Absolute favorite ramen place ever for the consistent quality and the amount of memories from…read more4pm-4am I've made here. They make their ramen so customizable which I really appreciate. Ichiran really has a great system down so your order is ready as soon as possible. There's nothing quite like the joy of filling out your paper to customize your ramen. The seats have dividers to the left and right (you can still chat if you've come with friends though!) so when you get your ramen, it really feels like it's just you and your ramen in that space. It's pretty magical. They also have really good water...there's just something really good about it, you'll see. Go here. I still dream about Ichiran and I've been back in the US for over a year now. PS I definitely had already eaten some of my ramen before I took this pic. No restraint

Amazing ramen, especially when you're craving a late-night meal. The broth was rich and flavorful,…read moreand the noodles had the perfect texture. It's hard to beat the convenience of a restaurant that's open 24/7. One unexpectedly memorable part of the visit was the bathroom. The toilet paper setup was surprisingly impressive. It was thoughtful, efficient, and very Japanese in its attention to detail. It sounds silly, but it genuinely stood out. If you're in Causeway Bay and want a dependable bowl of delicious tonkotsu ramen at any hour, Ichiran delivers.

It is now my favourite Izakaya that also serves ramen in central. It's in the trendy staircase of…read morepottinger street so you will surely not miss it. It has a nice atmosphere and they also have outdoor seating. Food are Japanese food with a twist. It will suit an American palate.

Since Tetsu closed down, I was looking for another place in Causeway Bay to cure my tsukumen fix on…read morea hot summer day. Found Fujiyama 55 on Yelp. Couldn't be more fitting since we just hiked Mt. Fuji this summer! The menu is pretty simple (be sure to ask for an English version if you don't read Chinese) - you can choose your soup type - original, spicy, or prawn-based. We all chose different types. They do have a special tsukumen option with sea urchin but it was not available the day we went. The original broth was very flavorful! My friend said he preferred the original over the spicy since with the spicy, it was just spicy, and no pork broth flavor. The noodles were bouncy and tender. Not overcooked. My only qualm with the tsukumen is the chasiu pork. I found it too thin and almost non-existent. I had to save and savor my chasiu! Based on previous reviews raving about the cheese rice, we went with one order HK$20. Unless you still have space in your stomach and are interested in maxing out your carb intake for the day, I would not recommend the cheese rice. Essentially soggy cheese risotto in a tsukumen broth.

Have you ever eaten a bowl of ramen, and towards the end, not liking the noodles getting too mushy…read moreand the broth too cold? If you have, you need to come to this place - Fujiyama GoGo (the number 5 is pronounced go in Japanese, hence the upbeat sounding GoGo.) This chain originated from Nayoga, Japan and has about 50 stores world wide. Walking in, it looks just like any ramen place. On closer inspection, you'll notice that there are built in hot stoves on the tables. You may wonder, did I walk into a shabu shabu shop by mistake? Fujiyama specializes in tsukemen, where the broth is served in a separate bowl. You can keep the broth piping hot on the stove, which is electro-magnetic and only works when the iron pot is placed directly on top, keeping customers from melting their plastic bowls and burning the place down. You pick up a few strands of noodles, give it a quick bath in the broth and slurp it up. Around the store are posters educating customers how to eat the ramen. You can order regular ramen too, if you prefer, but tsukemen is what Fujiyama specializes in. I totally love the concept. It's a little bit more work, but the noodles kept its bounce and chewiness. The soup was bubbling merrily like lava. In fact, I almost burned my lips with the noodles. I can't wait to try it in the winter time! As the broth is intended for dipping, it is richer and thicker than your average noodle soup. Well, I did have a choice to order the thickness of the soup, but I figure why pay the same price for a watered down version? Since I like sipping the soup (I most certainly have high tolerence of MSG...) in the future I'll get the lighter broth (tonkotsu mixed with fish broth) instead. If you like, towards the end, when you finish the noodle, you can ask them to bring you some rice and cheese. Add it to the broth and you get a cheesy risotto style of concoction. Which sounds delicious but I was too full, so have to wait for next time.

Coming from Canada, I can only get Ichiran in Japan and glad to see it opening up in my home…read morecountry of Hong Kong. The concept is different here as it is not individual booths. The ordering style is also different as you need to order via a smartphone and pay as opposed to the vending machine tickets they have in Japan. This may not be friendly to seniors. Noodles taste like the original. Everything is good.

Ichiran never fails and I went to the one in Hong Kong. You sit at the tables and order via QR…read morecode. Everything is delicious as always. Can't go wrong, especially after a night of drinking.

Down a short candle lit alley, up a flight of stairs and through a heavy door, you'll find this…read more1930's style speakeasy with a "secret" door to a hidden cigar room, and lots of quirky furnishings. Try their signature old fashioned, and a scotch egg. Both excellent. The service is friendly and top notch. Very enjoyable, quiet bar.

My experiences at Ippudo HK have all been a series of surprises. After having experienced hte…read morehooplah that was one of the most reviewed businesses in NYC's Ippudo (https://www.yelp.com/biz/ippudo-ny-new-york), it was only fitting I gave the HK version a fair shot. It's been a few shots now and for the most part, I've been content with all I've sampled. Ippudo might be in a household name in Asia, but the HK version certainly has its own specialties in what seems like a regionalized menu. There were a number of things I've never seen in NY or Japan but I suppose that's the beauty in visiting other franchise locations right? If only all global brands had this much variety. The prices are still $$$, but it's nice enough in here where people will still come rolling in. Firstly, the lobster ramen? This is likely seasonal and even a little weird. The lobster meat is tasty and while the presentation is on point, the broth does not complement the lobster at all. By retaining the shell, it forces the diner to eat both separately (i.e. removing the lobster and eating the noodles). Awkward sure, but HK'ers will definitely bite. Gone are also the hirata pork buns that have garnered a lot of fanfare and in their place, a vastly wimpier charsiu version that is a tad disappointing. They also have a happy hour that includes various skewers / izakaya pieces at discounted prices, along with frozen beer and a number of other items I've not seen in Ippudo before (scotch eggs anyone?). Someone tell the chef to relax on the chives for the gyoza ... they were practically buried in green. I still wouldn't put it past Ippudo to showcase some quality meals. The decor here is modern, the interior is clean, and the place is large enough to accommodate all kinds of party sizes. There is still the semi-cheesy Japanese welcomes from the staff, but I've actually encountered quite a few actual Japanese folks working here. And I've also seen a few of the HK'ers sleeping in the back room. Ippudo Corp: Your employees need a break.

One could say it's a bit ballsy to name your sushi restaurant after Tokyo's famous Tsukiji fish…read moremarket. What if your food pales in comparison? However, the vibe here is really chill and not at all pretentious, so I think living up to the name is the least of the staff's worries. The space is tiny and fits about 16 people at most. Ambiance-wise it's very no frills; menu-wise there's a lot to choose from. Their sushi bento set lunch had nice offerings- loved the mushroom-y miso soup. The only side I didn't like was the tempura; thought it was a bit overdone. Fish quality isn't mind blowing, but the pricing is very affordable (and I didn't get sick!) so a solid 3 stars it is.

Restaurant is located in the Soho distirct area - near the product/meat market on Gage St…read more Insider decor has a similar vibe to the actual Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo - which is tiny with simple furniture. Staff were friendly and attentive. Variety of menu items to choose from - pretty decent coming here for lunch. I tried their delxue chirashi, which had salmon, tuna and uni. Quality wise isn't super fabulous - but I think it's pretty affordable and simple for a quick bite (around $12-14 CAD). The meal also came with a small salad and miso soup, which was a nice appetizer start. If you're in the area exploring Soho, it would be a nice place to try.

