When it comes to ramen, you always have to eat it while it's hot and fresh which is what makes bankara so lovely. Bankara definitely hits the spot with the flavorful broth!!
The black/garlic Tonkatsu ramen was AMAZING! one of the best ramen places in the city in my opinion and all the staff were super lovely :)
Nice, relatively classy interior. Pretty empty at Tuesday 9pm. The ramen itself was pretty good - I got shoyu tonkotsu ($14). I liked the egg with the gooey yolk, but wasn’t a fan of the pork slices they included, which for some reason tasted extremely strongly of plain soy sauce. The volcano ramen was extremely spicy. I tried a spoon of the broth and the burning in my mouth and throat was akin to taking a shot of vodka. (I am not great with spice, my friend who is very good with spice said it was of a good level spice for her.
Ramen Bankara is an overall cosy ramen place if you just want a quick sesh of decent ramen in the heart of the city!
I always order the Black garlic ramen, and they taste amazing. But sometimes the pork fat could be a little overwhelming. Their portion is pretty decent, sometimes it’s a bit much for me. But I really enjoy their ramen overall!
The service is quite slow, especially if you’re seated in the upper level, they tend to ignore you unintentionally.
Food : 4.5/5
Ambience : 5
Service : 3.5/5
Great food and ambiance! The ramen is Best in Melbourne! it feels like I'm eating ramen in Tokyo! And all the staff are very friendly. Value for Money!
We came here this afternoon. The food was good. The staff were very friendly and guided us how to order. The prices were not ‘expensive.’ Very polite people and would recommend to everyone.
Very pleased with my visit here. The ramen broth was very authentic and hot. You can tell that the broth has been boiled for a long time, the pork flavour is just right!
Felt like I was right in japan and the ambience and decor of the restaurant provided for that too.
Prices are reasonable for serving size and quality.
Although the restaurant is small, it is intimate and cosy and not a factor that would influence eating there.
Would definitely be visiting soon again!
I came here last night for dinner around 8pm. My partner and I ordered for starter Takoyaki Balls with cheese ($2 more for cheese), the Blank Tonkatsu and the Volcano ramen. The Black Tonkatsu tasted like mushroom ramen, broth was beautiful. The volcano was meant to be spicy.. however it was only a kick. Remember to have a lot of tissues if you’re doing the volcano, you’ll sweat in a very tight squeezed dining area. The only downside was the fact that the mains came before the entree and the broth were both lukewarm. $51 for two mains, one entree and a glass of sake! 💕
Lovely ramen. The volcano broth was really spicy - as warned by the lovely staff. Chr siew were tender and fragrant. Will recommend. Entertainment book users can enjoy a one-for-one ramen offer. 👍🏼👍🏼
Joanne | Melbournecitay
+4
Overall score: 18/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
in 5 words: Smokey pork and springy ramen!
*
Taste ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - they have expanded the menu - there’s a wider range of ramen to choose from now (compared to zomato’s menu).
✅The black garlic ramen had a delicious pork broth soup base. We enjoyed the smoked taste and balance of fat and meat on each pork chashu slice. Noodles were springy and thin, though not the best tasting ramen i’ve had. Eggs were cooked perfectly.
🆗 I added $1 to make my tonkotsu more spicy but it got so spicy that I couldn’t drink the soup! Best to stick with a regular tonkotsu instead.
*
Ambience ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - this place transports you to a ramen bar in Japan. decoration and ambience was good, and there were ample seats at the back.
*
Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- we had an entertainment voucher so we snagged a buy 1 free 1 ramen. Otherwise, a ramen generally costs $14-$16 which I think is value for the egg, 3-4 pork slices, seaweed and plenty of noodles. Wish they gave more bamboo shoots though.
*
Presentation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - the ramen looked great and again, my partner stared at me impatiently as I took photos.
*
Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️- I experienced some language barriers here as I couldn’t speak good mandarin. Otherwise, service was fast and efficient. We got our ramen within 5 minutes. This is great for a quick dinner!
Have been here countless times ever since its opening in 2016. Love the Bankara! It has a very rich broth, the kakuni is tender and it melts in your mouth! Worth a try!
Simple ramen traditional flavor,make me back to Japan when I was student.
Agetashi tofu is softness,good taste!!
Good for single or visit with friends
Delicious, authentic ramen and great small plates as well. Have visited a number of times and have never been disappointed. One of my city go-to favourites!
Coffee And Food Enthusiast.
+4
Had the ebi prawn Katsu curry with cheese and it was amazing, been here a couple times and on both occasions I left impressed. It's. A little more expensive than alot of options around, but I feel the price is justified with the quality.
Ramen Bankara marks the first foray into Japanese cuisine by the China Bar Group (China Bar, Wonton House, Secret Kitchen). Whilst restaurants in the group aren't exactly known for spectacular meals, we were pleasantly surprised by the bowls of well-cooked noodles served in a flavour-packed tonkotsu broth.
