Used to be my go-to spot since there are so many customization options with tenderness of noodles, soup base flavor, toppings etc. Sad that this branch closed down read more

This Butao in the Sha Tin location is nestled right next to Din Tai Fung (a one-star Michelin restaurant) yet still manages to attract a waiting line of equal length. If that's no indication of how good the place is, perhaps the food will be a better one; I ordered the squid-ink ramen and was utterly beyond satisfied. The order form they have you fill out is laden with customisation options, so the broth comes as rich as you want it to be and same goes for noodle firmness, spice level and condiments. I went for a rich broth with normal firmness on the noodles. The broth definitely has a dominant squid-ink taste yet it's well-balanced with a robust creaminess. The pork belly was tender and succulent and ordering extra noodles makes it even easier to finish the rest of the broth. I would most definitely recommend a visit to Butao! P.S: the seating can be rather limited at times so expect to be sat close next to strangers. read more

豚王 - Squid ink ramen without any add-ons. - Ramen Near Me - Hong Kong, HK

I came with an empty stomach and high hopes, but left with squid-ink-stained teeth and slightly disappointed. Ramen at Butao lacks the wow-factor taste and presentation-wise. I tried the 黑王 (Black King) tonkotsu ramen, which I picked solely because the squid-ink broth sounded intriguing. My friend chose the 豚王 (Original). After waiting for a few minutes while awkwardly watching the party sitting directly across from us slurp down their ramen, our orders arrived. Unfortunately, the broth was lukewarm and overwhelmingly salty. My friend even poured in half a cup of water (didn't help)! The best part of the meal was the soft-boiled egg we added on for $17 HKD. As a whole, Butao isn't horrible but not worth the hype. Considering how there are so much more affordable and tastier eats in Hong Kong, I just can't convince myself to come again or recommend Butao to anyone else. tldr; If you are visiting from SF, LA, or NYC, you've probably had much, much better ramen back home. Go grab yourself a bowl of fishball noodles instead. read more

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Very satisfying noodles and broth. I especially appreciated the customizable level of heat, spice, meats, accompaniments and level of al dente for the noodles. I ordered a side of Japanese egg and it was soft boiled to perfection. There was a long queue when I arrived on a Sunday around 1:20pm, but since I was a party of one I didn't have to wait. Service was quick and efficient. My only complaint was that I wished there were more options for toppings, for example I would've wanted cabbage and scallion rather than cabbage OR scallion. read more

豚王 - Ramen Near Me - Hong Kong, HK

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It's a little weird that the best ramen place I've been to so far is located in Hong Kong, but their broth game is on point. The broth is a bit on the thick side with a number of customization options like oil level (none to really rich), garlic level, and sauces (signature and spicy). Ramen noodles themselves come in thin or thick and level of firmness. I usually go for rich on everything plus thick noodles. The result is a boldly flavored bowl of ramen with broth that leaves your lips feeling sticky with fat (a good thing!). If you're Chinese illiterate like me, you may want to bring a buddy / family member who can read as everything is entirely in Chinese. However, it looks like menus now have an English version?? So make sure to ask for that if you're in the same boat. Seating comes in large communal tables so you will likely have to share dining space with other patrons. There can definitely be a bit of a wait, so I'd recommend going a little before peak times. read more

Don't let the long line of people turn you away to another restaurant - this ramen is worth it. People are in and out in no time and if you miss your number when it's called, they'll move on to the next one quickly. You really won't wait too long. The menu is pretty basic and you get to choose your ramen flavor, noodle type/size, spicy level, meat, toppings, and add in's. If you're lucky they'll seat you at the bar where you can watch the cooks work away in the open kitchen. The broth is super flavorful and the noodles are cooked just right (to your liking, in fact!) Pork belly is free to add and pretty good. But what I can't stop thinking about is their tea eggs: the best I've ever had in my ramen. You'll understand why people are in and out, one taste of the ramen and you won't put down your chopsticks till its done:P Can't wait to come back! read more

豚王 - Original Butao ramen:) - Ramen Near Me - Hong Kong, HK

黑王 and 豚王 tasted okay. The thin noodle is on the soft side. There is this craze on thick broth which is a bit heavy during summer. Maybe I will like it better in winter. One may like the customizable menu, but I just want everything standard, should not need minutes to read through them Cash only. read more

豚王 - Ramen Near Me - Hong Kong, HK

My favorite ramen place with Squid Ink Black King Ramen. Cash only. I go to the ShaTin location.

Totally not worth the wait and overrated. Decided to have an early dinner and arrived at this placed about five-ish. The restaurant was about three quarters full with customers and what appears to be full staff on hand. Hostess for this place would definitely need some training from the management team in how to properly seat people in the restaurant. Not sure why they try to cram as much people on to a single table yet other seatings in the restaurant were not fully occupied, such as the bar which was empty. People being sat onto our table, requested to sit at the bar as it was more spacious. After being seated on the big table that is able to sit two people on each side of the table, we were handed one form each to fill out the type of Ramen that you would like to order. Once the form is completed, the waitstaff will come by double check to see if you filled out your order correctly. After the waitstaff have taken my order, we had to wait about 20 minutes for our ramen to come. Once the Ramen arrived, It was seriously black, so black it look like an oil slick in a bowl. Broth was moderately warm and quite in viscosity. Although I chosen the normal texture for the ramen, it came out over cooked. Texture of the pork was OK and quite tender, being a lean cut. Although this is my second time to this place, it is highly unlikely I will be coming back to this place again and would rather choose something else if I was in the area. read more

豚王 - Black king ramen. Looks like an oil slick in my bowl. - Ramen Near Me - Hong Kong, HK

Butao's branch in Sha Tin opened in 2013, meaning those of us in the New Territories could finally savour the legendary tonkotsu ramen without trekking all the way to the island and lining up for an hour. Since it's opened in Sha Tin, I've been going here quite regularly because the flavour of that tonkotsu is addictive. The classic Butao ramen is $83, while the Black, Red, and Green King are $10 more. I love the original, but the Red King is right up my alley - all that fearless spice and velvety red broth makes me drool even now. Word of warning - if you tailor your ramen with some Butao spicy sauce, anything higher than x3 might make your nose run and your lips red. You can always tailor your ramen with the provided checklist, offered in English and Chinese. Butao lets you adjust the strength of your soup base, infused oil, and garlic. You have to decide on your free toppings - pork belly, pork butt, spring onion, and cabbage. I prefer the pork butt, which is less fatty. I also go for the marinated Japanese egg for an extra $17, with still runny yolk in the centre that makes your broth all the richer. As for your ramen type, it's either thick or thin; and really hard, hard, normal, soft, or really soft. My preference is for thin, hard noodles, as I like a bit of bite, but nothing overbearing or straying from the delicious goodness of the broth. After these life-changing decisions, you get your bowl. And what a glorious bowl it is. The first time you go to Butao, you will undoubtedly be tempted to get another bowl right after. But I advise you now to take a moment, catch your breath, let all that ramen inhalation take its time to settle in your stomach. And don't worry, it'll still be there the next time you're at New Town Plaza - it's not going anywhere, it's joined the Dark Side now. read more

This is overrated and doesn't taste great at all. The ramen has no taste and doesn't give much flavor. Makes you feel greasy while you eat it. People should save their money and go to a place where they can get better service and better tasting ramen. read more

Best ramen I've had to date, overshadowing places in Albany, NYC, Boston, and Tokyo. I know there are great places there too, but this place really is good and very affordable. read more