MELBOURNE | Anyone who has eaten their way through Japan know that often, the best places are those who focus on doing one or a handful of things well. And so it is at Onsen Japanese, which I recently visited for for What’s On Melbourne to get some snaps.
Onsen Japanese specialise in Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. Your choice of original or spicy, or mazeman (soupless). The first two are made using a rich 12 hour slow cooked pork bone broth. I opted for the spicy version.
Ramen with a serve of karaage is the most popular thing on the menu at Onsen, and it’s easy to see why. The ramen is fantastic, and karaage is some of the best you’ll find in the city.
If ramen isn’t what you’re craving, Onsen also offer a selection of donburi, aka delicious things over a bowl of rice. Things like gyudon (grilled beef), unagidon (grilled eel), and tonkatsu (panko crumbed, fried pork cutlet) curry.
Sides include the aforementioned karaage, and a few other bites like takoyaki and korokke (Japanese croquettes).
Onsen Japanese
609 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Fri: 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Sat – Sun: 12:00pm to 2:30pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm