditional Chinese minced pork with spicy miso but comes with beef brisket (what?) and pork belly. (Again, what?) The sides made me laugh too: oyster mushroom? Black fungus? Coriander? PIE? Oh man.

Just because Ramen is 'trending' doesn't mean this place is good. I'll break it down to bullet points for y'all:<br/>- Over priced.<br/>- Broth has a bitter finish, every time.<br/>- Not enough noodles.<br/>- Noodles are ok though, hand-made for 'authenticity'.<br/>- Alright if you're craving noodle soup and can't be bothered leaving Smith Street.<br/>- Ramen is all about the broth and these broths just ain't right.<br/>If you want (somewhat) decent Ramen on the Northside do us ALL a favour and go up the road to Dojo Ramen in Northcote.

Super Tasty. I don't whether people say it's fusion or not really Japanese ramen all I care about is whether it's good or not. IT'S F*%#ING DELICIOUS! It's the only thing I ever want to eat on Smith St. Have been there about 5 or 6 times now for lunch and can't go past the kimchi brisket ramen (although the BBQ chicken was also great). I'm a bit of a pig for a girl and I'm full every time... Keep it up guys!

Inventive. Delicious pork belly/ beef brisket buns and tasty (unique - non traditional) ramen with a rich broth and silky noodles. This place has a cool New York vibe and great service.

Authentic ramen....which doesn't loose anything as a takeaway. This place is fantastic.....small, personal, and the limited menu is done extremely well.....you know those buns are little bundles of joy made just for you on your order. The broth is just the tastiest one in Melbourne so far and noodles so light and silky.....really a great place. We have had takeaway noodles again and again and they travel well. They do what they do extremely well.

Very very tasty. Sooooo tasty. Service was good, although a little distant. But I was there to eat tasty ramen and tasty ramen I ate.

Very tasty Ramen. I ordered the BBQ Chicken Miso Ramen and was not disappointed. Very tasty broth with a depth of flavour, the piece of chicken in there was cooked to perfection and still had some tasty crispy chicken skin on. The noddles very cooked just enough. So much to like here, nice fresh ingredients. The serving could have been a touch more generous, but next time I'll just order a pork bun to go with it.

Hipster Ramen. Stopped by Shop Ramen and thought I'd check it out for lunch. The fit out looked great and I liked the communal dining table as well. Oh my goodness the ramen was amazing! I tried the chicken miso ramen. The miso broth was well seasoned and the hand made noodles delish. I'll be back - next time trying the pork belly ramen and buns.

Nice place/food/service just seems bit overpriced...... Or maybe a lot overpriced?

There are better ramens around. I was really excited when i got the chance to try shop ramen. i liked how quirky and honest the interior was set up to be. Reminded me of my grandma's house back in the days. Was expecting a humble bowl of rich, true ramen but was deeply disappointed. The noodles were al dente and silky. But the broth.... Was not even rich. It was oily, and salty. There's a difference between rich, flavoursome broth and salty broth. This was sadly on the salty side. It definitely had packs of flavour (too much in fact) but it wasn't from the boiling of bones or meat. Rather, added salt. Their buns were good. But i reckon wonderbao could do the same, or even other places in Melb. Nothing special.

Nice rich broth and hand made noodles!<br/>Probably one of the best Ramen places in Melbourne so far.<br/>The garlic bomb was a bit over powering, but I ordered it and they delivered on the "bomb"!

