Tonkotsu Ramen - Satsuki

Who would have thought our love for proper Kyushu Tonkotsu Ramen would be satisfied so close to home. We would never would have guessed that our local Japanese cafe was run by a lady from Kyushu! Once a month, she makes big pot of tonkotsu pork bone broth and her little cafe turns into an endless stream of Japanese speakers in the off-peak hours between lunch and dinner, all of them coming for a comforting bowl of Kyushu Tonkotsu Ramen.

And what a bowl of ramen it was. The tonkotsu broth was rich and full of pork flavour, with a minerally pork bone fragrance. On hand was a dish each of sweet pickled garlic, pickled ginger and pickled mustard greens, typical toppings for ramen. While the broth was rich and strong, the noodles were smooth, but perhaps slightly over-cooked. The tender, fall-apart slices of stewed pork with seams of flavoursome fat can't be beat, just like the ones in Japan.

We finished our meal with some desserts, including the rich crème brûlée, heavenly lemon curd tart and apple crumble tart.

Satsuki (previously Asatsuki)
458 Waverley Rd,
Malvern East 3145
(03) 9572 0200
www.satsukicafe.com/
Monday 11am to 3pm
Tuesday - Friday 11am to 9.30pm
Saturday 9am to 9.30pm
Closed Sundays and Public Holidays

More photos: Satsuki - avlxyz/Flickr

Reviews:
- Asatsuki - by Matt Preston, The Age 12 October 2005
- Asatsuki - Mietta's