Mensho Tokyo

166 Russel St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
https://www.mensho.com.au/

Once upon a time, legitimate Japan-level ramen was almost impossible to get in Australia. These days however, we are blessed with an endless, expanding selection that shows no sign of slowing down. But even among such stiff competition, Mensho Tokyo stands out. Because after all, it’s the first ramen in Melbourne that has been awarded a Michelin Star in Japan (Ippudo also has a Michelin star, but that’s for the branch in NYC). And when it first opened, the queues were literally more than 2 hours at opening time – something I am totally not here for these days. No dramas though; after being open for almost 2 years, you can now get in without any sort of wait, even on a weekend… as long as you show up within the first 20 minutes of opening time. As for the ramen itself, the signature is made with a rich chicken-based stock, which is a change from the pork-heavy offerings you see around Melbourne. The quality, as well as attention to detail, is truly outstanding. Whether this will be your holy grail depends on personal preferences, but this is easily one of the most nuanced and unique offerings in Melbourne, and on par with the best bowls I had in Japan.

Rating: 14.5/20 – japan level nuance and quality.
Must-have: toripaitan, of course. but I would love to come back and try their lighter lunchtime offerings.

The Toripaitan Ramen ($28) is a gorgeous bowl of noodles, no doubt about it. The stock is a thick, milky concoction, decanted from slow-cooked whole chickens that carries all the fatty umami of pork, without the cloying heaviness. I was a huge fan of the addition of dried kombu powder, which gave each sip a subtle briny smokiness. The toppings are equally as well-considered, with buttery charshu, tender sprigs of bamboo, and a crispy tangle of fried enoki. The standard bowl does not come with egg, but a gooey Ajitama Egg ($2.5ea) is a must. What I enjoyed the most though was the sparing use of lemon zest, which provided just the faintest hint of bright astringency that really elevates this beyond the usual.

Though the Toripaitan can hardly be called subtle, it is practically demure (and very mindful) compared to the Garlic Blaze Ramen ($24). Once named the Garlic KO, this is truly a punch of flavour to the face. The smoothness of the soup renders itself as a blank canvas, supporting the cacophony of garlic cooked 4 ways, aromatic black garlic coffee oil, and Mensho’s OG spicy sauce. The x-factor in this one is the crispy fried carrots, which adds a welcome earthy sweetness to the salt and spice. Mind you, despite the overwhelming boldness, this was still a very well-balanced bowl, and we had no trouble polishing off the lot.

Now, let’s talk about the noodles. Though they apparently make two separate types, both of the bowls here had the whole grain, medium-thick curly noodles, made with a combination of brown wheat, rye, and quinoa. The heft of these noodles was absolutely essential, as it was needed to counter the heaviness of the broth. What you end up with is a very hearty bite from noodles that were able to pick up the soup, rather than becoming soggy and overwhelmed.

I had high hopes for the Takoyaki ($12), but unfortunately they were no more than adequate. The best thing about them was the generous amount of octopus in the batter, and I appreciated the side of mentaiko mayo, even if I would’ve preferred your standard kewpie drizzled over the top.

The Corn Ribs ($9) fared a lot better. Though nothing groundbreaking, the lightly tempura-battered corn was crisp, juicy, and sweet, and went down a treat.