Tuesday, July 16, 2013

kokoro ramen

Remember the first time you went to Japan and realised you were in love with ramen? How could a bowl of egg noodles in hot broth make you so happy? The collective "irasshaimase" when you walk in from the crisp cold wonder of the neon world outside. The wooden tables and chairs with whimsical fabric seats. The delicious smells wafting out of giant cauldrons of bubbling soup. The fact that you were overseas with your boyfriend. I distinctly remember a fight in a Tokyo laundromat over whether we should split the load of washing into two (me) or whether we should just stuff it all into one machine and buy a bowl of ramen (1405).

Kokoro Ramen is yet another ramen place in Melbourne. It is on Lonsdale Street, a block from Melbourne Central train station. The place is warm and almost always full. Cheap and cheerful, it is also authentic in a way that some franchised chains could never be.

Sapporo miso ramen with corn, bean shoots, pork, egg, bamboo, seaweed and a block of butter.
 Despite the fact that there are no greens on the menu (I am a stickler for greens with every meal), you can get black fungus mushrooms in your ramen.

Tokyo shoyu ramen with egg, bamboo shoots, spring onion, seaweed and soft shell crab.


Hakata Tonkotsu ramen with spring onion, red ginger, black fungi, ajitama egg, roasted sesame seeds sweet-marinated pork belly.

This was the vegetarian option... with extra pork.
There is usually a line for tables on these winter nights but wait time for a table on a weeknight is like 10 minutes - everyone is in and out. Hugely filling, rich creamy pork bone broth. Perfect after work quick dinner.

Kokoro Ramen
157 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
9650 1215


Kokoro Ramen on Urbanspoon