Dosanko Larmen - Melbourne, Victoria

Shio Ramen Deluxe - Mild salt flavoured broth with butter, bamboo shoot, boiled eggs, spring onion, corn, pork belly slices 15.90

Miso Ramen Deluxe - Red miso flavoured broth with minced pork, boiled eggs, spring onion, corn, pork belly slices and noodle 16.90

Verdict? Set on the quieter end of Chinatown, the restaurant layout and decor reminded me of some of the simple, no-nonsense restaurants in Japan. But while the service was good, the ramen failed to impress - it was OK, but definitely not anything special. I found the broth a little weak, lacking any true depth of flavour, and the egg only just managed to scrape in on the right side of gooeyness. So unfortunately, I don't think we'll be revisiting anytime soon.
Time and date of visit: 5.30 pm Tuesday 28 July 2015 

Dosanko Larmen
87 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9650 6660
Open 7 days for lunch 11:30 am - 2.30 pm and for dinner 5:30 pm - 10 pm

Kokoro Ramen - Melbourne, Victoria

Rice Croquette - Breadcrumbed deep fried rice with pork, cheese and red ginger $6.5

Curry Ramen - Kokoro's limited serve ramen, mixed with our original recipe curry and tonkotsu broth. Noodle: chijiremen (thick, curly egg noodle), flavour: curry, served with: egg, corn, spring onion, bean sprouts, karaage, chashu, nori $18.0

Curry Ramen - Kokoro's limited serve ramen, mixed with our original recipe curry and tonkotsu broth. Noodle: chijiremen (thick, curly egg noodle), flavour: curry, served with: egg, corn, spring onion, bean sprouts, karaage, chashu, nori $18.0

Clay Pot Ramen - Kokoro Ramen Winter Special. Noodle: chijiremen (thick curly egg noodle), flavour: miso +touch of spicy oil, served with: spring onion, naruto fish cake, bean sprouts, bamboo shoot, chashu pork and half-boiled egg $15.0

Clay Pot Ramen - Kokoro Ramen Winter Special. Noodle: chijiremen (thick curly egg noodle), flavour: miso +touch of spicy oil, served with: spring onion, naruto fish cake, bean sprouts, bamboo shoot, chashu pork and half-boiled egg $15.0

Revisit verdict? We've always liked Kokoro, though it's been a while since our last visit, and we took note of how much the menu has grown. While the two ramen variations we tasted didn't blow us away, they fit the brief and were hearty and tasty on that winter's evening. Kokoro is a place I'd quite happily return to - for the casual self-serve atmosphere and consistently chewy noodle and gooey eggs.
Time and date of visit: 5:30 pm Tuesday 23 June 2015 

Kokoro Ramen
157 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9650 1215
Open Monday to Friday 8 am - 10:30 pm, and Saturday to Sunday 11:30 am - 9 pm

Menya Sandaime - Melbourne, Victoria

Oi Ocha 3.00

Gyoza - Pan-fried Japanese dumplings. Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. Take a bite of this savoury, juicy goodness! 4.8

Menya sandaime - not your typical Japanese ramen! 11.8, plus Tamago - extra boiled and marinated egg 2.0

Would we go back? Bang a gong, we are on! The battle for Chinatown ramen supremacy has officially begun. If memory serves me right... within a small radius ranging from Lonsdale to Bourke and Exhibition to Swanston streets, we've now got contenders like Kokoro Ramen, Fukuryu Ramen, Hakata Gensuke, Mr. Ramen San, Ajisen Ramen, Ramen Ya and new kid on the block, Menya Sandaime! The South Korean restaurant chain has opened up the first 24 hour ramen joint in Melbourne. When we visited, our judges thoroughly enjoyed the stock flavour, noodle texture, oozy eggs and overall experience. They remarked that they would happily return at any hour to try the other ramen on the specialised menu. So who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme? Chairman Kaga is still chewing on the verdict but warmly welcomes the surge of quality ramen in Melbourne.
Time and date of visit: 5.00 pm Tuesday 9 June 2015

Menya Sandaime
225 Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9654 0989
Open: 24 hours, 7 days

