Don Too
340 Little Lonsdale St Shop 6
Melbourne, 3000
(03) 9670 7113
Google map
So many have gone before me. So many have sang high praises of Don Too. Many claims that Don Too serves one of the best ramen in Melbourne. Mister and myself will be really hard judges especially after our trip to Vancouver and New York. We had some of the best ramen that we ever tasted in the 2 cities. So how does Don Too ramen stack up against them? Were we doomed to be disappointed?
Mister went for the traditional Chashu ramen. No fancy laksa ramen. Just good old Chashu ramen.Egg looks good but the centre is still not as wobbly as I like it to be. The broth was a little thin on pork bone flavour and serious dripping of pork fat. The layers of chashu was pretty good even though I may like a little more fat on it. The noodle was not as bouncy as I like it to be. And also where is the menma or dried bamboo shoots? And by the way, you can choose between 250g or 300g of noodles. I prefer more chashu #just because
Chashu ramen
I decided to try the tsukemen ramen. Tsukemen ramen is cooked ramen noodles served with a dipping sauce at the side. In this case, it was a bowl of fatty pork broth with generous slashing of chashu. Lovely eggs but also would prefer if the egg yolk was a little more wobbly. Same deal with the noodle. More bounce people! I am assuming the same broth is used as the chashu but it actually taste more flavourful than the chashu ramen. Having said that I would have preferred it a little hotter. It is, after all, winter season. Hot ramen makes me happy.
tsukemen ramen
Overall, Don Too still serves decent ramen. If not for our recent trip, we will be seriously happy with this. Give me a couple of months and when I am craving for ramen goodness, I might think differently of Don Too and their offerings then. And maybe if I am desperate enough, I will make my own and will judge if my ramen is up to scratch with Don Too.
Your favourite ramen shop? Where is it and what makes it so good?
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
You freak, get out here. Just kidding. I do find their ramen quite nice and bouncy. Their eggs in your photo looks more cooked than usual. Usually it’s very soft and nice.
Ok…. after trying Billy’s home made ramen and also after our trip and also been to Japan, their noodle is not good at all. BUt then we cannot compare right. But then Billy still made far superior ramen!
Naww, it’s been too long since I made ramen. In fact, I think it’s been over a year!? Time to rectify that.
Anyway, what I was wondering was if the chashu ramen was purporting to be a tonkotsu ramen. Because if not, you may have been a little harsh demanding more porky broth; say, if it was actually a shoyu or miso base, both of which are perfectly valid, but as we know, not the good stuff!
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Totally get it…. after having shoyu and miso base on our travels, the broth is still lacking. Not comparing with a tonkotsu ramen.
The ramen pics actually look quite yummy!! Despite what you said, i might still try it out for myself.
Oh my, please invite me to Billy’s next ramenpaloozaa if that happens!
of course… try it out. you may like it as many do
I still haven’t been to Don Too. My favourite ramen shop in Melbourne was Happy Kappa in Fitzroy, unfortunately it’s closed down.
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yes… that is really unfortunately….
i like ajisen ramen in liverpol st city – that was my first ramen experience!
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just call me fussy
I don’t know a place for good ramen but I need to get on that…
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Man, I don’t know if you can even get *real* ramen in Canberra. This looks pretty good to me! Oh, the trials of travelling… you always miss something far away!
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i guess so….. ar well… like I said give me a couple of months.
My home.
I cheated by using korean potato noodles. Made my own stock from conpoy and wombok. 
hahaha… potato noodles is so heavy though. I do like it in winter only. and good on your for making your own stock!
Hehe it’s hard when you get to travel and you taste so many version of things! Although I have to say that my favourite ramen is Ryo’s in Sydney (next time you come to Sydney ok?
)
Ok! And please…. hoping to book another flight up to Syd
I have nothing to compare your ramen experience to, seeing as I have shamefully only have had the packaged stuff you buy at the store for less than a $1. I however am now craving hot noodle soup thanks to the photos, which is weird cause it’s been nearly 30C for the last couple days
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ramen is good for winter
This looks really good to me. It’s what I call honest food. Perhaps not the stuff that drems are made of but PDG. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
you are right
I always feel a bit out of the loop with ramen, since I don’t eat wheat noodles much. I think I had a similar experience to you when I went to Lygon st to meet a friend after being in Europe and especially Italy for a week….just can’t compare..!
The only ramen that stays vivid in my mind was a place in Philippines actually, the broth was so amazing and it somehow stayed temperature warm ALL NIGHT. Was amazed!
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I know…. I always say that I should not compare. There is no comparison right?
I must make it a point to visit this place when I go to Melbourne, next. The ramen do look yummy!
do you visit once a year?