My tummy was rumbling because of the time difference, and I was looking for a quick bite before zooming off to the airport. Hakatamon Ramen-ya caught my hungry eyes. Cue Patrick Swayze and Eric Carmen’s theme song.
Prawn Tonkotsu Ramen
Hakata in Fukuoka, Japan is famous for its style of ramen that featured tonkotsu (pork bone) as the main ingredients for its white, creamy broth. Many variations have been made from this basic tonkotsu broth – spicy, with black garlic, and now with rich prawn flavour.
Hakata ramen is typically served with ultra-thin, straight, and firm wheat noodles, though it’s possible to choose the firmness of the noodles according to individual preferences.
Although thin slices of chashu pork and chopped scallions are quintessentials for a proper ramen, other typical additions to the ramen include onsen egg, wood ear mushrooms, deep fried garlic, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and spicy sesame oil.
Today’s special came with huge prawn dumplings that were filled with chopped prawns, mushrooms and pork. They reminded me of the dumplings 水餃 that you get in wanton noodles stalls in Singapore.
The soup actually reminded me of a very watered down laksa broth, or more accurately laksa without the coconut milk. There were bits of crushed dried shrimps in the soup base that was the secret of its intense and umami laden flavours.
I always add pan fried pork gyozas to my order of ramen, and the gyoza came with (tiny bit of ) ass-kicking spicy bean paste. Be careful it is really spicy. The gyoza was not fantastic, as the skin was too think in my opinion, and the pan frying was not sufficient to make a burnt crust.
Nevertheless, this was still a good eat within the Darling Harbour area. It was a glorious early autumn day, so the weather was perfect to dine outside. As the lunchtime crowd came in, I vacated my seat and went off to the airport.
Hakatamon Ramen
6/8 Nicolle Walk, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Tel : +61 2 7903 0733
Visited Mar 2023
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