The best ramen in Melbourne

It is all about the tsukumen here. Your springy noodles and toppings are served separately to a really intense broth containing soy, miso, chicken and pork stock. The thick and chewy noodles are designed for you to dip in the broth. Once your noodles are finished, you're given dashi to dilute the broth so you can drink it like soup. 

It’s all about the tonkotsu broth at Hakata Gensuke, winner of Best Bang for Buck at the 2015 Time Out Food Awards. Try the black tonkotsu for a creamy pork bone soup with a garlicky and black sesame kick – and beware the spicy wrath of the God Fire ramen. You can customise everything from the toppings and noodle texture to the saltiness and abundance of spring onion.

While not especially a ramen shop per se, Yakimono's still worth a visit if you're after a weekday steaming bowl of the good stuff. That's because this winter, the Japanese-inspired eating house is offering a slurp-worthy soup of epic proprtions. It's called the Yaki Yuzu Shio Chicken Ramen and it comes with greens and a ramen egg (of course), but you can uprade to a panko king prawn if you're in the mood. Plus, the pork and ginger gyoza dumplings make an awesome side. You can also pair your ramen with a sake or craft beer for $10 a pop. Now, that's what we're talking about. 

In the belly of Mid-City Arcade, you’ll find Mr Ramen San tucked away on the Little Bourke St end, usually with a line outside the door. That's because of its 24-hour tonkotsu broth, house-made hakata-style noodles and cosy atmosphere. Vegan and vegetarian ramens are also available. 

The tiny shopfront is small but mighty, delivering great gyoza and Godzilla sized bowls of ramen with great umamiful broth. Get the buttered corn miso and always add a soft egg to up the richness. Always.

Sitting only 19 at a time, Parco's warm and densely packed atmosphere often attracts queues of hungry patrons for one thing and one thing alone: its ramen. The noodles are perfectly springy and slurpable, most likely due to the fact they are hand-made daily. Topped with the usual suspects of a gooey dashi egg and bamboo shoots, there are also the welcome addition of seasonal greens. You'll find all the usual suspects here, but go for the truffle ramen if you're feeling a little bougie. The truffle's infused into the ramen with charred pork belly, dashi egg, spring onions, bean sprouts and shiitake mushrooms. Heaven in a bowl. 

If you haven’t been to an Ippudo before, it’s a global ramen chain that specialises in hakata-style tonkotsu ramen in a line-up, slurp-up, get-out format that is synonymous with the style of eating among salarymen in Japan. You can’t make bookings, and all parties from your group are required to be present before you are seated. Is it gobsmackingly delish? Of course, otherwise it wouldn't be on this list. In fact, it's probably one of the most authentic bowls of ramen you could get in Australia, so drop in on your next lunch break and see what it's all about. 

This little hole-in-the-wall in the hustle and bustle of Carnegie draws crowds in on a daily basis, leaving a queue streaming outside of its venue. There's something for those who have a hankering for a chicken broth, or those who seek out creamy pork broth – either available with added shoyu or miso – and the pièce de résistance: little corn kernels that elevate the texture of it all.

A well-loved haunt for both far-flung vegans and hipster locals, Neko Neko’s tiny room is at capacity just about every night of the week. It’s a big hit for lowkey dates and a safe space for solo diners to nurse a glass of natural wine from a window seat. By nailing humble and homey cooking, just with better ingredients and a daintier touch, Neko Neko ticks all the boxes, including a vegan-style ramen with tofu sponges, soy meat and sesame broth that's so tasty it could convert you over to the plant-based side for good. 

True foodies know that some of Melbourne's best lunchtime feeds lie far underground. No, but literally – underground. Ikkoryu Fukuoka serves up its 18-hour slow-cooked tonkotsu broths in a breezy city basement and you'll need to go downstairs to grab a bowl. But follow your nose to the secret space and you won't be disappointed. Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen's house-made Chikuhuo noodles are slender slivers cooked just right (Goldilocks approves!) and with an awesome range of customisation options. Enjoy your noods in a broth that's light or extra rich, and with an array of toppings designed to suit your palate. Oh, and you can get free refills! 

These guys have no qualms about not being authentic and that’s okay. The menu is a cultural mishmash of ramen, bao sandwiches and pies for dessert, but they take their ramen seriously: noodles are made fresh in-house, the tonkotsu is light and punchy, and the creamy veggie broth with cashew milk might just win over meat eaters.

Skip the greasy hot chips next time you’ve got the 3am munchies. Shujinko is open late and will do you a world of good the next day if you’ve been hitting the bars. The fiery karakuchi ramen smacks you across the face in a nice way, and you can never go wrong with the classic Shujinko ramen.