Ramen Kureha 拉麵來

Rating: ❤❤❤

As a ramen lover, I'm always on the lookout for new ramen places to try. As I saw that the reviews for this shop were pretty good, I decided to come and try for myself. Ramen Kureha is located in Tai Hang, one of my favorite areas to visit for food as it is not as crowded as CWB. As the restaurant is on the main street, it is easy to spot with its traditional Japanese decor and colorful signs. 

Once inside, there were even more colorful decorations like old Japanese toys and posters all around the walls. The shop was pretty small with a handful of counter seats with some facing the kitchen and others facing the opposite wall. 

The ramen here seems to be named after the 5 elements with a wide variety of choices from the traditional tonkotsu broth to white truffle to seafood. Normally I would order the tonkotsu ramen if it is my first time at a ramen place but this time I decided to opt for the tonkotsu ramen with mayu (black garlic oil). 

Like so many other ramen shops, the way you order is by filling out an order form with the customization of your choice for the hardness of noodles, the thickness of broth, and any other additional ingredients you want to add to your ramen. 

As I wait for my ramen, I noticed an assortment of amenities in front of me as everything is basically self-served here. A large container of room temperature water was available as well as cups, chopsticks, tissues, and condiments for the ramen. 

Tonkotsu Ramen with Mayu ($88) - my ramen arrived shortly after with a strong fragrance of garlic! A layer of fried garlic was sprinkled on the surface as well. I tasted the tonkotsu broth first without the mayu, and it was pretty rich and flavorful but also oily. After mixing in the mayu, however, the broth got a bit too salty and made me rather thirsty afterwards.  

The 2 pieces of char siu had a good ratio of fat to lean meat, but the lean portion of the pork was a bit tough and not soft enough. It wasn't as tender for my liking as I usually prefer my char siu to just melt in my mouth. 

The ramen was thick and chewy, but as the broth was too thick and salty, I didn't enjoy finishing my noodles. 

There were some spicy preserved vegetables as well, but they were not nearly as delicious as the ones at Butao, which complimented their ramen very well. 

Verdict - I wasn't that impressed with the ramen I had here as the broth I got was too thick and salty. I had to buy a cold drink afterwards to wash down the oily aftertaste.  

Ramen Kureha
Shop B, G/F, 20-22 Wun Sha Street,Tai Hang 
2808 4468

Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/supertastermel