Sapporo Ramen Miso No.1    札幌拉麵 Miso No.1  

One of the things I've re-discovered is catching up on reading at lunch. So why not join the ranks of Japanese salarymen who eat with their Mangas over lunch! These folks usually know where to get a bowl of decent noodles over lunch to continue their Manga hero adventures before they hit reality and go back to their daily grind.

I've been to Miso No. 1 twice in 2 months, and while it's not going to be the best bowl you get in Hong Kong, it is a comforting experience especially with the extended cold spells we have had to endure this winter. And if it's Sapporo style, you would think they know a thing or 2 about insulating their customers from the chills.

House Specialty - Butter Ramen
The house specialty is really a bowl of miso ramen, with a dollop of butter over the top. Who knows who stole from who, but this is akin to the French trying to make the sauces more velvety with butter and flour (sauce veloute). No side of flour is served here but the butter does have the effect of creating a richer soup that's surprisingly not too greasy, although my healthy angel usually says I should only go with half a dollop.

While a tad salty, but then which ramen soup base isn't, the soup is extremely tasty and can be addictive and even more so on a cold day. It also does a good job of cutting through the alkali in the noodles, which are adequately springy although the eggy fragrance is somewhat missing. I generally like a thinner ramen from the South. The Char Siu has been a combination of lean to lean with fatty bits. So there will always be a couple of slices that are succulent and juicy, with effortless bite-through, but a couple of slices that are overly leathery for my liking. Generous corn kernels, leeks and Wakame (kelp) add fibre and crunch ,adding to the overall experience.

Pumpkin Croquette
It's not a Tonkatsu place but what is surprisingly good is the pumpkin croquette. Well deep-fried to a clean grease-free crisp on the outside, the mashed pumpkin encased within is creamy and slightly sweet. Interspersed with a few crunchy vegetable bits on the inside, this is a great accompaniment to the ramen, and the good news is that it is one of the lunch combos available.

Gzoyas or Japanese Dumplings
Some people like to order the pan fried Gyozas here. I'm ambivalent about them. They're decent enough but I'm not a huge fan. The fillings are tasty but I found the skins a little too chewy. Perhaps I left them a little too long since I had to take a call on the occasion I ordered them. If I could share them, I might order them again, but if I am with eating with my "Manga" only, then no.

Good enough place to visit if you work or live in the area, but it's not a place to rave and travel out of the way for. There have been other ramen raves in the territory which I have yet to hit. But then again, who wants to queue 2 hours just for a bowl of noodles.

For the original post with photos, visit edeats.blogspot.com

I went with the lunch set which comes with your choice of ramen, side dish, and a drink. I went with the pork ramen with miso base soup. The soup was flavorful and not overly salty. It came with a lot of bean sprouts however was lacking in bamboo shoots which are my favorite. The noodles were cooked fine but for my preference I prefer it to be a bit harder. I didn't know I could request the noodles to be harder. Overall the ramen had good balance but nothing to rave about. Regarding the gyozas, I call them the No Good Gyozas. Although, the skin was super thin and it had a lot of filling, the taste was off. The pork filling was slimy, maybe too much cornstarch...not sure... It also had a taste and scent which bothered me...can't quite get my finger on it...some kind of herb I think. The gyozas were not brown and crispy enough also. I should have went with the croquette. The staff are really nice and the service was good.

Came here for lunch. Have been here ages ago, and remembered it was a good experience so decided to find this place tucked away in Granville Rd in TST. Overall, good value lunch sets for $58/$68, including an appetizer and/or soft drink.

Regular char siu ramen in Miso soup base: Very yum and came piping hot. Especially enjoyed the texture of the noodles. Miso soup base was also very tasty. The char siu slice is just ok, can be softer? Came with seaweed, corn, bean sprouts, half an egg and those picked bamboo strips. At first, thought it was a normal portion, but ended up being a very big portion and could not finish due to the toppings.

Gyoza: Also very good! Finally a place that makes decent gyoza. The skin was nice and soft/silky while there was a nicely pan fried side. Also the filling was very authentic and quite hefty. No complaints here!

Overall good experience here. The service was prompt; food was great. The space isn't that large, and the kitchen is exposed, so you will probably end up smelling like ramen/gyoza, but its still worth it for the quality of food here. Recommend for sure.

This shop used to be called Domon and have recently changed their name. I have been eating at this shop for many years and their ramen are consistently good. And it's definitely my favourite ramen shop in HK.
I was there last night and was happy to see the same chef and waitresses from many years back (same crew, same shop, just changed the name). All the ingredients are very fresh from Japan, the noodles are chewy, soup base is delicious and the chef insists on cooking one bowl of noodles at a time to ensure the quality. When the ramen arrives at your table, it's steaming hot. By the time I was finished with my noodles, the soup was still very hot, which is very impressive. I really do admire the consistency in food quality and the chef's perseverance in ensuring this.
For those who want an authentic bowl of ramen, this is definitely the place to be. The quality is so much better than other chain shops with inexperience chefs.