Ramen for the hipster palate. Give credit where credit is due, I say, so a couple of thumbs up to these guys for having a crack at setting up a ramen shop. The fit out is on trend with the local hipsters and so is the food - and this is Shop Ramen's greatest advantage; these poor unsuspecting hipsters don't know any better...<br/>Shop Ramen's USP is apparently the "hand made" noodles. Whilst this statement is partially true (I guess they mix the dough by hand), never in my 30 odd years of eating ramen from the north to the south of Japan have I ever seen it made with a pasta machine. Oh yes, folks, if you were expecting to see a Japanese guy flipping and stretching dough into skinny silky strands and twisting it into knots that go straight into boiling water and then rich, thick broth that has been simmering for days you will be sadly disappointed.<br/>That said, the 'nouveau' style ramen is not bad and perfect for the hipster palate. However, ramen is all about the broth and I would say the broth here is only a notch above the higher end instant noodles you get at asian stores for a dollar. The Korean miso looks deceptively like tonkotsu (southern style pork broth) but it's disappointing, suffering from an identity crisis of not being spicy enough to satisfy a hankering for Korean style soup nor rich enough to be Hakata style. The pork belly ramen with shoyu broth is better. The soup has a good blend of slightly sweet soy. The cha-shu is good, too. The Chinese style buns are tasty and make for a nice consolation price for the absence of gyoza on the menu. My hipster dining companions were happy and I dare say would not cope with an authentic ramen experience complete with slurping and drinking broth straight from the bowl. They 'liked' it.

Great spot, not great ramen.. Entering the minimal, cosy interior of Shop Ramen with my lycra-clad boyf, I thought I may be on to something. I spotted the pasta maker by the counter and, albeit momentarily, was almost excited enough to overlook the fact that its kitchen was occupied solely by caucies. After brief deliberation, we ordered two bowls of the pork belly ramen. Yet ten minutes went by without a single slurp echoing throughout this hipster eatery. Not a smack of the lips or an exhalation of satisfaction. Mere silence. Another ten went by. Anxiety intensified. And another ten. Intense anxiety intensified. After thirty or so minutes the two generously sized bowls finally arrived before us. <br/><br/>Upon first glance, I suspected the broth lacked depth. There was no cloudiness, I thought. It was pale like a day-old chicken breast, I mused. Yes, it was without soul, without substance. The race was yet to begin and Shop Ramen faced a hurdle Inspector Gadget himself would struggle to surmount. And, alas, upon my first sip, I knew that every gadget in Shop Ramen's itinerary couldn't save it from its steady decline into utter mediocrity. This was not a broth that had been laboured over for hours; letting those bones simmer and dissolve their meaty goodness into an unctuous assembly of toothsome wonder. No, this was a broth done haphazardly, with a splash of sesame oil here and a spatter of soy there. <br/><br/>And yet it got worse. The noodles. Al-dente, I think not. These noodles had less bite than a toothless Pitbull chasing a seagull during an earthquake. If I were to have closed my eyes, I would be taken back to nights spent punishing friends at Mario Kart while bowls of packet Mi Goreng lay brewing on the kitchen counter. This was not a good bowl of ramen, I mused, this was simply a bowl of simple soup. Indeed, after the meal, I was so distraught that I had almost forgotten about the perfectly soft egg yolk and cleverly charred pork belly floating atop the over-seasoned mush. Shop Ramen, you tried, but, ultimately, you failed.

Great little place. Have been a couple of times, both times I have ordered the beef ramen. really delicious, great fusion flavours. Nice friendly staff, great food.

Great food great beats. Thsi place is great. No it's not the most authentic ramen shop but that's what makes it great. Nice little fitout, great noodles, bun's are yum and the beats are sweet.

Absolutely delicious. Homemade noodles to die for- soft, tasty and well seasoned with a light soy flavour, yum!<br/>Garlic bomb not for all, I think they should do a chilli bomb!<br/>The Taiwanese bun baos were somewhat fusion with Korean influences showing, which I thought worked well. The white bao part was very soft and tasty! Like it a lot.

Culturally confused. Typical Melbourne 'mutant' food with a bit of korean, thai, taiwanese, vietnamese, oh and japanese taste. Don't forget tribe called quest and j dilla for an authentic Melbourne trendoid experience.

Excited to try here but very disappointed. Got a take away, they forgot the broth in one bowl!!! And the other just was just OK tasting. There are much better options in the area.

No more tonkotsu ramen!!. It's been taken off the menu. :-(<br/>The cashew base ramen is very nice but the servings are way too small for the price and my noodles were sticky and soggy.

