Fukuryu Ramen

Level 1 22-26 Corrs Lane 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

http://www.fukuryuramen.com/

When Fukyuryu Ramen came along, the whole Melbourne foodie community stopped. Melbourne is notorious for not being able to get ramen right when Sydney, and even Brisbane has been slurping up deliciously porky noodle soups for years. But Fukyuryu Ramen looked like the real deal, and it exploded in popularity almost overnight thanks to social media and word-of-mouth.

The first impressions of Fukyuryu Ramen were very welcoming. We could hear the shouts of ‘irrashaimase’ echoing down the stairwell as we climbed the two flights to the restaurant, and the place itself is a slick and spacious dining hall, showcasing the open kitchen and steaming soup pots. 

The menu is short and sweet, focussing almost entirely on traditional and modern versions of ramen, and a scattering of sides. The noodles came in three sizes, and there were three types of water on self-serve taps – ambient, chilled, and sparkling, which was a nice touch. 

Signature Tonkotsu Ramen ($11.9, regular)

Everyone is here for the Signature Tonkotsu Ramen ($11.9, regular), the surface of which glistened promisingly with a dark slick of garlic oil. No doubt about it, this is definitely the best ramen in Melbourne. The pork soup is thick and sweet with gelatine, and the thin slices of pork streaked with fat. The noodles could’ve been chewier, but it soaked up the creamy soup exceedingly well. 

Shoyu Ramen ($11.9, regular)

Shoyu Ramen ($11.9, regular)

More for variety than anything, we got a bowl of Tokyo-styled Shoyu Ramen ($11.9, regular). The soy-based broth was predictably lighter, replacing the thick tonkotsu with a clear umami broth sweetened with scallions. Whilst the flavour wasn’t as indulgent as the rich porkiness of the tonkotsu, the chunkier noodles had a firm, satisfying bite to them that more than made up for it. 

Green Tea Soft Serve ($2.9)

I finished my meal with a complimentary Green Tea Soft Serve ($2.9) that was light and refreshing, and made my stomach hurt with its coldness, but it was totally worth it.

Whilst it is a bit disappointing that every ramen I’ve had outside of Melbourne exceeded this one by far, it’s still good to finally, finally be able to say that we’ve hit a vein of gold. I’m sure that Melbourne will eventually have authentic ramen on every street corner, and Fukyuryu Ramen is paving the way.

Rating: 13.5/20 – step by step.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.