Hakata Gensuke Ramen Professional - Melbourne, Victoria

Black tonkotsu ramen noodle, hard noodle texture, normal taste with spring onion and flavoured egg $16.00

Black tonkotsu ramen noodle, hard noodle texture, normal taste with spring onion and flavoured egg $16.00

God Fire ramen noodle (2 chili strength), hard noodle texture, normal taste, with spring onion and flavoured egg $14.00

God Fire ramen noodle (2 chili strength), hard noodle texture, normal taste, with spring onion and flavoured egg $14.00

Revisit verdict: Warning - the God Fire ramen is SPICY, even at just 2 chili strength! Take the friendly staff advice and go easy on your first attempt at this hot (but delicious) noodle soup.
Time and date of visit: 6:30 pm Friday 3 April 2015 (see our previous visit) 

Hakata Gensuke Ramen

168 Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9663 6342

Open 7 days, for lunch 12 pm - 3 pm and for dinner 5 pm - 9 pm

Hakata Gensuke Ramen Professional - Melbourne, Victoria

Cold Green Tea $2.5

Chicken Karaage $5.0

Hakata Gyoza $5.0

Signature Tonkotsu Ramen Noodle $13.0 with ‘Normal’ noodle texture and ‘Normal’ taste, seaweed $1.0 and flavoured egg $2.0

Would we go back? Hakata Gensuke certainly does a good job of transporting you to Japan. It looks and sounds like a ramen franchise store, with triple the staff. As for the ramen... I really liked the broth, the egg was nice and gooey, and the meat was cooked well. The karaage and gyoza were nice sides, though I'm not sure we'd order them again... I think I'd rather save space for some extra noodle (though the 'normal' noodle texture was still a bit soft for me), or the fried rice when it's available! So yes, I'm definitely keen to revisit and try some of the other flavours. We highly recommend getting here early, or be prepared to wait in line!
Time and date of visit: 5 pm Wednesday 20 August 2014 

Hakata Gensuke Ramen

168 Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9663 6342

Open 7 days, for lunch 12 pm - 3 pm and for dinner 5 pm - 9 pm

Robot Bar and Mensousai Mugen - Melbourne, Victoria

Robot Bar

Asian Alchemist - Bombay Sapphire, Lychee Liquor, Suishin Sake, Apple Juice, Ginger Beer, Lime, Cucumber & Coriander $17

The good? Cute little bar with nice cocktails, and attentive service.
The bad? A little on the expensive side (especially for beer).
Time and date of visit: 5 pm Wednesday 9 April 2014

Robot Bar
12 Bligh Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9620 3646
Open Monday to Thursday 5 pm till late, Friday 4 pm till very late and Saturday 8 pm till very late

Mensousai Mugen

Coedo (microbrewery from Saitama, Japan) Kyara (Vinenna Lager) $14

Potato Salad - Japanese potato salad with cherry wood smoke, served with toast and prosciutto $15

Tsukune - Japanese grilled chicken skewers made from tenderloin thigh and soft bone with teriyaki sauce and egg yolk side to dip $15 (4 pcs)

Wafu Tsukemen Ramen - Dashi and soy sauce broth, house made thick noodles served with slow cooked pork (chashu), bamboo shoots and seaweed $17 (420g)

Wafu Tsukemen Ramen - Dashi and soy sauce broth, house made thick noodles served with slow cooked pork (chashu), bamboo shoots and seaweed $17 (420g)

Wafu Ramen - Soy sauce and dashi broth - cooked over 48 hours, house made thin noodle served with slow cooked pork (chashu), bamboo shoots and seaweed $15 (regular)

Egg $2

The good? The fit-out, the service, the fact that they stock Coedo beer (my personal favourite), the gooey egg, along with the delicious 'japas' (Japanese tapas)!
The bad? It was a bit expensive overall, and we were a little underwhelmed by the ramen. To be honest, we don't really see much point in cooking the soy sauce and dashi broth for 48 hours.
Would we go back? Maybe. I'd like to try their other 'japas', and possibly the curry ramen... 
Time and date of visit: 6 pm Wednesday 9 April 2014

Mensousai Mugen
11 Bligh Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (03) 9620 3647
Open Monday to Saturday for lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm and for dinner 6 pm - 11 pm