Onsen Japanese — Restaurant in Melbourne

I have always been fond of Noodles and most of the Asian restaurants I go, I prefer Noodles for my main course rather than anything else on the menu. I have been to Ajisen Ramen, Shujinko and couple of other Ramen joints in town but, the experience I had at Hakoya was indeed delightful.

Me and my buddy were greeted by a lady with a genuine smile on her face. Being not used to the menu, I have asked her so many silly questions and she was very helpful and patiently answered all my queries. 5 star for customer care.

We ordered both Hot and Cold Ramen, in fact, it was the first time in my life I have seen a noodles dish which is served cold. Our orders were Hakoya Tonkotsu and Hiyashi Ramen (cold). The menu was simple and I find the pricing to be just perfect. The sides were also aptly priced and they do have the premium beer just for $4 (happy hours).

Placing order was a new experience since we have to mark, using a pen, our order in the sheet provided and the staff will take care of the rest of the stuff. The food was served quite fast, a plus point. You can specify the Noodles texture, yes/no to Sprint onion etc. The Hakoya Tonkotsu was very delicious, one of the best I have ever had. The pork was very very delicious, cooked to perfection since it melts inside (I meant it, like a dessert) the mouth, covering up all the taste buds with the magical flavor.

Once done, you will be guided to the counter by a friendly staff and the best part is, you can split the bill. I absolutely loved the experience and can't wait to go back. 100%...

📍 𝗢𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 ⭑.ᐟ ❤︎ 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱: oyakodon craving kinda day ❤︎ 𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵: oyakodon (chicken & egg rice bowl) ❤︎ 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿: comforting solo meals, quick lunch fix, or a warm food hug ❤︎ 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲: compact, neat, fast-paced Japanese eatery

ꫂ ၴႅၴ

I’d been craving a good bowl of oyakodon and my heart literally did a little jump when I spotted it on the menu here. And let me tell you—this one didn’t disappoint. The chicken was so tender and juicy, it almost melted in my mouth. The egg? Buttery-soft and cooked to that perfect just-set texture that wraps around the rice like a blanket of comfort.

The flavor hit the warm umami notes I hoped for, with sweet-savory onion slices swimming through the sauce—but I personally would’ve loved it slightly less sweet. That being said, the portion was generous, and I found myself scooping bite after bite without even realizing how fast I was eating. The pickled red ginger on the side added a nice zing to cut through the richness. Bonus points for how the seaweed and green onion toppings made it feel a little extra thoughtful.

ⴵ 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: quick and efficient 𐀪 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱: small but steady stream of solo diners ☼ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱: weekday lunch ‎𐂐 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿: oyakodon

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻? Yes, especially when I need a reliable Japanese rice...

Short version: If you have any food allergies, don't waste your time coming here because as the waitress put it to me "Cross contaminate, so no". Was straight up turned away from the restaurant because of an allergy, might as well call it discrimination based on allergies.

Long version: I have frequented this restaurant a number of times in the past and had no issues with the food whatsoever. I can say from experience that the food was decent and that service was good, however that was in the past. So in the present, the excuse of cross contamination comes across as a somewhat weak excuse, and if that is legitimately the excuse the restaurant has then I am at a complete loss of words. Not once have I been turned away from a restaurant because an allergy, I can always order something else on the menu that would steer clear of my allergy.

In any case, will not be coming back here in the future because if they are worried about cross contamination, you can hypothesise that they probably don't pay attention to the preparation of their food. Honestly a lazy excuse, but that's just my opinion and review...