Hachiban Ramen 八番拉麵
English Address : Shop 1, 2/F QRE Plaza, 202 Queen's Road East Wan Chai
Chinese Address : 灣仔皇后大道東202號 QRE Plaza 2樓1號舖
Map : Display Map
Phone No. : 2891 3111
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Categories : Japanese | Ramen
Spending : $41-$100
Overall Score : 3.2
16
vs 20
vs 8
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Other Information
Opening Hours: 星期一至日: 11:00-22:00
Payment Method: Cash
Parking:
Yes
Gourmet Reviews
1 to 5 of 5 reviews:
Horrible drinks + so so raman 
2013-04-03
xwindy (4 Review(s))
We went to this place for a quick lunch, so went for two set lunch with drinks provided. My drink is a lemon water, which does come as sliced lemon + hot water 
and this charged $5 on top of the set lunch. What more ridiculous is my friend was charged $5 on top as he ordered a 7up instead of a pepsi 
Otherwise, the noodle is so so, a bit better than instant noodle, soup is salty, with loads vegie but only one paper thin cha-sew...
Very disappointed, no wonder there is few people even on a bank holiday.
Date of Visit: 2013-04-01
Table Wait Time: 0 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD85 (Lunch)
Overall Rating : Taste2 Environment3 Service2 Hygiene3 Value for Money1
[爆]菜拉麵 It's the Highway or My Way (no.2)
2012-05-30
梵高將軍 (221 Review(s))
Recommended: Yasai (Vegetable Ramen).
鎮店之寶 - 招牌"野菜拉麵" 幾抵食
It's such a convenient lunch option that I've tried it two days after my first visit! 
This time I arrived a bit later after bringing a few old photographs to one of the numerous galleries in the area for framing (btw, the prices in that area are reasonable). It was 1:40 p.m. and there were plenty of seats available.
Again, I've placed my order before I entered the shop. This time I wanted to try "Yasai Ramen" (Vegetable Ramen).
Yasai ramen is actually their signature ramen. As far as I'm aware, this is the only ramen chain in Hong Kong which specialized in this type of ramen. Although the name "vegetable ramen", might seem like a rather bland vegetarian option, it's in fact stir fried vegetables with sliced pork, "Chuka style , i.e. the Japanese interpretation of Chinese cooking methods. The whole stir-fry is then placed directly on top of the bowl of ramen.
Broth & Okinawa sea salt:
Although in Japan, you could choose from a number of soup bases, i.e. Miso, Tonkotsu, Shio and Shoyu, they didn't appear to provide such options here. (I never really had a lot of time to look at the menu while standing). The broth here was quite interesting. It appears to me to be a clear chicken broth combined with pork meat soup - I have to stress, not pork bone - soup, perhaps also with a Shio (salt) soup base? The taste was mainly pork meat soup like those home-made ones in Cantonese families.
It's almost pointless to compare it with shops that specializes in the much thicker Tonkotsu broth, i.e. ButaO or Tamashii, as the broth provided here was a light pork meat/bone soup combined with clear chicken soup (that is "Tori Gara" soup - a clear chicken broth usually used in Chuka style cuisines and broths for dumplings in Japan, which used the chicken carcass only, without the skin, as opposed to the thick chicken broth like those in the ramen shop "Tori Hana", which is broiled with the whole chicken, including the meat, bones and skin like the Korean Sam Gye Tang.)
A more similar comparison might be with "Ryo Tei" which I tried a reviewed recently. They also provide ramen with "tori gara" soup base. The tori gara soup base I tried was there was mixed with Shoyu, Japanese soy sauce, which was very good by the way. On the other hand, the tori gara soup base here appeared to have no shoyu but used a Shio soup base. Again, Hachiban stated that they used sea salt harvested near the sea at Okinawa. 
The sea salt probably accounted for the interesting aftertaste which I initially thought might be a slight hint of "Aji no Moto" i.e. Japanese MSG (MSG was invented in Japan by the way - so I suppose it's still authentic Japanese). However, I did not feel thirsty afterwards. I also managed to finish most of the broth without feeling thirsty afterwards. Good! 