Only later did we find out that the openings in Melbourne are actually related to the original franchise from Tokyo (hence the great ramen!).
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Soooooo Gooooooood!!!! Highly recommend the Ramen and Chicken Karaage! The pork flavour in the soup wasn’t too strong and the spicy version of the soup was on point! Highly rate this place!
Went with a friend yesterday was amazing,lovely place,good service and amazing food ! Ramen was served quickly and was so filling I couldn’t finish all of it,definitely worth going ! Tho I wish I got more then half of an egg
Great ramen - Particularly liked the rich, hearty broth for the ramen.
Have tried the Bankara and the Tonkatsu, and been back twice in 2 months!
The cha-su served with the ramen is exactly as I like it (minimal fat - although I know this defeats the actual concept of the cha-su in the first place!)
The chicken karage and agedashi tofu sides are tasty and good value.
Reminds me alot of the many little cafes in Japan - quick service, fast turnover, focusing on a handful of perfected fishes.
Dropped by for lunch.. Ordered Ramen and Soft Shell Crab which was very tasty and yum..
absolutely delicious nothing we ordered was less than amazing! Definitely recommend it!!!
This place reminds me of Tokyo so much! Not just the ramen but also the decor. The ramen was amazing though, lighter broth than some of the heavier tonkotsu places (looking at Hakata Gensuke) and the best quality pork I've had in Melbourne (though the amount of pork in the bowl is really small unfortunately).
The menu is much more extensive than other ramen places and I can't wait to go back and try their curries. They also have a really nice selection of sake. Overall I would definitely recommend, especially for its central location and affordability.
Ramen greatly improved compared to last time!
Service was Quick, took around 5mins
Had the bankara ramen. Broth was tasty. The pork was melting in my mouth, overall was umami.
Recommended by a friend, I wanted to try this place, and today I had a chance.
When I went in, the staff escorted me to sit at the 2nd level area at the back.
Ordered their Bankara ramen, it had a nice flavour but little oily for me, good quantity of noodles, and it tasted pretty good.
The best ramen I ever had? Maybe not but it wasn't dissapointing at all.
Service was good and the staff were friendly and efficient.
If I can give a suggestion, maybe the shop could have invest in brighter light, because sitting there for about 30mins enough to make my old eyes sore. 👀
It was a chilly night in melb and this ramen joint really hit the spot. $13.8 for their signature ramen and it came out within minutes. Broth was rich and flavoursome, the meat was super tender, perfectly boiled egg and noodles cooked well. It was a faultless bowl of ramen but would have like more meat, given the price im paying for it. Service was standard and good location.
I’ve been walking past almost everyday since starting Uni and been wanting to try the Ramen. Today was a cold day, so it was perfect.
I had the Bankara Ramen after asking the staff for some recommendations. It had quite a nice flavour and enough noodles to make myself full.
The staff are very friendly and attentive. However, it took a while for my noodles to come out.
One of the best Tokyo style ramen I’ve ever taste. Slow cooked pork bone with in house shoyu, char siu , ½ boil egg and seaweed. The broth it’s self have a hint of sweetness, rich and thickness body.
On top of that I add extra kakuni, which was their signature pork belly.
It is slow cook for hours and slice thicked, so just melt in your mouth.
Steak pork gyoza is nice plum and juicy.
Served with pickle ginger.
Awesome ramen 🍜 Simply delicious broth. So many different ramen variety to choose from, including Tsukemen (dipping noodles). Spoilt for choice!
Why does this place have such a low rating. Ordered the tonkotsu Ramen... the broth (bit salty but full of flavour), egg and char sui were delicious. Would have preferred bit more bite in my noodles but overall would recommend.
O and they take EG vouchers 🤗
My wife and I went there for lunch. It’s been a great experience as shop is very nice with Japanese feels all ways. Services are top of class as we had a nice and very friendly waitress. We ordered Bankara and Tonkatsu. WOW what a great taste. Best ramen in Australia as we’ve been to Gold Coast, Sydney, and Brisbane but nothing compared with this. Well done and hope to be consistent.
Fried Chicken Reviewer
+3.5
Tried both JFC NANBAN DON (Japanese Fried Chicken with rice) and TORI KARAAGE.
JFC Nanban Don is deep fried chicken, dipped in sweet and sour sauce on rice. Taste is normal, not really crispy, and lack of juiciness.
Unlike Tori Karaage, it tastes better than the one with rice. The presentation is simple, costs $7.80 which might be a little too expensive for a finger food but the taste is not too disappointing as it is quite juicy.
They have a good service and restaurant ambiance is lovely 👌🏻 I would recommend you to try Tori Karaage if you love fried chicken!
