I thought chicken pho could never compare to its pork brethren, but somehow Hakata have finessed a chicken broth that measures up to its older sister stores. I got the level 4 godfore bowl as I usually do in Hakata establishments, although also mess with black tori. I love all the garnishes available to add including pickled ginger & chilli, minced garlic, sesame seeds, & soy & ramen sauce (not that the 2 bowls mentioned need extra sauce). The gyoza & fried chicken also go down a treat of you’re hungry. God bless Hakata
The best ramen I’ve ever had, I didn’t know broth could taste so flavourful! This is a must-eat whenever we visit Melbourne. We always go at odd hours to avoid the queue.
Perfect place if you want chicken ramen instead of pork.
The noodles are cooked beautifully and there are lots of delicious sides! The broth is also very tasty and lighter than the normal pork broth, which is appealing for those who don’t really like the strong, rich flavour of the pork broth.
You guys make the best ramen I've ever had ^^
Yaaaay, finally there’s a very good chicken ramen joint . Seriously , their karage chicken are amazingly delicious , they battered jst perfect. Even the chicken broth are absolutely delicious . I took my mama here for lunch , and she can not eat pork broth , so this place is perfect for my Muslim mama . They cheese gyoza are unbelievable delicious. We ordered the original tori ramen, the best.
The shouts of "irassaimase!" are never ending and quite in your face in this small ramen-ya, especially if you're sitting at the kitchen counter.
The chicken broth is thick and creamy, and the slices of chicken "chashu" is really tender.
*God-fire x1 might seem quite spicy but it's more of a mild burn. I reckon you could go x3 and still be good.
*Black garlic - I wish it had black garlic oil, but the colour comes from black sesame paste. It does give the soup another level of nuttiness though.
Noodles are straight Hakata style and cooked to your liking. I prefer hard, which retains a slight bite but still continues to slowly cook in the bowl.
If you're not a pork eater, but don't want to miss out, this branch is the way to go, as they only do chicken.
The Japanese ramen from this restaurant is amazing! Although we had to wait a little bit outside and the place was packed so we didn’t really have much space between other customers😬, the foods were served quickly (because we were allowed to make an order outside). If anything, I think my ramen has been made a bit too early because the ramen had formed a thin layer of oil when I scooped the soup 😅 But I wouldn’t blame them for trying to improve efficiency! It was still delicious 😊 They give you plenty of meat in special topping deal so don’t worry about ordering extra 🥩 But you could add an extra egg if you are feeling extra hangry cus those flavoured eggs are mouth watering 🤤
It’s a little bit pricey for a ramen so I probs won’t go everyday but I will definitely go once in a while when I miss the real Japan ramen!😝
Deliciously rich food for the soul that takes me back to Japan with one slurp. Ramen noodles were the perfect texture and the broth was packed full of flavour and punch (I had the Tori God Fire Ramen). Karaage and gyoza were also flawless. This place is a gem for those of us who love ramen but don't eat pork. Will definitely be back.
Really great food! Their meals are super affordable and the staff and extremely efficient and nice. The ramen i ate had amazing flavour! Definitely will be back!
First ramen I ever tasted and have been a regular visitor (almost every week). The best ramen in town or even the world. Best taste,ambience, the broth is perfect, noodles are soft and taste is so fulfilling.
Cannot ask for more. Best side dishes to accompany are gyoza and chickn karaage.
Always a long queue at this restaurant and apparently from friends, they say this is as authentic as it can get and closest to what they serve in Japan!
The noodles were expensive and it was more expensive when you add on extra noodles or toppings. I just got the signature noodle with chicken broth and chashu which was very tender. The broth was very flavoursome and I enjoyed my experience here.
The restaurant looks classic, friendly services and easy to make an order - great taste on ramen with spicy. For me it was a bit salty even I selected the light soup one, overall was good. Thank you.
Visit this place because the other branch is way too busy. This branch does chicken broth and it is pretty good. Tried their signature chicken ramen and karage. Both are delicious.
Pretty decent ramen and delicious karage. This branch got no queue unlike the russell one which is great. The chicken base broth tastes lighter than the usual pork broth ramen.
Came here about 15 minutes before they opened and there were already 7 people waiting. After a bit the queue got really long. Was it worth it? YES! It was as authentic as you can get. Comparable to the ramen I’ve had in Japan!! The shio based ramen was perfect so light and clean tasting! The signature ramen had a rich flavorful broth and the god fire was hot! To think we only got level 1. The gyoza and karage were also good.