Noodles and lettuce:
According to Hachiban's website (the essential parts about the ramen were only in Japanese), they used their own brand of lettuce grown in their own farms in Japan. The noodles were also made by their own factory. They had four different types of noodles, thick, medium, thin and very thin. They used the thick ones for their Yasai ramen and I believe the medium one for their chuka soba. I don't think they do the thin and very thin version in Hong Kong.
This thick noodle had an interesting wheat aftertaste. It's quite different from Hokkaido ramen. The noodles were less oily (you can distinguish that as the no-oil version doesn't look as transparent as the Hokkaido one) but nevertheless still quite chewy. I enjoyed the texture as well as the portion. Quite a filling lunch. Definitely more filling than the Kimchi Chuka Soba I had here two days ago. 
The stir-fry consisted of:
A lot of beans-sprouts, which is a favorite amongst many Japanese diners (like those provided in "Hachiyo", also a favorite amongst many Japanese diners), which were also quite big and tasty.
so chopped carrots. Those were also fresh and quite sweet.
some black fungi. Those were probably marinated in salted water overnight. So they got rid of the grassy taste and were very crispy. It's delicious.
some menma, which were more sour than salty. Average quality.
a few slices of pork, which were nothing special and were a bit dried and
one thin piece of char siu, which was thin but rather tasty but definitely not a crowd-drawer. It's nothing special.
and a lot of very fresh and crisp home grown lettuce.
So all in all, the vegetable stir-fry was pretty good. It was fried with some garlic and a hint of black pepper as well, which added complexity to the broth. Good.
I was allocated a seat right at the very end of the small shop. I felt like sitting at a balcony as I was facing directly at the footbridge and overlooking Queens Road. It's quite relaxing because of the natural light outside and comfortable air-conditioning, but at the same time, very dynamic, as you are directly facing the people walking on the foot bridge. Infinity ramen pool:
I almost forgot to mention the fried prawns. 
It's +HK$7 and you get two fried prawns. +HK$5 for a beverage of your choice.
The two fried prawns (not to be confused with tempura) were a bit oily but not bad. The size of the prawns were decent and the flavour was quite strong. The prawns were OK. The freshness was acceptable. It's probably marinated before being fried as the flavour was quite strong. All in all, can't complaint for HK$7. However, I prefer the cuttlefish tempura a little bit more.
The lemon tea was average stuff. Again, no complaints.
The whole set plus the drink came down to HK$64 which I find quite reasonable.
If you just order the noodle, it's HK$52 for a very decent bowl of Yasai Ramen.
All in all, a very comfortable and positive dining experience!
Recommended for lunch or tea time!
總評:
由於很方便及幾好味所以兩日後又一試!
今次叫了鎮店之寶 - 招牌"野菜拉麵"：
中華風〔爆〕炒野菜．
日本自家農場種植的椰菜確新鮮爽脆又清甜！
大量豆芽，紅蘿蔔絲，黑木耳：爽口！
醋腌的竹筍質素可以．
有小量肉片及一片薄叉燒．只是綠葉．
肉類麻麻，但勝在野菜確係新鮮爽口．
材料與大蒜，黑椒爆炒後相當惹味！
材料之後蓋在"太麵"上。太麵亦是〔八番〕自設廠房製造的．沒有像北海道的粗麵般用油製過，所以較乾身但亦有嚼勁．份量亦足夠．
湯頭應是豬肉湯（或很淡的豬骨湯）加雞清湯內熬的．偏向清淡．加上沖繩鹽提味．令湯頭更有層次．我差不多喝完整碗湯！
加７元有吉列蝦．ｏｋ．再加５元有飲品．
價錢合理．味道唔錯．
午市，下午茶可以一試！
Recommended Dish(es): 野菜拉麵
Date of Visit: 2012-05-25
Table Wait Time: 0 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD64 (Lunch)
Overall Rating : Taste3 Environment3 Service4 Hygiene4 Value for Money4
冷面中華 午市之選 It's My Way or the Highway (no.8)
2012-05-25
梵高將軍 (221 Review(s))
價錢公道的泡菜中華冷麵〔キムチ冷やし中華〕Highway no.8: After visiting a bookshop in Wan Chai, I wanted to try "Nha Thrang" at Hopewell Center. It was pretty crowded so I was desperate to find an alternative. I saw "Hachiban" right across the street. While I was fully aware of the "OK" & "Bad comments" about Hachiban, I note from a photograph of the tea cups in Hachiban that their signature ramen was in fact vegetables with thick ramen , and not pork bone broth ramen. So I felt a bit adventurous:
Hachiban was located just at the end of the footbridge across Hopewell center. As I walked nearer, I noticed they were selling a "Kimchi Cold Chuka Ramen". This should be a rather safe option. In fact, judging from the photos provided by other food commentators, the tonkachu soup base doesn't seem to "hold water" anyway (seemed a bit watery). So I won't be in a hurry to order that. On the other hand,they seemed to be quite confident about their vegetables, so I thought "キムチ冷やし中華” (Kimchi Hiyashi Chuka) seemed like a safe bet and good for the hot weather.
