Rakuraku Ramen 樂拉麵 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

It's going to be another short lunch for me this afternoon. My initial plan was to go for a quick one at The Pawn but I found a even better (and faster) option - Rakuraku Ramen (樂拉麵) at Lee Tung Avenue.



Sakura shrimp flavored broth for a limited time only! That would be a good choice, right?



Raku tonkotsu ramen ($73) - For a ramen shop touted for its Hakata background, it would be silly not to order its namesake tonkotsu ramen (with pork bone broth).



This came with eggs, bamboo shoots and a choice between roasted pork belly or shoulder.



For a place always with modest lineups, I was a little disappointed with what they had to offer. I mean, the broth, noodles, bamboo shoot and egg; they all tasted okay but nothing really stood out. The broth in particular was just flat-out disappointing. It didn't really have the usual thickness nor the flavors one would expect from a rich broth prepared with pork bones.

In fact, the roasted pork belly (which I chose over pork shoulder) was probably the only thing that got a borderline pass this afternoon.



This kind of quality reminded me of Ajisen Ramen (味千拉麵), a Japanese ramen chain that used to take us by storm some 20 years ago but has largely disappeared in Hong Kong's dining scene these days.

Food Rating: 4/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop G30, G/F, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Wanchai
Tel: +852 2818-3222