Before this weekend, I've long thought that Soho would be one of the quietest places on earth with no nearby office open on Sunday.
But boy, was I wrong! The corner of Gough Street and Aberdeen Street certainly was anything but quiet. Zagin Soba (座銀), in particular was again having a very busy afternoon.
Touted as one of the city’s top ramen restaurants due to their impeccable bowls of chicken broth ramen, Zagin Soba is the target destination for my very late lunch. It took me a good 45-minute wait outside but finally, I made it.
The menu offers three ramen choices: chicken broth ramen, chicken broth tsukemen (dipping noodles) and a seafood-base ramen. Of course with their reputation of having the best chicken broth ramen in town, I had to check out their signature ramen myself.
Noticed that their "cappuccino" technique for frothing up the broth had the top layer foam up lightly.
The noodles were working really well with the thick, creamy and flavorful chicken broth. That's the thing about chicken broth ramen!
The deep-fried burdock root, always a nice alternative for bamboo shoots.
The sous-vide chicken fillet was very tender.
I couldn't tell if the char siu was made with chicken or not but the texture was very very nice. Delicious!
The soft-boiled egg was just OK. That was the only blemish.
Comparing to the other chicken broth ramen in town, I thought Zagin Soba's white chicken broth was more balanced. It doesn't have the thickness as the chicken broth from Kane Tsuru Ramen Shell Street (金鶴拉麵) and Menya Takeichi (麵屋武一) while the chicken flavors were equally strong. It also doesn't seem to have the same sweetness and umami-rich flavor of the others.
So, is Zagin Soba now my favorite chicken broth ramen in Hong Kong, you ask? Not so fast. That title belongs to Ramen Cubism (立体派) and I don't plan to give it away anytime soon.
Yes, their chicken broth is more "watery" (and oily) comparing to its competition but I like it that way.
Plus, I thought the mix of bonito and premium Japanese soy sauce (with chicken flavors) really comes together nicely to achieve a more nuanced umami flavor.
The Osakan Zagin Soba operates locations in Central and Happy Valley; and they have a sister shop in Maru De Sankaku (鯛白湯らーめん○de▽) across the street who is best known for its Madai broth ramen.
Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F, 7 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2447-1398
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 10:30pm daily
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