Sunday, October 9, 2011

Men-dokoro Ryo Tei


Apparently, Ryo-Tei ramen is one of the best ramen chains in Sydney and now has two locations in Hong Kong - one in Sheung Wan and the other in Tai Koo. It seems a bit strange that a ramen chain would come from Sydney, but I'm always up for trying new things :) The store is relatively small but quite comfortable, and there were only a few tables taken on Sunday evening.


There was also a giant bowl sitting on a shelf on the wall and a challenge to finish all the ramen in that bowl to win $1000 and a free meal. Obviously the "winners board" was empty.

Ryo-Tei claims to do traditional Fukuoka-style ramen (famed for its thicker and saltier broth) which has been popularized by the likes of Ippudo, Butao, and Hide-chan. I've never been a big fan of this style - I usually leave the restaurant feeling quite sick by the heaviness and to be honest, I'm happier with a bowl of instant noodles or even ajisen ramen!

We ordered a few side dishes but were first given side salads:

complimentary salad

Luckily this was free. So much mayo and really bitter cucumbers. I just picked out the corn :)

gyoza

This was quite okay - I liked their small size and it didn't feel overly greasy. The vinegar sauce worked well with it too! Was trying out new functions on my iPhone so this photo came out really orange haha.

chicken karaage

Was really excited to try this because I've never tried chicken karaage in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, this was a huge let down. Really fatty, really fried, not much taste except when doused in the accompanying mayo.

cha siu ramen in pork broth

I requested less salt so the flavour was okay but it was still a bit too heavy for me. I guess I'm not the right person to be reviewing a Fukuoka-ramen joint... The noodles themselves were alright, quite springy :) The cha siu was decent, though the fat to meat ratio was heavily skewed towards fat. The egg wasn't the best I had and was a little overcooked.

While the restaurant definitely gives huge sized portions for their prices, the quality wasn't great and I left feeling pretty sick of grease. I suppose it's perfect on a cold night when all you have left to do is go home and pass out.


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Men-Dokoro Ryo Tei
15 Hillier Street
Sheung Wan