Highly Recommended: Tonkotsu Ramen
Bankara ramen is a nice modern ramen bar with great traditional styles of ramen, donburis and other staple Japanese dishes. The restaurant has pretty good service during both peak and off-peak hours, with servers greeting you from the moment we walked in and when we left.
One thing that I like about Bankara ramen is that they have a specific type of noodle for each broths, which is pretty awesome as most ramen places use the same noodle for every soup base which sometimes doesn't work well.
Points for: a decent ramen experience
Not sure what happened to all the other satellite stores, but I hope the Swanston St store stays.
The tsukemen noodles are thick and chewy, allowing the rich stock to cling on. Little bits of pork in the soup are also there to enjoy. I do wish the stock was more viscous and fishy, but that's a whole other thing.
The signature bankara is served with thinner, straight hakata style noodles. Great that you get a whole seasoned egg, and that slice of pork belly is just so soft.
Delightful ramen. In a hurry one afternoon and happened to come about Ramen Bankara. Greeted upon entry by staff and promptly seated at the ramen bar. I had the signature Bankara ramen, no extras.
Food arrived quickly: soft silky noodles, slices of soft pork, nori, bamboo shoots, egg 'just right' in a rich broth. Inhaled in 5 mins flat, very tasty.
Ambience seemed an authentic nod to ramen bars in Japan: lively, welcoming and approachable. Very positive overall, will likely warrant a revisit another time to try some of the other items on the menu.
Came in today for an early lunch, as the place looked fantastic. Unfortunately we got the least friendly waitress they had, who showed little interest in providing any kind of warm hospitality. Maybe I just got the bad egg. Luckily the food portions were generous and the meals themselves were fantastic and well priced, so I went home happy.
One of the most underrated ramen places in Melbourne. No idea why the rating score is below 3.0 Wouls easily pick this over Hakata anytime. In terms of taste and value for money.
Food arrived quickly, and a generous serving of ramen and soup. If you want additional toppings, it is slightly costly (what they provide for you in the ramen bowl you've ordered is decent, but next time I would order additional toppings). What I loved was the soup broth for R1, Bankara ramen- rich and not too heavy, oily or salty. Flavour can also be toned to a spicier level if you choose the option.
Customisable menu: you can add various meat/veggie toppings to your ramen at an affordable price. Authentic settings. Great service. May be a bit slow in busy periods.
One of the better ramen places I've tried in the cbd so far. There's some nice gems hidden in the menu worth a stop by. Particularly like the softness of the meat. The taste of the broth in the soup (R1)- Bankara was rich and well made. I like the assortment of additions available on all tables that was adequately stocked. Staff were attentive and nice; didn't make any comments on the outside drinks and friendly.
The ramen is actually really good, and the broth is thick and juicy.
I've ordered the Bankara and the Tonkotsu. Both were great.
The decor of the place is what really struck me. Besides the Korean music, you could really think you're in Japan.
We came to Ramen Bankara for Saturday lunch. I loved the design of the shop the minute we walked in, felt like I was back in Japan, quite authentic. Luckily, there was no wait and the 3 of were seated at the back of the first floor. We ordered the Bankara, Tsukemen "dipping noodles" ramen, gyoza, agedashi tofu and karaege chicken to share. The waiter who took our order has doubled up on the Karaege chicken order but since the portion is quite small, we accepted it. Both ramen broth are very tasty but I felt there are too much noodles but lack of ingredients. The background music was a mix of English pop music, classical and Korean love songs which was an odd combination and could be a little too loud for conversations.
I came here almost every week with my boyfriend. Tsukemen, Gyoza and the sparkling water was my favourite! Staffs are also provide good service! Come and try you will definitely fall in love with this shop.
A good Japanese restaurant serving ramen. The Tonkotus is not as rich, creamy and gelatinous as I like, but is still full of flavour. I like the Cha-Shu don - very tender pieces of Cha Shu with a hint of smokiness.
Have come here a few times and has always been consistent, quick service. Roughly $14 for a bowl of ramen. Very filling and delicious. The place is quite small so I would avoid during peak lunch and dinner times as you may need to wait for a seat
This place has a great selection of ramen and other Japanese meals together with a good selection of Japanese beers.
The wait times are usually not too bad, so you don't have to wait outside for long if you have to, and you don't feel pressured by people waiting outside for you to leave as soon as you're finished, nor to rush your food.
Like if you agree.
Taste is good but portion sizes are a bit disappointing... Enjoyed the Buta Don but found the ingredients to be quite small servings.
Update - April 2019 : the Kikuni-don is very good and succulent with good sized portions.
I'm a usual customer here and so far i have enjoyed my meals here. The ramen here is delicious and I am satisfied with every meal I had. This place is not customisable ramen wise but nevertheless not an issue at all. 10/10 would recommend.
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