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2012-03-25
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Yukitei seemed to be the only ramen shop in the Wan Chai area and looked interesting. So I tried it over lunch. Fortunately, there was no queue at 1:30 p.m. and I chose an outdoor counter seat. It's quite clean and tidy. Since it was early spring, it was quite comfortable sitting outside. Eating outside is more casual and spacious. I'd consider that an authentic ramen experience. As I sat down, the lady stationed outside handed me a piece of paper with customizable ramen. You could choose to fi
Yukitei seemed to be the only ramen shop in the Wan Chai area and looked interesting. So I tried it over lunch.
Fortunately, there was no queue at 1:30 p.m. and I chose an outdoor counter seat. It's quite clean and tidy. Since it was early spring, it was quite comfortable sitting outside. Eating outside is more casual and spacious. I'd consider that an authentic ramen experience.
As I sat down, the lady stationed outside handed me a piece of paper with customizable ramen. You could choose to fill it in or just place your order with her. As always, I ordered the spicy ramen. I ordered the "Yukitei Ramen in Spicy Soup", somewhat modestly named when compared to "幸亭御品地獄拉麵" . It had Char Siu, Braised Pork (Kakuni 豚角煮) and 1/2 an egg. I "customized" my noodle as follows:
Noodle: Soft
Spiciness: Category III
Stock: Normal
Spring Onions: Normal
As I was waiting for the noodle, I noticed that there were quite a lot of condiments on the table, including the all important garlic crusher and sesame. That's a good start. You're provided with a glass of warm water and a packet of green tea.
After a 6-7 minutes wait, the ramen arrived:
The soup was spicy and a bit sweet. It had some chilli powder and strong pork bone base. The pork bone base was somewhat between Daruma (quite light) and Ippudo/ ButaO (stronge). But the broth here was a lot sweeter and thicker than those shops. It's quite good. The category III spice should be suitable for those under 18 as well. The "hot" level was similar to a kimchee tofu broth you get at most Korean restaurants but sweeter. As you could see, the presentation of the egg was aesthetically a disaster. I don't mind it but some will. Anyway it was nothing special but not bad either.
The char siu was a bit fat and substantial. I think it's quite good. The kakuni was heavy stuff. It's similar to the roast pork you get at Chinese restaurants but without the crispy skin.
The noodle was apparently Kyushu type (straight type) with extra protein added to it. As a result, it was very very smooth (slippery) and a bit like glass noodles with an eggy taste. The noodle here is similar to those provided in "Fukuoka Noodle". It's apparently a different style from Kurumi久留米, Kyushu. I think this is an acquired taste. I'm not a fan of this type of noodle - not with this type of broth anyway - and I'd suggest you order the hardest noodle type to reduce the culture shock.If you haven't tried this type of ramen before, you might be a bit surprised by the texture and you'll either love it or hate it. Anyway, there is no need to think you've been cheated. It's still authentic Japanese, just very different from the more commonly available ramen in Hong Kong.
The service was good. All the staff were friendly. I asked why 7 dollars was knocked off my bill. I was informed that you'll receive a 10% discount if you sit outside, during lunchtime. That was nice. There were many more seats outside anyway, about 10 ( I only saw about 6 seats inside).
All in all, the broth was quite good. The noodle is an acquired taste. Worth a try.
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