Food adventures in Melbourne and wherever the tummy goes
Whilst wandering around in the city we were getting a bit peckish and sifted through our Entertainment book to see what deals we had and BAM we landed at Ramen Bankara. Since anytime is ramen time, Mr D did not hesitate. We were greeted by the staff and was shown to our table (luckily we like to eat early and there were plenty of tables free). We couldn’t NOT get kaarage (fried chicken) and was super excited when it came out. Unfortunately, it was quite dry on the inside.
Tori Kaarage – $7.80
The Glen has just opened up their new dining precinct and that means more restaurants are popping up. One of those restaurants is Shujinko. Yes, there are plenty of those around Melbourne and finally, the south east finally has theirs. It’s very cosy and there’s not a lot of seatings available so it’s first in best dressed.
Shujinko has made a name for themselves and has been popping up new stores here and there. In St Collins Lane, Shujinko Express opened up and they don’t have the whole menu because, well, it’s an express venue. There are a few seats inside and out and I can imagine that it would get full at lunch throughout the week. Now, back to Shujinko, choose your dish out front, pay and grab a seat whilst the staff brings your food over to your table.
Shonan Kamakura, a little Japanese eatery hidden away in Katherine Place away from the bustling main street. It’s small (yep, whatever you see through the window is what you get) but don’t let the size fool you. The service is efficient, friendly and very attentive. It doesn’t matter how small or big your group is, you’ll get the same service. Walking in you’ll be greeted by the bar (who doesn’t enjoy a good drink by the bar) and a mural of Mount Fuji on the side at the back.
The 24/7 ramen chain Shujinko has been rapidly expanding and is up to their third store when we were asked to visit, of course we couldn’t say no. Located on Flinders St and opposite Flinders Street station, it is in a very busy spot but that means there’s plenty of foot traffic hence a lot of business. Inside isn’t the biggest eatery but it was very cosy and the staff are superbly friendly.
Hakata Gensuke is a well established and known throughout Melbourne as one of the yummiest ramen and it’s so popular that there are many chains opened around Melbourne. We visited the one in Doncaster’s food court and there wasn’t a huge line so we went up and ordered our ramens. On the side of the counter, there was a sign and it was a special deal where you get a meal for two for $33! So we went ahead and got that!
I’ve been looking for different ramen places to check out and a friend had suggested Mr Ramen San in Little Bourke Street so I ventured in and it’s a very small and cosy place so be prepared to wait outside. Pro tip, you need everyone in your party present before you can even get a table and boys and girls, it does get buy around dinner time. Anywho, walking in, the staff were super duper friendly and we got right into ordering our meals.
The famed Japanese ramen chain Ippudo has finally landed in Melbourne and known for its tonkotsu ramen, I couldn’t resist taking my fam bam to check it out. Luckily for us, we got there at 4PM on a Saturday and there were customers in front of us and we got in 10 minutes after waiting. The staff were really friendly and the interior is very warm and cosy.
A date with the girlies and we decided to check out Musashi (yes, one of the girls thought we were having protein shakes for dinner) which was opposite to the never ending queue for Hakata Gensuke. There wasn’t a line for Musashi and when we walked in we were greeted loudly by the staff and the decor was fabulous! Made me feel like I was back in Japan. You could even pop your bags in your seat / stool which I thought was quite clever.
Eastland has been opening a lot of eateries and there are just so many choices. Being hungry meant I needed to eat and quickly. We saw Ajisen Ramen and this is a chain that whips up ramen quickly. In we went and got a table quickly.