From secret ramen bars without signage to cult-status broth brewers and iconic foodie mainstays, here’s where to warm up with a giant bowl of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s best ramen.

Kikanbo

Tokyo's famous Kikanbo ramen has opened in ³Ô¹ÏÍø. Order the signature ‘demon spice’ noodles. Your bowl comes loaded with huge slabs of chashu pork and a special blend of fiery spices. Choose your spice level depending on your threshold and get slurping. Or try 'tsukeme' – cold dipping noodles paired with a rich broth. There are also a bunch of sides on offer too if you're feeling extra hungry. Think gyoza, bao and crispy karaage.

Ginza Kagari

This ramen shop in Tokyo is so good it earned a spot in the Michelin Guide. Now you don’t need to get on a plane to sample Ginza Kagari, just wander down to the ³Ô¹ÏÍø outpost on Russell Street. Its most viral dish is the chicken paitan ramen. It features a velvety, creamy chicken broth that’s been simmering for hours along with seasonal vegetables and slow-cooked chashu chicken. As for the noodles, they're perfectly chewy and delightfully silky. There’s also a truffle version of this famed bowl if you’re after a big flavour punch.

Unabara Lobster and Oyster Bar

Fresh Aussie seafood, cooked with Japanese precision. Unabara in ³Ô¹ÏÍø Central simmers its ramen broth for 16 hours, infusing it with lobster bisque and akamiso (red soy bean paste). Flex your creative flair with the DIY ramen. You can customise your bowl to perfectly suit your palate from broth to toppings. Add on half a lobster tail, enoki mushrooms or slices of tender pork belly. Then dial up the spice level.

Mensho Tokyo 

Japan’s Michelin-awarded has found a new home in ³Ô¹ÏÍø on 166 Russell Street. Pull up a stool watch the ramen masters at work. The broth is delicate, the noodles are chewy and the meat melts in your mouth. Go for the classic shio ramen with a clear pork-based soup and big slices of tender chashu. Try the toripantain ramen that comes with a creamy chicken soup base. Or be bold and order the signature matcha ramen. It’s packed with umami and loaded with slices of duck.

Tokyo Motto

At the entry of one of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s coolest hidden arcades is Tokyo Motto. Here you’ll find a bunch of classic Japanese street food dishes but the star of the show has got to be the ramen. This steamy bowl of noodles in a spicy miso broth is unexpectantly topped with a soft serve ice cream cone. Yup, that’s right, an ice cream cone! Drop in to this casual diner for a quick lunch or head in after dark when it transforms into buzzing izakaya.

Machida Shoten  

Famous Japanese ramen restaurants are finding homes all over ³Ô¹ÏÍø and now Machida Shoten has joined the line-up. Order a big serving of ittei-style ramen hailing from Yokohama. The broth features a hint of soy sauce for a slightly salty flavour. In your bowl you’ll find tender chashu pork, spinach, a quail egg and seaweed. We’ve also got our eyes on the spicy miso ramen with umami oil – it's packed with bold flavour and a fiery kick.  

Mr Ramen San 

Hidden in one of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s most underrated arcades, Mr Ramen San is a cosy spot serving some of the city’s best ramen. Their soup is made in the traditional Kyushu style, with pork bones in white broth. Charsu (roast pork) is char-grilled with peppercorns before serving. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available.

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

Established in 1970, this ramen chain has since gone global, including here in ³Ô¹ÏÍø. Australia’s first Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen is the perfect place to get a bowl of Japanese noodle soup just how you like it. There are oodles of options, including several types of broth, noodle textures, extra toppings, and even vegetarian and vegan versions.

Kajiken  

Famous Japanese noodle bar Kajiken has found a new home inside ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Southern Cross train station. Before you dash to your platform load up on the signature aburasoba (soupless ramen) bowl. This quick and budget-friendly meal is loaded with pork chashu, bamboo shoots, green onion and nori. Then dig into side dishes like $9 plates of takoyaki or pan-fried pork gyoza.  

Supernormal winter ramen special

Craft ramen fans, rejoice! Winter is back, and so is Supernormal's seasonal ramen. Over two days, the chefs work to create a light bone broth. It's topped with grilled chicken, prawn and chicken dumplings and the ultimate topping – a soy-marinated egg. For those looking to upgrade their weekday power lunches, the special will be running all winter long.

Sara Craft Ramen

You have to add this Little Lonsdale ramen spot to your list. Quickly gaining 'must try' status, this noodle shop serves delicious flavours like duck yuzu, clam shoyu, and spicy tonkotsu. Choose from artisanal straight noodles or the two weeks aged wave noodles. Looking for something extra? Opt for the spicy crab karaage, or the few pieces of blowtorched wagyu sushi. 

Ippudo QV 

Born in Japan and imported to the mouths of Melburnians in 2018, visit QV for Ippudo’s world-famous ramen. The chefs do ramen three ways but the go-to dish here is the shiromaru motoaji. A creamy pork bone tonkotsu broth with the signature secret dashi, thin noodles and melt-in-your-mouth pork. Leave room for sides like seared salmon sushi rolls.

Onsen Japanese

Looking for a trip to Tokyo without the airfares? Visit hidden gem Onsen Japanese. With its signature flavour-packed tonkotsu ramen - you can choose the spicy version if you like things fiery. Or try 'soupless' mazeman ramen, crispy karaage fried chicken, katsu curry and more classic izakaya bites.

Little Ramen Bar

Look no further than the Little Ramen Bar for an authentic ramen experience. From the melt-in-your-mouth chashu to essential add-ons like knobs of butter and corn. One steamy slurp will transport you all the way to the snowy peaks of Hokkaido. If you're feeling extra famished, go for the Godzilla option to upsize your meal with extra noodles and soup. And of course, what's a bowl of ramen without a side dish of gyoza? These little fried dumplings are made fresh on site with pork, chicken or veg.

Hakata Gensuke 

When a world-famous ramen joint has opens a branch devoted to its chicken broth, you know it's good. The laser-sharp focus at Hakata Gensuke’s QV location is best seen in the signature tori ramen, a $19 simple-seeming bowl adorned with spring onion, bamboo shoots and chicken chashu. Looking for OG-style pork ramen? Head down to its original Russell Street shop for the richest of broth and chewy noodles.

Musashi Ramen

This Chinatown eatery will transport you to the izakaya bars of Japan. The team at have been perfecting their family recipe for ramen for over 25 years. Try the black tora with pork broth and black garlic oil. It’s a punchy symphony of rich, aromatic flavours. Or roll up your sleeves for the midnight ramen. It comes on a portable grill so you can simmer it to the perfect temperature to warm your belly.