Highly recommended and planning to come back.
My favourite soup ramen restaurant.
I've tried a few locations and love this store the most.
Love the Chicken soup base. Its thick and full of flavour. I can't get enough of it!
Good place to hang out with friends.
The signature chicken broth very tasty, I prefer this better than the pork broth.
The service is top notch. Recommended
I just came across this restaurant one day when I was loitering around the city on my first day, little did I know it was one of the most recommended ramen restaurant in the city! (I stumbled upon it when it opened at 11:30 but while I was eating there was a big line outside)
Ordered the Black tonkotsu and let me tell you, it tasted amazing! It have such a rich taste, and is simply delicious with a hint of garlic taste. You could also change the firmness of the noodles and choose your extra toppings. The gyoza were also really juicy, and the Karaage were flavourful and crispy. Would 100% come back again.
This is my to go place with friends for supper/ after karaoke!
The place is nice, located on Lonsdale st.
The service is good, the chicken slice is abit too little for the price.
The signature is my fave.
Love the Chicken Ramen here. Actually, I haven’t tried any other chicken ramen so I have nothing to compare ^^
Chicken broth is really good compliments the chicken and the noodle.
Will I be back? Yess!
Loved this place so much. Ambience was lovely and so was the food. It was a little pricy but definitely worth the money if you have some to spare.
Probably the best ramen that I've ever had on my entire life. I have never been travelled to Japan but I guess this ramen is an authentic one. I visit this ramen house once a week, all of my friends love this place so much and always want to get back. Since I could not taste ramen with pork- based soup.
I always order god fire tori ramen level 2 which is spicy enough but not too spicy so you can still taste the richness flavour of chicken broth. I love the chicken karaage so much it's crunchy and the meat is tender inside with pepper taste. Also chicken gyoza would be the best snack you could buy here. Black tori ramen also reccomended if you don't really like spicy food.
Second dinner out in Melbourne for a work trip and I was struck by a bout of ramen cravings. Having heard of the insanely popular Hakata Gensuke, I made my way through to Russell Street after work to get myself a bowl. Unfortunately the shop was closed for urgent repairs that day. Having to fall back on a backup immediately, I wandered through the labyrinth that is QV Melbourne and found myself outside of another branch of Hakata Gensuke, their chicken store.
They have really thick delicious broth. I also enjoy their gyoza and chicken karage. You are provided with a bunch of menus along with pen and paper to fill out your order and while it allows choice, it felt like I was doing work. However, that all changed when I laid my eyes on the signature chicken ramen. The noodle was absolutely perfect smooth, thin and easy to eat but didn’t fall apart when handling. I would recommend to give it a try too.
The broth was flavourful and smooth, I loved the flavor. The noodles and chasyu were ok only. There's always a long queue but lately, they are on uber eats so it's awesome! Food came fast, authentic ramen. Portion size just enough to fill you in. Overall, taste, ambiance, quality, and service. I will come back for sure
The best spicy chicken ramen that i had ever taste in Melbourne. Our favourite is always the fiery ramen level 4. Don't forget to add the boiled egg (perfectly cook with runny egg yolk), and the seaweed. Loved the chicken kaarage too! Crispy, juicy and flavourful.
Will come back for:
+ Black Tori Ramen
+ Karaage
This chain of Ramen shops are just fantastic. This particular outlet is not really all that far from the original store in Russell, and serves the same quality of ramen with the same level of service as the original. I love the richness of the black sesame broth and the ramen is done just right. The Karaage is moist on the inside, and crunchy and delicious with a little bit of salt to lift the flavours. Nothing more to say except if the lines are long in the other place, try this one instead!
I went here purely based off of the review score and had a fantastic meal. Service is fast and efficient, as is with a Japanese restaurant. One thing that confused me right after I was seated, was all the paperwork in front of me. You are provided with a bunch of menus along with pen and paper to fill out your order and while it allows choice, it felt like I was doing work. However, that all changed when I laid my eyes on the signature chicken ramen. The noodle was absolutely perfect - smooth, thin and easy to eat but didn’t fall apart when handling. The golden, creamy broth was hearty but without bloat (I couldn’t stop drinking it). Despite the paperwork (which is more my fault), the whole experience was amazing. Clean premises, fast service and godly ramen. I’m definitely back here when I return to Melbourne.
