Tokyo Tsukiji     東京築地拉麵  

I am from Japan and living in Hong Kong more than 5 years. I personally a big fun of Ramen and always explore newly opened Ramen shops in Japan when I return to there. In Hong Kong I have tried almost all Japanese style Ramen restaurant in Hong Kong and I should say it is really hard to find the real ones. In fact the real ones (the ones have head brunch in Japan) are usually way overpriced that makes me feel “why should I pay $90 to $100 for Ramen? where I can eat super delicious Ramen at Tokyo under $60. The place is located new Langham Place where is near my office. When I go there usually around 12pm, always have available table about that time but I have seen full of people around 1pm so I always try to get there before 1PM. Why I go there often and love so much? because they seems very serious about
ラーメン. When I evaluate Ramen, I always check these three points;
Noodle(麺)、Soup（湯）、ingredient (toppings 具) and moreover, the harmony and balance of those three elements. The noodle is made in house so we can see how they make the noodle through the glass ceiling. Their middle thick sized (中太麺)noodle and “al dente” just perfect, not like other Ramen shop where noodle is too soggy and soft. Soup is served in very hot as they pre-warm the bowl (wow excellent ! ) and soup broth is really thick and deep, you can choose pork based or Soy sauce based. ( Actually my favorite item 築地黒豚ラーメン’s soup is mixture of pork and soy sauce ). And lastly, the topping, its comes with meat, spring onions, bamboo shoots, and eggs. Meat is several kinds you can choose from, 黒豚、角煮、ちゃーしゅー、豚軟骨、I have tried all and the 黒豚 is the best of all.
I feel角煮 is dry sometimes ( I think they overcook ) and the chunk is too big but the taste is ok. Their Cha-Syu seems grilled and I wish I can eat their Cha-Syu with rice ! (like Cha-Syu丼).

It is worth to try if you are looking for real Japanese Ramen in Hong Kong.

Wanna get a quick lunch ..
so I came to this restaurant for lunch on April 2nd.
I ordered the 築地黑豚肉拉麵, and I specifically asked if this ramen comes with egg or not.
The captain there told me it doesn't, so I add an order of egg ... $18 ... quite expansive.
The egg came first, and there are 2 in a single order .. no wonder it costs $18.
Anyway, I can't finished all 2 ... so I finished up the ramen and left with 1 egg.
And asked the waitress for something for me to take home.
The Japanese waitress there can't find any boxes .. so she asked the captain for help
the captain can't find any either .. so she went into the kitchen
but then .. there is this big guy came to me .. saying they don't allow takeout,
and just put the egg back to my table.
The Japanese waitress walked by .. and I told her ... there is no box available
and I was just going to stuff it into my stomach .. the Japanese waitress is nice enough to went to the restaurant next door
and help me shrinkwrap it and let me take it away.
But then this big guy seems all pissed off and probably scold at the Japanese waitress.

I went here again for lunch with my family on April 3rd.
We got a bottle of apple juice for my niece,
she is little, so she has to stand on the chair to reach the straw.
The chair doesn't stick to the floor too well, it is pretty slippy,
and my niece hit her cheek on the table and fall off to the ground.
This same big guy just happened to bring us 2 bowls ramen to our table and saw the whole thing.
He didn't even asked if the kid is OK .. well .. which is fine.
We asked if he can give us some butter ... which is a fast remedy to reduce swollen.
I pretty sure they have it .. cause they have this 北海道 ramen which comes with butter.
This guy just keep on saying .. the butter is for food only . it is sliced into solid pieces ... they don't give out butter ...
it is margarine only .. and a few other reasons and just walk off and went back in the kitchen.
(One of us had to went to KFC across the street to bring back some free butter.)
I mean ... there is a kid fall off the ground because of your slippy floor ..
and we are asking you for help and you just give us million reasons to refuse helping and just walk off?

Then ... we asked the waitress there to give us 2 small bowls for the kids to eat.
The waitress gave us another 2 big ramen bowls ...
we were like ... we want small bowls ... kids can't really eat with big ramen bowls.
then somehow .. this big guy bring out another 2 bowls of ramen for us .. and he just join the conversation and saying
this is a ramen shop .. they only have ramen bowls and they don't have small bowl for kids!!!
We were so pissed off this time ... what is his point?
Is he saying if we bring kids here .. we should come and eat here?
Last time we were here .. we asked the Japanese waitress for help
she went to the restaurant next door and get us 2 small bowl for the kids.
And this time .. minutes later .. another family arrived ... and the Japanese waitress got a small bowl for their kid too.

Anyway .. I don't know if this big guy is like the head chef or something
cause he worked in the kitchen today.
Even though the ramens are not bad in taste,
but with this kind of attitude, their service really piss us off.
And we probably won't come back to this ramen place ever again.
If we were to come back again, it is because of the great help of the Japanese waitress.

Anyway .. here are my comments on their food ...
The soy sauce based broth is not bad, really taste like those I ate in Japan.
The egg, no need to try, it is overcooked and taste strange
The char siu, only normal, cannot compare to the once I tried in Japan, actually can't even compare to other shops.
The onions, taste quite good, they use big white onion which tastes sweet and smell good.
The fried chicken, no need to try too, doesn't taste like Japanese style fried chicken, taste strange.