Could be amazing. Went to Shop Ramen last Friday and had to wait 15 minutes for a table for two which was fine as the staff were very friendly and informative. I'm a snob when it comes to aesthetic especially, and I must say that the place looks very good. Simple, strong design. I had the Korean style ramen, and it was pretty nice. Noodles were delicious, meat was delicious, and the broth was maybe 7/10.<br/>The mango and coconut shake was perfect. We had to order two.<br/>The price could have been maybe 1-2 dollars less. In Kyoto and Osaka, even at the most famous Ramen shops, Ramen generally isn't this expensive per bowl.<br/>The only thing I disliked, was the fact that it squeezed in gua bao to into its menu. Gua bao isn't Japanese. It's simply shot up in popularity over the last two years in Melbourne. I tasted some and it was well below the mark (I've worked in a bao shop for almost two years). It just seems like someone saw what was popular and slapped it together with another cuisine. That's ok. But maybe kinda strange if you're called Shop Ramen and have a beautiful Ramen neon light next to the door.

Interesting & delicious spin on ramen here. Very filling and well priced. The shop is small so it's not ideal for large groups. We had a table of 5 (I wouldn't expect to seat a group any larger). Hope to come back soon & leave room to try the desserts!

Not real. If you're lucky enough to have tried good ramen at an actual Japanese ramen shop, you won't like what this place has to offer. The broth is just wrong - the flavours were really off (tried the Shoyu and Veggie Ramens). The noodles are fresh - but they are wrong. The hipsters have really missed the mark here. Everyone has different tastes and the fact that people enjoy this place exemplifies that. Wouldn't recommend or come back.

Not worth the money. The soup broth is crap and not authentic at all. The kombucha and milkshakes are awesome and the buns are alright. If you want to be surrounded by hipsters and eat pretend ramen then go for it. But if not head somewhere else.

Average. High prices, small servings, not authentic but decent quality. <br/>I would usually pay 14 dollars for a decent bowl of Ramen, but this is not japanese Ramen, the broth is very underdone.

Wow I just had the best Shoyu ramen soup from here. I walked in with my guard up a little because of everyone's skepticism about a new, trendy bunch of youngsters trying to serve up a noodle soup that is so engrained in such a deep history. And to be honest, I've never been to japan and tried the authentic ramen soups, but I have tried all the places in Melbourne that claim they're best at honoring the famous dish. The Shoyu I had here tonight was my favorite out of them all, the most balanced, well seasoned, least oily, most sophisticated tasty broth I've had to date. The toppings were considered and delicious, and very lovely service. Loved it! Can't wait to go back, Good on you guys

Delicious shoyu ramen for me and scrumptious vegetarian ramen for hubby. Broth was super tasty and noodles perfect. Two thumbs up - we'll be back!

Faux-men Ramen. Shop Ramen is a new trendy joint serving a western couple's take on Japanese Ramen. The broth was ok, the noodles nicely made, not authentic but won't return due to the high price and small portions.<br/><br/>We both tried to Shoyu Ramen. The broth was lacking a bit of somethin' somethin' that traditional ramen is bursting full of. Having said that, the broth is still tasty though lacking in depth. The noodles seem freshly made and have bite. But besides that, it was disappointing. Serving size is painfully small for $14 each... not worth it.

Great ramen!. Handmade noodles is always great. Pork Belly was pan fried nicely. Great! Probably my favourite ramen in Melbourne! 8/10

Had the pork belly ramen, the meat was SO tender, the ingredients were super fresh. My friend had the beef and hers was also amazing. I will be going back to try the starter burgers and desert!

Really good!. I've been here a couple of times and I reallllly like it. I spent a year in Japan and ate a ton of ramen there, and I thought this place is really awesome. It's definitely different from 'traditional' ramen in Japan, but I don't really see how that's a bad thing - the inclusion of elements like zucchini and watercress isn't traditional but it is tasty. Someone brought up the price of the ramen; if it's more expensive than in Japan it's because the cost of food/everything in Australia is generally much higher (I usually paid around 10 AUD for a good quality bowl in Tokyo). Loved the generous chunks of pork belly in my Shoyu. I thought for the quality and the portion size the price was nice. Looking forward to when they get their license so I can have a beer as well! Will definitely come back.

