Hakata Gensuke Carlton Tonkotsu Ramen — Restaurant in Melbourne

Unfortunately, my overall experience was far from satisfactory and several aspects of the restaurant left much to be desired.

First and foremost, the cleanliness of the establishment was a major concern. When I sat down my table had not been cleaned, even though the restaurant was almost empty and there would have been opportunity to clean tables between customers.

Furthermore, my disappointment extended to the water jugs provided on the tables. Rather than being thoroughly cleaned, they were simply rinsed, and a clear buildup of oil scum was visible around the crevices. This oversight not only raised concerns about the overall hygiene standards but also left a negative impression on the overall dining experience.

One of the key elements that sets a good ramen restaurant apart is the quality of its broth. Unfortunately, this was another area where the restaurant fell short. The broth served to me appeared to be overboiled, overly rendered fat was bubbling around the edges of the bowl.

This location is clearly neglected and I was embarrassed after recommending Hakata Gensuke to a friend as an example of good ramen in Melbourne. This store does not have the traffic of some of the other locations and it appears that management is completely absent. I will not...

I usually go to Russell store because my friend said they opened a new branch on Lygon Street, and it's convenient for parking. So, the night before yesterday, I went there and ordered my usual ramen. But the next morning, my boyfriend and I started experiencing symptoms of food poisoning. I've been experiencing really bad stomachaches and diarrhea for three days, and my boyfriend has been experiencing the same, along with a fever. We haven't eaten a proper meal since. I can confirm that it was caused by this place because all the symptoms appeared right after we ate there in the morning. Additionally, I asked my friend who introduced me to this place, and they also had a meal there the day after and experienced similar symptoms. P.S. When the ramen was served, I noticed that the pork looked very dull and dark, whereas the pork at Russell is usually white. I thought it might be because it was a different branch and they had different marination or something, so I didn't raise any questions to it. Now, looking back, I believe the pork must have been spoiled, which led to the...

Thought we'd try this place as many people rave about it and I used to see long queues to eat in the Melbourne CBD outlet.

We didn't feel like ramen so tried the katsu charsu curry rice and was thoroughly disappointed. First when our food came, the curry was cold. So we asked for them to heat it up. The waiting staff was lovely and said they will replace with a newly cooked one for us.

When the food was served again, this time the curry was warm. There were 7 small pieces of katsu pork cut in cubes and they were really tough and dry to eat. There were also a few small pieces of beans and carrot in the curry. For $19 , the portion size was small. Could have made it better with more vegetables in the curry.

We also ordered a side dish of 2 pieces of karage chicken ($9) and that was freshly cooked and was delicious.

Despite the disappointing katsu curry, the staff was lovely.

Perhaps we should have ordered ramen instead as that's what they are famous for. But we're not keen to return...