Hungry Big Potato Bear
+4
Hakata gensuka chain is one of my favourite chicken ramen place. They have really thick delicious broth. I also enjoy their gyoza and chicken karage.
Were there on Sat before noon, no wait but all bar table seats were filled alrdy. Had a signature tori ramen, black tori ramen and a two-piece karage. We tried to go with very hard noodles, I like having choices of noodles hardness because I hate my noodles becoming soft when it is soaked in the broth. The ramen were ready very quickly, the broth was rich and creamy, the chicken and dashi flavor stood out very much. The meat was chicken, it is average for me, think I prefer to have pork chaisu with ramen more. But overall the thin ramen noodles went very well with the chicken broth, not too heavy. The karage surprised me a little bit because the taste is slightly different from what I usually have in other jap restaurant, this one tasted more like taiwanese popcorn chicken especially it came with the pepper salt on the side, tho the meat is very tender and juicy, I would recommend to give it a try too.
Small little corner shop in Q.V., Japanese street food feeling. Tasty Chicken ramen noodles. However, I personally prefer their pork ramen shop on Russel St.
this is my second time eating here
everything it just perfect omg i love the god fire tori ramen level 3 heaven!!!
i will come back for sure
I have to say that Hakata Lonsdale has been my goto for beautifully cooked ramen.
My favourite has been the Godfire (Lvl 2 & 3) whilst the missus enjoys the classic.
It seems that you can't go wrong with Hakata for the past 1+ years. The quality has been consistent and service has been great. Albeit of ordering via Delivery Apps, do watch out for spills.
If you're at the restaurant you'd be given the opportunity to tailor your ramen from the thickness of the noodles and sides.
More to come.
We always get the signature tori ramen with some gyoza and karrage. I prefer this outlet to the pork one on Russell Street, its flavour is more delicate and I prefer the bamboo shoots. Have a taste and then load it up with the garlic and sesame seeds provided.
Some of the staff here are super friendly and the service is impeccable.
Ate here a while ago but forgot to leave review! But I’ll never forget the fried chicken tenders...the crispness of the batter mixed with the salt seasoning and juicy chicken. Anyway this place is all about the ramen...the broth is thick (a bit too rich for my liking) but the flavour is great. Generous serving and good choice on condiments on the table. Service is good.
This place is close to my work and always pack when i go. I had the tori ramen and the chicken giyoza which both are fantastic and soup is rich and full of flavours love love love 😗😗😗
RAMEN| After trying the Hakata Gensuke on the corner of Q.V, we have been meaning to try the pork broth version. We had a bit of a wait (20 mins) outside, even though it was past lunch time. We went around 2:30pm. The ramen was quite good, we got the signature and the fiery one. ☺️😋🍜🍜 #melbournefood #marinabrunchnmunch
Waited & got in. Very busy and noisy ambiance and bright lights. Food came fast, however soup was just warm not that hot like you would find in authentic ramen restaurants.(I like when broth extremely hot not warm) soup deep in flavor and rich. Fattiness of the broth goes well with the hard texture of the noodle which you can choose the texture when you order. Egg had that guie texture which I like plus gyosa was small and flavorful! Chasu (pork slice) was delicious but paper thin. Portion size just enough to fill you in. However it’s tiny bit pricy compared to other joints. Overall taste, ambiance, quality & service against price gives an overall rating of 3.8* out of 5
one of my absolute favourite ramen places in the cbd - the black tori and god fire ramen are especially good, while their signature ramen is a classic must try. sides to indulge in include the chicken karrage (one of the most delicious i’ve ever eaten), gyoza (small but juicy and crispy on the outside) and the chicken cha-shu rice (so flavourful and especially good when you have a cold or feeling a bit sick!!)
there's so many ramen shops that have popped up around the cbd now but for some reason, i still really love hakata the most. i think perhaps it's because of the very authentic experience you get everytime you go into one of their stores. i would highly recommend visiting their franchise at the qv centre, it's the only one where they have counter seating so you can actually see them make your noodles - it reminds me so much of japan. a little bit pricey but the servings are extremely filling and it’s definitely worth it once in a while.