Worth a visit!. Have to try the brisket Ramen, it is amazing! Pork buns delicious also. Hand made noodles... say no more!

Hobby ramen. This place is strange. Ingredients:<br/>-take staff with attitude and a decided lack of warmth<br/>-give someone a pasta machine and bags of noodle flour<br/>- offer a limited menu<br/>Partner and I had a bowl of ramen here last week. She the pork option (bland stock), me the vegetarian option (even blander). yes the noodles are nice, but it's obvious that more attention needs to be given to what goes into the stock. <br/>Has the feel of a restaurant run as a hobby or by graduates of the 'we're cool, we're in collingwood' school of food.

So so good. Great place! Fantastic food, great to do things with your own style and twist.

I had the Dan ramen and It was super tasty, just what I wanted, nothing to complex in flavours. Although my friend had the vegetarian option and it was horrible... very creamy amd stock flavored. I wouls eat there again, but perhaps not ideal for vego's, whoxh does seem to be quite alot in Collingwood area. Having a few more options on the menu would be better. :)

Wayyyyyyyy better. Went to shop ramen just after it opened, and was pretty unhappy with the broth, portion size and price. I went back a few weeks later and it was amazing. There are a few new chefs in the kitchen and they've obviously fixed the broths- the shoyu is some of the best i've had, and I haven't seen a better vegetarian ramen offering anywhere in melbourne. I come back regularly now. If you were unhappy with the ramen you should definitely try them again.

Never too fussy when it comes to food, the facts about this place is that it is a super trendy, western, take on ramen. The crowd is SUPER indie, which makes me a little sick inside. Not the nice indie, I'm talking pretentious people who complain about the straws at this place lacking the correct air pressure and that the chopsticks are wooden which is bad for the environment. In addition, the food was really nice but small menu is very minimalistic- also indie.

Not Japanese ramen. I am a Japanese from Otaku Tokyo, this broth is very strange and to expensive. Ramen in Japan is 600-800 yen ($6-$8). I think the chef needs proper training. I'm hoping melbourne will bring some authentic ramen sometime.

Missed the mark. Noodles undercooked, no complexity to the flavours. Is ramen trendy now? Good luck anyway.

In this city, we are so spoilt for choice when it comes to food. This ramen, for lack of a better word... Was perfect.

Rocking Ramen. Went here for dinner on a Thursday night and this place was pumping. We tried the Dan Dan ramen and salted caramel milkshake which was delicious. The dishes are ramen inspired, with a twist on traditional japanese noodles. Broth was flavoursome, extra tasty with the add on garlic bomb, portion size was decent. I also liked seeing the noodle master at work. Bonus: these guys don't use MSG in their cooking.

Really interesting twist on a Japanese staple. It's not traditional but it's very flavoursome and you won't leave hungry. Great stuff!

Great Food Good Find. This is a great place to eat and l will be coming back .We went for lunch and l had the Vegetarian Ramen and my partner the Pork Ramen . The noodles were just the right texture and l like the idea that l can see them being made .Also liked the long table . The staff are a friendly lot even though it was a little busy . <br/>l think this is a great addition to Smith street and will be back again for my Vegie Ramen. Good Value.

Not quite Ramen. Lived in Japan for 6 years and had ramen everywhere we went. When I saw it on broadsheet with such a good review I was impressed and wanted to go ASAP!!<br/><br/>Atmosphere, decor and service was great. Ordered 2 pork ramen between a friend and I, also a caramel coconut shake to share. <br/><br/>When the dish came however.... the noodles were like shoe laces and undercooked. Ordered the $1 extra garlic bomb and did not taste any garlic and broth was plain. Marinated egg was nice and the pork well cooked. The caramel coconut shake just tasted like a vanilla ice cream smoothie, so have to change it up there!