I was wandering in the area near Central Station and came across an Ippudo. I wasn't particularly…read morehungry, but ramen sounded like a good late-afternoon snack. This location is in the Century Square building, on the third floor, along with one other Japanese restaurant. Being that odd time between lunch and dinner, the restaurant only had a few diners. There's a ticket machine outside of the entrance where you enter how many are in your party, and then you receive a ticket with a number on it. It seemed silly that I would need to do this, considering that the restaurant was pretty empty, but I guess they need this during the lunch and dinner rush. Someone came and called my number (I looked around and no one else was around...) and he brought me to the long communal table in the middle of the restaurant. The menus are already on the table. I browsed through it and noticed that they offered half portions of their akamaru shinaji and shiromaru motoaji ramens. This is perfect for those of us who aren't that hungry (or perhaps have been eating too many carbs in Hong Kong and feel a little guilty eating a full portion bowl...?). I ordered a half portion of the shiromaru motoaji ramen and also the scotch egg, which is a Hong Kong special item. The server asked if I preferred my ramen cooked soft, medium, or hard. I picked medium. They give you cold tea, and there are chopsticks, sesame seeds, the red ramen seasoning powder on the table. There is also fresh garlic cloves and a garlic press, which I thought was pretty cool. Instead of powder, you can press your own fresh garlic into your ramen broth! My ramen came out pretty quickly and it was delicious! The ramen was cooked perfectly, the piece of pork was tasty. The server came out and told me that my Scotch egg would take quite a while to come out - maybe about 15-20 minutes. I didn't mind, since I could just eat my ramen and drink the tea - I was in no rush to get anywhere. But I appreciated that he told me this info. I finished my ramen (perhaps I should've gotten a full portion...or maybe a half portion of the akamaru ramen!) and eventually my Scotch egg came out. I loved eating Scotch eggs as a snack when I was in England, so I was excited to see this on the menu. Their version is slightly different in that there isn't as much sausage meat on the outside. At first, I couldn't tell if there was any meat, since the layer was so thin. It was pretty tasty. And it came with a side salad, which was really fresh. Overall, my food was tasty. The service was pretty good. The ambiance was a little lacking, it wasn't as energetic as the location in NYC that I went to, but perhaps that was because of the time that I went.

Popped in for some ramen, and wasn't disappointed. They have quite a selection of ramen dishes, and…read moreif you're not feeling the noodles plenty of rice options. I went for the Hakodate Shiro which was a fish and pork broth, springy thick noodles with a couple of slices of pork. I augmented the dish with a soft boiled egg. The broth was light, fresh and not too oily. The noodles springy - which is how I like them and the egg, cooked to runny perfection. My co-diner and I shared a deep fried egg. Again, this did not disappoint and the added pepper (by him) brought the dish home. I almost forgot to mention they have buy one beer, get one free from 5pm on week nights. Added bonus!

My favorite tori paitan ramen in Hong Kong. I've tried the famous Ginza Kagari (篝) in Tokyo, but…read moreZagin Soba still has a special place in my heart. If you prefer your chicken broth to be rich and creamy, their soup ramen is a delectable indulgence. There is always a line wrapping the restaurant. ＊Signature Chicken Soup Ramen 鶏白湯そば Unlike typical ramen, their broth is uniquely frothed to a cappuccino style to make sure every strand of noodle fully adsorbs the broth. The chicken broth is thick, creamy and densely packed with flavor. You can easily tell it is prepared out of simmering the chicken essence for hours. Each ramen is accompanied by a slice of slow-cooked chicken, two slices of cha shu and deep-fried burdock chips. I am totally impressed by how tender the chicken breast is! I asked for addtional ajitama every time. The egg is perfectly soft-boiled and marinated.

This was my last lunch meal in Hong Kong before leaving and wow, I was not disappointed one bit…read more Came here in a whim just from a Google search and it turned out to be one of the best soba places I've had this year! I saw that there are often lineups, but I came after the lunch time rush ~2pm) and there was only 1-2 other tables and no wait. Inside was quite spacious with bar seating and table seating - I honestly didn't mind the bar because it was still roomy (even roomy enough to put my carry on below me haha). There was only ~3 options on their menu so I opted for their Signature Chicken Soup Broth Ramen ($148 HKD). I was honestly blown away by the foamy broth - lightweight but full of chicken flavour. Not salty at all and had such a clean and creamy taste. Noodles were cooked perfectly and tasted similar to thin ramen noodles. It came with 2 different cuts of chicken and both were so tender. I especially enjoyed the cut of the thigh. The fried burdock root had a nice chewy texture. It didn't get too soggy even sitting in the warm broth for a while. I'd say it could be just a tad more crispy because it was a little hard to bite though but the flavour was perfect. Honestly it is quite pricy for a bowl of noodles, but I would definitely revisit as it was that good. Definitely worth the trek out to try!