It's the first time I saw this ramen on Hong Kong Island. I usually have my Hiyashi Chuka at "New Kotobuki" in Jordan after a tired day of work, when I feel like something light and refreshing instead of anything heavy.
I approached and indicated to the polite waiter, dressed in a chef's uniform, that I'd like a seat for one. I was immediately given a menu. I had a quick look. I recall that they had a few lunch sets to choose from, including the infamous pork bone broth ramen and the famous vegetable ramen (can't remember whether you could choose the broth though ) . Those were all reasonably priced. If I remember properly, most of those were between HK$50 - HK$70.
Interestingly, as I reach the front of the queue, I could place my order there and then. Even more interestingly, I was asked to pay immediately at the cashier. [cash only] This saves a lot of time. As the previous customers were preparing to leave, you're order is being made at the same time. So ideally, the moment you sit down, you're meal should be ready. No time is wasted. Excellent idea especially for the precious lunch time! Efficient!
This streamlined approach felt a bit like a "drive thru diner". Incidentally, according to Hachiban's Japanese website, the first Hachiban (meaning No.8), was situated in a simple shack next to Highway no. 8 (or Route No.8). Their signature ramen was a simple stir fried vegetable ramen "Yasai Ramen". This remains their signature ramen.
According to the website, the original shop, which only had 25 seats, could sell up to 1,500 bowls of vegetable ramen per day! :chopstickAfter a short wait, my Hiyashi Chuka arrived:
Essentially, the only difference between this Kimchi Hiyashi Chuka and a normal Hiyashi Chuka is, unsurprisingly, the addition of Kimchi. A Hiyashi Chuka is basically a cold "chuka soba" noodle cake, cooked, iced/chilled and then served with cucumber, seaweed, sesame, ham, other special ingredients (depends on the shop) and with some vinegar/soy sauce or ponzu. Because conceptually it is a very easy dish to make, the demand on the freshness of each component is very high. I'm happy to say that though not the best, it's pretty good considering the price. It's definitely a good option for a quick and light lunch.
The cucumbers were good. Nice and fresh. A bit more than most ramen shops which provide Hiyashi Chuka.
The ham should be a Japanese type of ham. Those were good too. Not as tasteless as some local brands which used a lot of water and processed meat. The taste was not salty. It's just about right.
Egg: Absolutely nothing special. Just a normal hard boiled egg cut in half.
Kimchi: This was quite good. It's a good balance between spiciness and vinegar sourness. It's about half/half. It seemed quite crisp and not heavily marinated. So as a result it's not that spicy. Because they used some salt to marinate the kimchi, it's very crisp.
The noodles were quite nice: It's apparently made by Hachiban themselves. Not the best Chuka I've had in Hong Kong (I think those at New Kotobuki were chewier) but overall its not bad and fairly chewy. I'd like it more if it's even more chilled. But definitely nothing to complaint about. The size was average so fine for lunch but not perhaps not for those used to heavy dinners.
