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2013-07-07
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I love Hakata style ramen with its rich, milky Tonkotsu broth and thin straight noodles, so I was delighted to discover Butao.Since the Central branch supposedly had longer queues, we headed straight to the Causeway Bay branch. It was not difficult to identify the shop's location since a short queue had already gathered even though we arrived at 10.45am, 15 minutes before opening time.We were among the first batch of customers to get seated. The shop space was tiny, with only 5 tables that can s
Since the Central branch supposedly had longer queues, we headed straight to the Causeway Bay branch. It was not difficult to identify the shop's location since a short queue had already gathered even though we arrived at 10.45am, 15 minutes before opening time.
We were among the first batch of customers to get seated. The shop space was tiny, with only 5 tables that can seat up to 5 people each.
Similar to ramen chains which I've patronised in Japan, every customer was given an order chit (available in English or Chinese). We ticked our preferences to indicate how we would like our ramen done - how strong the flavour, how much oil and garlic, how firm the noodles, and so on.
This being our first visit, we both selected the Butao King, which is the original pork bone option. A selection of condiments were freely available on each table.
The ramen was soon served. The broth met my expectations - it was rich and full of flavour. Some may find it a tad oily, but it is quite typical of tonkotsu soup base. The egg, which was served separately and not pictured here, was just nice too - not over- nor under-cooked.
Understandably, Butao's taste cannot match up to those Hataka style ramen I've had in Japan. Nevertheless, it's a great place to get my ramen fix in Hong Kong. I actually prefer it to Ippudo. I've been to Butao twice now and will keep coming back for more!
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