Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen - 27 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Feeling quite uninspired, I visited the much admired - Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen.

Famous for their 12-hour-slow cooked Tonkotsu broth and freshly made Japanese ramen, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen promises an indulgent and delicious meal.

Surprisingly, there were very limited options on the menu - with only 5 types of ramen and a few sides and dessert to choose from. However, you can customise your toppings, noodle texture, amount of oil (and whatever else you can think of) to your liking. I recommend that you choose the hard/extra hard noodle texture as the noodles continue to cook while it is in the broth.

While I was deciding what to order, I was distracted by the traditional Japanese motifs and calligraphy on the walls. Incorporating sleek modern furniture with traditional Japanese sunken tables and mats was certainly interesting - I guess it gives customers a choice between modern vs traditional.

And if you're feeling thirsty, there's also an impressive bar with a wide range of sake, umeshu (plum wine), and other beverages.

After a long internal mental struggle, I decided on the Black Garlic Tonkotsu ($17) with an extra Tamago (egg $2). Mixed with a generous amount of special roast garlic oil, the broth had the perfect garlic intensity. The broth, however, felt a bit lighter than the broth I've had in other ramen places. What I especially liked about this broth was that it doesn't have ample globules of fat glistening on the surface. It turns out that Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen constantly distils the broth and removes the lard from the surface, resulting in a rich, pure broth without the oily layer.

The noodles were also cooked to a perfect consistency - with just the right amount of chewy bounciness and firmness. According to the chef, the noodles are made fresh with flour directly imported from Japan.

Unfortunately, the tamago (egg) was slightly overcooked and wasn't as gooey as it was supposed to be.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu ($17) with extra Tamago ($2)

My Fellow Food Extinguisher chose the Yuzu Tonkotsu ($17). Flavoured with yuzukosyo, a citrusy spice, it was unlike any ramen we've had before. It had a refreshing citrus yuzu punch with a peppery spicy kick. The rich flavours complemented the underlying spinach broth very, very well.

Yuzu Tonkotsu ($17)

The Best Part: Free Kae-dama! In other words, extra noodles are FREE OF CHARGE.

FREE Extra Noodles

Verdict
Although the broth tasted decent, there wasn't enough depth to the flavours and I failed to taste the porkiness expected of a Tonkotsu ramen. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and I would probably stop by when I have the opportunity to go to Melbourne again. I wish it came with more Charsiu though - $2 or $3 for an extra slice seems a little pricey :S.