Ramen Jo - (Hong Kong)

The influx of Ramen openings in Hong Kong continues unabated!  Ramen Jo is one of the coolest new additions and I came away highly satisfied by my experience.   Everyone who knows me well already knew I am evil hearted,  expects too much in life ,  and if I order the noodles to be ‘hard’ I expect them to be slightly north of being ‘limpy’.   You can order ramen in Hong Kong as バリカタ  (Super Hard in Fukuoka ramen terminology) but many shops will still give you バリヤワ  Super soft and if you complain,  your server is going to look upon you with disdain…   No such problems at Ramen Jo.  Despite the new opening status my ramen with a mountain of vegetables and sophisticated soup base was spot on tasty,  the pork char siu and ramen also cooked to the exact degree of doneness.  Drooling again already…
 

 

Kitchen -

 

Ramen Sitting Bench,  and the Peppers and Spices & Garlic -

 

Coke Zero in Glass Bottle -  $10
One cannot over-look this.
Not many shops offer Coke Zero actually,  but to serve it in the glass bottle in a Ramen Ya…
For those of us who are Coke Zero fans,  this is very appreciated!

 

 

山野菜拉麵,  ニンニク, 野菜増し– Mountain Vegetables Ramen
Obviously a 二郎系 カラメ ramen bowl filled with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage,  with loads of minced Garlic and sauce.  It is meant to make an impact!  They could be slightly more constrained with the garlic in my opinion as Chinese Garlic is quite over-powering.  This Vegetables filled ramen is actually a latest fad in the ramen world in Japan if you keep up with the trend!  More vegetables make it seem healthier at least on surface.   It was interesting when I spoke to one of the cool owners as I mentioned this was rather balanced,  but he mentioned other customers thought this was kinda heavy in the broth which was it’s original intention.  I actually thought many HK customers expect a heavy Tonkotsu broth anyway,  so this would be aiming at the right market.  I found it well tuned and very addictive with a mixture of Fish and Pork Bone taste, also a mixture of elegant seasonings and sauce in the background.  Very well done!  The Char Siu looked a bit pale white but was also porky fat and very tasty,  despite not being the preferred rolled up version  ~  9/10  

 

辛子高菜 – Spiced Pickles
This is more of a Kyushu’s Fukuoka city thing.   Normally added more to Nagahama or Hakata style ramens from within Fukuoka City.   It works well with the porky Tonkotsu broth,  together with 紅生姜 red ginger which was not provided here. 

味玉 – Egg
Lovely with good eggs flavour.  Don’t take this for granted.
Many shops have tasteless eggs these days.

 

Curly Thick Noodles -
I think these ちぢれ太麺 are more Tokyo or Hokkaido style in general. 
Cooked to my expectation and nicely done.







I think This Shop has an Ambition -
The Japanese owners and their chef are trying to cook well their ramens.  It is done very well indeed.   But I have a feeling that within the Hong Kong Market,  customers might expect say a more rounded roulade Char Siu pork,  or a Tsukemen or Abura Soba or two..  And on top of that,  I still remember my days living in Japan when I ordered Gyozas and Fried Rice along with my ramen bowls too!   I don't have any complaints about here at all,  it was addictive in taste alone and everything was cooked well.  I just somehow wished it carries something more extraordinary and rustic?   Afterall,  eating Ramen isn't just about the ramen bowl,  but also the whole mysterious 風 surrounding it..

 

 

 

Price:   HKD $100
Ease of Access:   4/5  (For locals,  it’s only a few steps from 丹麥餅店 Danish Bakery)
Food:   ♕♕♕♕♕

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun -  11:30am - 15:00pm, 18:00pm - 22:30pm

Address: 銅鑼灣加路連山道3號地下
3 Caroline Hill Road, Causeway Bay
Ph: 2885 0638