My favorite ramen destination in Melbourne. I have tried every ramens they have and i love every single of them. The customer service is always excellent and makes you feel like you are in Japan. However I feel the chicken cha su and noodle are getting smaller. But overall everything is perfect.
I love this ramen place. Never made me hungry. The ramen, prawn and soft boiled egg just very perfect. They also have a red ginger as a garnish. Don’t come late at lunch weekdays time unless you won’t get table there. We come there at least once perfornight and on
Staff friendly all of them!! You can take away
$
Staffs were Very professional, even though I am not a big fans of ramen but they were tasty, a lil bit pricy compared to the size. We tried all the ramen on the menu, i like spicy one the most.
Looove this ramen shop, specially love the black sesame special ramen. If you come in with a group you’re likely to be seated in the regular table, but if you’re by yourself you’ll be dining in the traditional Japanese bar seating which I love. Soup is thick and creamy and you can choose different level of noodle tenderness. For extra $5.5 you get extra chicken pieces, nori’s, mushrooms and half boiled egg. Service was quick and friendly and feels lively with all the Japanese shouting from the waiting staff.
I have always eaten at the hakata ramen the pork version. I have to say the broth tastes better compared to the chicken ones.
Nevertheless, it was still tasty!
My favourite ramen in Melbourne. The different broths have great flavour and the noodles are cooked exactly to my preference. The gyozas are also some of the best in Melbourne. And the service is also very fast.
No idea why this place isn’t as popular as the other store. But I’m more than happy for it to stay that way as I’ve never had to wait very long for a table.
Because I like spicy food I choose Tori God Ramen level 3, really good and the service was quick. Big portion but I tempted to buy eggs and seaweed topping. And it is pork free venue
Love this little ramen place! Nice thick broth! It was close to 10pm after a long drive from philip isl., but there was still a queue. Had the godfire level 2 (4 being the highest) it was unexpectedly spicy, to be fair they did gave me a warning before i placed the order, guess i really had underestimated them. A friend ordered the black sesame ramen and she said it was excellent. Wished i had gone back for a 2nd time to try that out. Their gyoza was also a good side to order.
Wonderfully creamy broth and fantastic noodles. Delightfully authentic Japanese ambience. What's more to say?
Definitely coming here every month for my ramen fix.
I’m always here to have the best karrage chicken. It’s unique ball shaped made it easy to eat for kids too.
Love that each table are given complimentary bowls of spicy veg, garlic and ginger.
Definitely a much upper class ramen place compared to our usual ramen restaurants we are used to getting in Perth.
Friends and family all commented the Ramen broth is sweet and juicy, noodle texture can be cooked to your preference (upon order) and portion is good.
A definite MUST TRY place for ramen lovers.
Hakata Gensuke Chicken Ramen at CBD. it is not my type of Ramen as it is a bit salty. the whole dinning environment is pretty cool as authentic Japanese ramen shop. Good to have a quick bite with fried chicken dish.
My favourite place for a really good Ramen that does chicken broth. I have lost count how many times I have had the same Ramen called God Fire Tori and love it every time!
0.5 docked for having to pay extra for egg and seaweed which come standard elsewhere. 0.5 docked for messing around with the God Fire ramen; even half-strength is now too spicy for comfort. 0.5 docked for the bland albeit healthy chicken breast slices. It’s getting harder to justify paying up to $18 for a modest bowl of ramen when there are pho and laksa nearby for around $12.
My first ramen experience in Melbourne and I was so satisfied. There was 50% off today so the queue was quite long, and today was very windy. But then a bowl of hot ramen came nicely. I really love the soup and the flavoured egg. It was creamy and the portion was just ok. The staffs are very kind and helpful. I love it.
Niken Rahmadini Cholin
+5
I love ramen but I don’t eat pork. Hakata Gensuke QV is pork free, and my favourite is the fire ramen. It’s very delicious and staff also very nice
Excellent service; very attentive staff: gave me assistance when I did not know how to use the sesame grinder. Quick service and the broth was very tasty. Only downside is the chicken being too good, wished there was more! God Fire noodles 10/10
You’ll never go wrong with ramen but their ramen was absolutely tasteful. Worth the value of waiting and money. Their gyoza was perfect too!
Hakata Gensuke is a solid chicken ramen joint. Its good but not mind blowing. it's different as well, so you don't get the broth variety of other joints so be aware. It isn't bad however. If you want more variety, have a look around, there's other places.