The nori, i.e. seaweeds were very nice: Definitely not the standard seaweed you buy at supermarkets. I suspect it's been grilled before being cut (which is the proper way to bring out the aroma). The taste of the seaweed was mild with very aromatic aftertaste.
The fried squid with spring onions and fried onions was quite delicious too!
It's basically a tempura made with some chopped squid, spring onions, shredded fried onions as well as some chopped green beans. The squid was quite fresh. the spring onions didn't taste like much. The shredded friend onions were fine. It's a little bit oily but I'm quite happy with the overall effect, especially when it's only HK$6! Can't complaint.
In conclusion:
- This shop is famous for their vegetable ramen. However, their Kimchi chuka ramen was pretty good too.
- The price was reasonable considering the locality (HK$58) and the size and quality was decent.
- If you'd like to try Hiyashi Chuka or not in the mood for a heavy lunch, this is a decent option in Wan Chai.
Worth a trip to the Highway!
總評：
抱著一試無妨的心態．午餐試了覺得不錯：
雖然八番主打〔野菜拉麵〕，但由於天氣炎熱，泡菜中華冷麵〔キムチ冷やし中華〕比較開胃：
泡菜：用鹽及小一點的辣椒及醋來醃製．質地爽口．酸，辣比重差不多．味道不太重．好吃！
蛋：只是半隻全熟的蛋．
火腿：應該是日本貨（？）比本地一般的更有肉味．
青瓜：清爽，算新鮮．再冰鎮一點更好．
麵：中華麵（中華SOBA) 幾彈牙．有一點蛋香味．份量一般．〔新大壽〕的更有嚼勁．但整體上滿意．
中華冷麵底部有點〔橙醋〕，一點醬油及芝麻．整碟連材料伴勻，開胃惹味．
跟餐的魷魚天婦羅雖然有小小油，但魷魚幾鮮甜．炸得香口．只要６元．
大慨有20個位．不大但勝在有自然光．坐得幾舒服．
服務不錯．
以正宗日式拉麵來說，價錢公道．
注意：首先，排隊時有餐牌看．立即落單，及立即付款．好像只收現金．由落單開始計至吃完離開，前後25分鐘．
午市一個不錯的選擇！
Supplementary Information：
「國道8號」是日本由新潟縣新潟市至京都府京都市的國道。店舖在此起家，亦以此為名.
Date of Visit: 2012-05-22
Table Wait Time: 2 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD58 (Lunch)
Overall Rating : Taste3 Environment3 Service4 Hygiene4 Value for Money4
Not very good
2011-09-22
irischan429 (22 Review(s))
Everywhere was packed today for lunch so we decided so have ramen, hoping it wouldn't take too long. We waited in line for about 10 mins and got a table for 2 by the window.
I ordered the ramen with corn, 12 dumplings, the spicy ramen and a pepsi.
My ramen wasn't hot when it arrived, it was lukewarm, which is a very bad sign. How can you serve lukewarm soup??? The ramen wasn't cooked all the way through because the soup wasn't hot enough. The dumplings weren't very good either, the skin was mushy and the bottom wasn't crispy. I could also taste the MSG in the soup.......
The food quality around this area seems to be dropping and at this rate, I won't have any good places to go for lunch pretty soon!!!!
Date of Visit: 2011-09-22
Table Wait Time: 10 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD70 (Lunch)
Overall Rating : Taste2 Environment3 Service2 Hygiene3 Value for Money3
Too salty
2010-06-10
supersupergirl (2536 Review(s))
Came here for the green noodles.
Previously I have tried them at Ganpachi, so I thought they would taste the same.
Anyway ordered the green noodles with two extra Japanese drumettes,
noodles in soup and a mini bowl of rice.
The cold noodles didnt taste as good as the ones at Ganpachi, there was a strong eggy taste in it and it was too chewy as well.
The sauce was ok.
As for the noodles in soup, the broth was extremely salty, and rice was a bit too oily.
The drumettes tasted ok, but different to the juicy bigger ones featured in their product shot.
Overall Rating : Taste3 Environment3 Service3 Hygiene3 Value for Money3
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