genkotsu ramen

normally eat athakatayaramen but decided to give them a try. a lot more choices available at this ramen place, but i think it over complicates the decision process. ramen was alright but the broth was no where as good as hakataya. it was very filling though due to the free extra noodles. soft shell crab was wonderfully cooked and crispy. would go back just for the crab.

had ramen cravings last night and wanted something different tohakataya(don't get me wrong, i love that place too!) when we walked in, the actual seating area itself is small with a counter area as well as table seating, very traditional japanese style store as i am part japanese and have frequented many ramen shops over there. to order you line up and pay, then find a seat, again, during peak hours, good luck! i have seen in the past a lineup outside the door before.

food came very quick and looked very similar to the menu photo's

i ordered the miso ramen and my friend got the kara (spicy) ramen in miso flavour. we also ordered additional sides of karaage and chuka wakame.

my miso ramen did not disappoint! very strong flavors and noodles were cooked perfect with a chewy texture. one thing people may find a bit different with the ramen broth here is that the soup is a little thick and oily, again, personal preference, and for me i did enjoy it.

my friend said his ramen was the same but for him it was not spicy enough, even after adding the chili oil and flakes, but he does love spicy.

the karaage was freshly cooked hot and juicy, honestly was delicious!!

total cost of our meal was $32.50, you can pay either cash or card.

staff were japanese and very friendly and polite

overall will definitely alternate with this place and hakataya, my top 2 ramen joints :)

one of the best ramen i've had in brisbane, better thanhakataya(though they are different styles of ramen so this could just be a preference). had the black garlic and it is as good as everyone says! however, i do also have to agree that the broth is particularly salty.

not the best ramen. i have been here on several occasions but just recently, the food was just not up to scratch. the broth is so heavy and salty - i did not like it at all. i don't think i will be coming back. may as well go across the road tohakatayaramen - that place never disappoints!

this is one of my go-to places when i don't have my kid. this place is yummy but in true ramen place style, it is pretty squishy. they did manage to squeeze our pram in once in off-peak time but we do have the smallest pram (almost a stroller really) on the market. there's probably only one spot for it and once its there, others can't get out of their seats.

i like ordering their fish-based broth since i don't know anywhere else that does it. also recommend the black garlic flavour ramen. really flavoursome and affordable! a lot more flavours thanhakataya(not as cheap of course). parking is not too hard inside runcorn plaza. as usual don't forget the free ramen refill to make the most of the complex broth :)

highly recommend if you're in the area. love the interior and cosy style of this place.

couldn't agree more.  much better thanhakatayaand clearly one of the best ramen places u will find anywhere.  only suggestion when there is a group of 3 waiting and there is only 1 seat left u cant let a single person in as the group of 3 now needs 2 groups of 2 people to leave instead of 1 group of 2 before they get to sit down and eat.

this is by far the best ramen restaurant in brisbane i've been to as of yet. it's so much better thanhakatayaand at such a great price. the joint has a great jap atmosphere but the only downfall i would say is that it's quite small. this meant that guests would have to queue up for quite a long wait - especially when busy.

went here for lunch today and the service and ambiance was great. i ordered the charshu miso ramen. it was filled to the brim with charshu - which melted in your mouth however the noodles were a bit too thin. and i found the broth to be a little too salty and thick as well for my liking. overall, it was a ok experience. i think i'll stick to my belovedhakatayaramen for now.

[updated 25/1/16] they have changed their noodles somewhat recently and it certainly lifts the quality of the dish. i should note that the texture of this new noodle is chewier and just tastes even better. had cold noodles with sesame dressing, and miso black garlic charsiu men. both were brilliant and extremely satisfying. they also now offer free extra noodles. great job. we feel that they deserve +0.5.

[original] i personally find ramens here are the closest to what i had in japan. each dish has its own characteristics; different combinations of soup, noodles, and toppings. a lot of people preferhakatayato this place. i do like them both but skills-wise and authenticity-wise i have to give special credit to genkotsu. they offer wider options, soups are richer, toppings are much more sophisticated than hakataya's. if hakataya's menu takes you 4 days to try everything, you will probably need more than 3 weeks to try genkotsu's whole menu.

definitely one of the better ramen joints in brisbane at the moment. it's a really small restaurant though, so maybe only holds around 16 people at time. this means you may have to wait a little to get a table at busy periods.but the wait is usually pretty quick as the service is fast. the broth is fantastic, has a nice breadth of flavor. the noodles are softer than the ones athakatayaramen, which i prefer. pork is delicious, and thicker cut (which some may like or not). loved the bamboo and the egg, and its well priced.

finally a decent ramen shop in brisbane!. i had a black garlic ramen with salt flavor and it was great! i wouldn't say that it's as good as the ramen shops in japan, but i'm glad that the standard is getting higher in brisbane. authentic noodles at a great price, lots of options, generous toppings. it'd be nice if they have options for hardness of noodles as well.
i was sick of people telling me thathakatayais the best ramen shop in brisbane. come on, it's like saying starbucks serves the best coffee :p

terrible fail. at this restaurant i had a miso karage ramen and i was left disgusted. after seeing the great reviews on this website, i was hoping for something fantastic but instead left with the dead sea in my mouth. the salt levels burnt my tongue, i couldn't even drink the soup. the chicken was soggy. the only appetizing part of my dishes was the gyoza and the egg. other than this, it was appalling. i recommend to eathakatayaramen in sunnybank rather than this disappointment of japanese food.hakatayawill forever be my first preference. :( !

best ramen in brisbane. ordered the genkotsu soy ramen. very impressed, quite amazed as i read the reviews- sitting here as i sip away at my bowl of flavoursome, fatty, delicious ramen. the slices of pork are quite thick, and taste very nice. yes, kaedama is $1 extra... but the quality compared tohakatayais on another level. the noodles al dente (firmer) which is how i prefer them. the soft egg is a nice addition. very impressed! i can't comment on consistency, buthakatayacan be quite inconsistent... so this is my new go-to place for ramen!