All my friends spoke very highly of this place, it was recommended to me as the ‘Best Ramen’ in Melbourne. The service was the same as what I have experienced in Japan, the broth taste great but I wish they have more meat topping options as I found their pork belly bit too salty for my liking 🍴
Rating 4/5
Service ★★★★
Food ★★★★★
Ambience ★★★
Speedy and friendly customer service!
Very authentic Japanese chicken ramen by the same people from Hakata Gensuke Russell St.
Not as popular as its main one on Russell street but still, the ramen here is delicious!
Will be back for sure!
Usually less busy than the pork Tonkotsu restaurant, this Hakata Gensuke offers by no means an inferior dish, merely different. Being chicken broth, the Ramen has a subtle sweetness only chicken can offer, though during this visit the subtleness is summarily kicked to tomorrow by the God Fire flavouring (only level 1, I still wish to live).
Staff are always welcoming here, and after a quick form to order the food, the Ramen was quickly served. Noodles were a nice firm texture, and held onto the broth and sauce well with every slurp. Egg was perfectly gooey inside, and the chicken slices tender and delicious. Always a favourite to visit.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
This branch specialises in Chicken Ramen. Like their other outlets, this place delivers a very authentic Ramen experience and the ability to customise your ramen bowl down to how well cooked you want your ramen noodles to be.
My friend and I ended up trying their Signature Tori Ramen and the Tori Shoyu Ramen. The broth was very flavoursome and creamy and the ramen noodles were cooked perfectly with just the right amount of chewiness. The soy egg, an extra option I chose, still had a wonderfully gooey yolk. The only let down would have been the chicken char-su (slices of chicken). The chicken was a little tough and wasn't the same melt in your mouth texture the pork char-su had at the Hawthorn outlet. They also offer gyoza and chicken karaage here as sides and of course, they are both delicious and super juicy.
While the prices are steeper here compared to other ramen restaurants, the awesome food they dish up more than makes up for it. All in all, this outlet is a great choice to get your ramen fix if you didn't want a pork based ramen.
I definitely love the texture of the noodles, it was good! You can choose how well your noodles want to cook. I love it and will come back again to try other menu again especially winter! Hot soupy noodles warm my tummy! :) Their fried chicken are good too, thigh part.
A friend of mine took me to this place upon a glowing recommendation. The ramen here is nothing like what I have had before. The chicken based broth is dense with flavour yet not empowering, it has a clean taste so it doesn't leave any bitter or oily taste behind your mouth. I would recommend to choose a harder noodle so I won't go soggy but it is entirely up to you. If you want to have a side, chicken karaage is the classic go to. It has a light batter coating, fried to perfection. Highly recommend and I'd go here many more times if I was living in Melbourne.
A delightful experience. The black tori ramen, gyoza and karaage were all winners.
Unfortunately the Tori Shoyu ramen wasn’t. The broth lacked flavour and tasted like water with a a bit of salt, which was very disappointing.
The other disappointing feature was the service. Staff were busy with orders but they should also be available for customers that may have questions about the dishes.
That said, I would return.
They only offer chicken soup ramen. It’s hard to describe how good this is , you do have to come in and find out yourself.
I’ve tried over 100 ramen shops around the world and this is within the top 3 among them.
I almost drank all the soup as well.
Their staff is super efficient and run 🏃♀️ to different tables to serve and to do the tidy ups. I had a 15 min wait around 6 o’clock during a Friday evening.
Their dumplings seem a little over cooked but this wouldn’t overshadow the ramen noodles and their five star rating
Signature tori ramen broth has a rich and creamy goodness to it that sends sparks in my mouth. Noodles perfectly cooked just the way I like it! 💕💯
I would love to indulge on it everyday but unfortunately I'm on a diet. 😹😹
Tried the Signature Tori Ramen here and it was absolutely delicious. They only serve chicken ramen here if I'm not mistaken, so perfect for those that don't eat red meat. The broth was still full of flavour and the noodles has a nice texture, not too chewy, not too hard or soft. The chicken was also not too hard, it was tender and had no fat (which I like!). Overall the ramen was well balanced and would come again. I believe it was around $17.90 for a bowl of ramen which can be on the pricey side but it's worth a try!
One of our favorites ramen place in the CBD.
I like my ramen broth thick and has a strong taste. This place delivers both.
Their original gyoza and the mentai one are also delicious.
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