There is no shortage of ramen shops in Hong Kong and I thought I’d give Butao Ramen a try since it consistently receives high ratings on the OpenRice app and lineups always form outside this little shop.
Food
The great thing about Butao is that you can fully customize your ramen experience. You can select your broth flavour (light, normal, etc.), noodle thickness, noodle doneness, cut of pork (belly or shoulder), green onions and amount of infused oil. The signature tonkatsu ramen was tasty with a flavourful broth, but I can’t say that it’s the absolute best bowl of ramen I’ve ever had.
Service
Despite the lineups, the wait time is usually very quick. The hostess hands out menus while you’re waiting in line and even takes your order in line. Once inside, the service was very quick as they’re trying to keep up with the quick turnover.
Place
There are a few Butao locations in Hong Kong. The location I went to was in Central. The Central branch employs one of the three Japanese staff hired by Butao to ensure the integrity of Butao’s Japanese roots. Diners sit on wooden stools around a communal table, the bar and smaller tables.
Butao Ramen
Bowl per person: 100HKD + toppings
Location: 69 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
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