Rotten Ramen. My friends and I went here last week. Don't like the communal table set up. We tried everything on the menu between us. The ramen broths were yuck, the noodles were like chewing glue.Servings were minuscule. I predict this will be a sinking ship. Good luck to the pipsqueaks on board.

Certainly say what you will about things that need improving as this is the feedback that proprietors need to hear.Be mindful that it is only the first few weeks and you can often only fine tune things once they are up and running.<br/>Kudos for the guts to give it a go.

Great winter food. Great food. Loved the pork buns. Go early as this place gets packed

Fantastic Noodles. Looking for a simple night out with friends this spot is great. It's communal table and uncomplicated menu allows you enjoy the great food and the reason we went out .... to catch up with friends. Loved the lime pie. Great winter food ....try it out.

Fresh,fresh, fresh. I loved this place, everything was freshly hand made and really healthy. I was able to order a gluten free option from the menu and the dish was just as flavoursome as the other members of our party. The coconut cream pie was a highlight. Service was quick and friendly. This was a great value, super fresh food experience which I would highly recommended.

Dissapointed. I'm Japanese and I was really excited about another ra-men shop in melbourne but I'm sorry to say I was really disappointed .<br/>It's just not ra-men...broth..noodles...toppings...<br/>Everything was wrong....and $13 was way too much... but like some people said egg was the best thing in the ra-men....<br/>Staff was really nice thought....<br/>メルボルンに又新しいラーメン屋が出来たと聞いて凄く楽しみに行ったんですが、とても残念でした. 日本人からするとラーメンじゃないですねーしかも高い:(

Partly good.... I was really excited about trying this place, but unfortunately it didn't quite reach expectation. I found the portions small, and very little other than doughy noodle. I had the chicken, and the amount of chicken was tiny unfortunately. Flavours were good, but I doubt I'll rush back, not great value either.

Was super pumped to try the hyped up ramen but sadly disappointed. The pork bun was fantastic but the star attraction, the ramen, was a total fizzer. Had the spicy miso chicken ramen, was bland and no spice at all. Noodles were not cooked enough and only a couple of pieces of chicken. The egg was the best part! Awesome egg. Was super packed when we got there and got jammed on thd end. Would not have minded if the ramen lived up to the hype. The staff were lovely just a shame the food didn't hit the mark.

I have been anticipating shop ramen for some time having missed out on their pop up shop days last year and I have to say I loved it! The menu is simple with only a few separate sections and choices. I had the tofu bun (which was delicious), the salted caramel and coconut shake (which hit the spot for sure) and the veggie ramen. To be honest I don't eat ramen often but I am aware that there aren't usually many veggie options as its usually a meat affair. I'd say that enough thought was given when creating this dish to be sure that it is flavoursome, with its cashew milk, pickled shiitake and seeds. Next time I am going to be sure to try things from their sweets menu. Glad to see a nice little restaurant pop up in this part of smith st.

Given the hype my BF (who lived in Japan) and I were disappointed. The pork bun was ok but not generous on the pork and too generous on the sauce. The pork ramen was the biggest let down. The noodles, while fresh, were undercooked. The broth was trying too hard with too many flavours and not excelling. Not enough umami or salt and no purity of pork flavour (why mix chicken broth in with pork?). The egg was the only good part. <br/>I was just overwhelmed by the feeling that two hipsters had gone to New York and decided to try palming off inferior product (oh David Chang's buns are cool, oh there are lots of good ramen shops) on the unsuspecting public of Fitzroy and Collingwood, assisted by marketing hype. Ramen masters have long (10 year plus) apprenticeships to get where they are.

Not Really Ramen. Quite disappointing, given the fanfare surrounding this new ramen shop. As any ramen afficionado will tell you, Japan's favourite lunch is about two things: the broth and the synergy. Having been to Japan four times and sampled many varieties, I can assure you that this had neither. <br/><br/>I went for the pork option, my wife for the vegetarian. I'd give mine a 5/10 - the pork was good, the egg was good, but the noodles were undercooked and the broth was quite plain and not at all hearty. The other accoutrements were irrelevant. The missus gave it 2/10 - oh shizzle! Very unimpresssed, though the pickled shitake mushrooms were good. The cashew milk broth was flavourless and she ended up leaving 2/3 of the food. Al dente noodles that stick in your teeth on chewing? Nah.<br/><br/>We shared the tofu steamed bun to start, which was very nice, but nothing special. And that brings us to the crux of the matter - if you're going to have five menu items, you better make damn sure every single one is a star. <br/><br/>While Shop Ramen looks good on plate, they've a long way to go until they reach the true heart of ramen. It's not bad, given that we're not in Japan...but it's not really ramen.

