Shujinko, or ‘that 24 hour ramen joint’ as many Melburnians know it as, has had many a Melburnian slurping on their noodles all day long, 7 days a week, since 2016. A couple of years on and they’re still very much dishing out the ramen goods but now across multiple venues. While it had been a few years between my first visit and the most recent which took place mid winter last year, their signature tonkotsu broth was every bit as good as etched in my memory: thick, porky and creamy with a sensational punch of umami flavour. Rivalling to steal the spotlight away from the broth is the spot-on, springy bite of the noodles. It’s a tough battle but I think the noodles won out.. I could’ve swapped out the tonkotsu for one of their other soup bases with the same noodles (and oozy ajitama egg, can’t forget that!) and still walk away with one very happy belly. With the weather slowly shifting towards cool, it looks like I’ll soon be swapping my sushi and sashimi for ramen, and paying Shujinko another visit…

Shujinko (Russell St)

225 Russell St,

Melbourne, Victoria, 3000.

+61 3 9654 0989

http://shujinko.com.au/