So excited when this place opened up round the corner as we tried and failed to visit their pop up shop. Visited last night and really liked it! I had a pork belly bun and the veggie ramen. Portion sizes were decent and good quality so not sure about previous comment.<br/>Already looking forward to my next visit!

Disappointed. If you haven't had a good ramen before, you might be impressed by Shop Ramen. The broth was quite tasty, but I was disappointed by the portion size. Mine had only one slice of pork and not very much broth. Not very good value for $13. I was still so hungry afterwards I had to get a second dinner. <br/><br/>On the upside, staff were friendly and the pork buns were nice.

Brisket and kimchi bun - $4 Nice balance of crunchy (peanuts) and soft (the bun). Not going to lie, I’ve never had kimchi before but it had a nice amount of chilli to it. Can Japanese mayo please be on every meal I ever eat, please?

Finally, it seems the awesomeness of tasty, cheap Asian food is filtering more into Melbourne's foodie radar, and there's much more choice around town these days. Shop Ramen is tapping into the trend, with great ramen on offer, endorsed by the hordes of hungry punters at the door. Owners Pat Breen and Lydia Wegner travelled to Japan to master the art of ramen, adapting its traditions into a compact yet flavour-filled menu.

The menu is small - 3 types of Ramen a couple of Gua Baos and oddly enough a couple of shakes. There was also a Peach Pie looking absolutely delectable at the counter, which we thought we might have as a treat, but were too full to even attempt a shared slice at the end of our meal.

We both absolutely loved the noodles- they were clearly fresh and maintained the perfect amount of bite…I would love to have these in a noodle dish other than ramen sometime. My broth was a cashew milk base, which gave the soup a nice nuttiness that really worked with the seeds; however we both thought that our broths (Alex’s was a miso base) could have been a bit more robust and flavorsome- I found myself searching for soy sauce, which definitely would have been a great addition to the toppings provided at the tables. Alex’s bun came out last, and he couldn’t stop raving about it. The vaguely named ‘bulldog sauce’ that topped the pork belly and cucumber filling was as unique as it was delicious- with hints of clove. The bun proved that Shop Ramen does know how to deliver bold tastes- I would just love if they applied the complexity and flavour of their bulldog sauce to their broths. The prices were reasonable, service friendly, and servings generous, and we will definitely be b

Shop Ramen started as Shophouse ramen earlier this year as a pop-up venture at tea cafe Storm in a Teacup. After its runaway success, owners Pat Breen and Lydia Wegner decided to scout for a more permanent location and they found it on Smith Street in Fitzroy.

Shop Ramen is the permanent incarnation of the successful pop-up Shophouse Ramen. Good bowls of hearty noodles, a little bit pricey but decent broths with a few non-traditional twists and an interesting mix with milkshakes and pie - somehow it works

The specialist ‘Ramen Buns Pie’ shop opened up on eat street Smith Street just over a week ago and the word has already spread about this place’s incredible, freshly-made noodles. (Note that their address says ‘Collingwood’ but in fact they’re on the Fitzroy side of Smith Street. Very confusing.) Ramen is not really food which you linger over and the shop fitout reflects the eat-and-go nature of the dish. The walls are whitewashed with exposed brick, subway tiles and simple Japanese decorative features on the walls. The room is dominated by a long communal table with low, bum-numbing wooden stools and which is so wide that it’s awkward have a conversation across the table but which is comfortable for solo diners who don’t want to slurp their noodles in a stranger’s face. (If you are going there with others I suggest sitting at the squa