Hakata Gensuke (East Vic Park)
Our favourite place in Perth for tonkotsu ramen.
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Before reading ❗️
Who is this suited for?
Guests after tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen
What type of food is available?
Tonkotsu ramen and a number of Japanese sides
What should I order?
- First timers - signature tonkotsu
- Second timers - black tonkotsu (less "porky" than the Signature Tonkotsu)
- Those who don't like heavy ramen - shoyu tonkotsu
- Spice lovers - God Fire (you can try spice level 1-5, or beyond!)
How much will it cost?
A bowl with a slice of cha-shu will set you back around $19. With toppings involved, expect to pay anywhere between $20 - $30 for a bowl of ramen.
Can I see the menu?
Hakata Gensuke's menu can be accessed via their website here (click "Order Online then select their East Vic Park store for pricing information).
Where is it?
In East Vic Park, across from Hawaiian's Park Centre (to the right of the funny jellybean shaped roundabout).
The details 📝
Note there are two Hakata Gensuke branches in Perth. This article covers their original East Vic Park branch that specialises in tonkotsu ramen.
Hakata Gensuke opened in 2017. From 2017 onwards, Perth's ramen scene exploded (we spoke about this briefly in our Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King article), with options like Bari Uma, the world famous Ippudo and Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King popping up. When Hakata Gensuke first, we remember waiting upwards of 45 mins - 60 minutes, just to get in! These days, you'll occasionally find a line outside of Hakata Gensuke.
Hakata Gensuke was founded by Chef Kousuke Yoshimura. Chef Yoshimura opened his first restaurant in 2008 and comes from a family with experience in the ramen and sushi scene in Japan. The term "Hakata" found in name "Hakata Gensuke" refers to the Hakata ward in Fukuoka, a major city in Japan's southern island kyushu that also happens to be the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen.
If tonkotsu ramen is your thing*, then Hakata Gensuke is one of the places we recommend. Compared to competitor Ramen Keisuke in the city, Hakata Gensuke offers a wider menu with a number of sides like gyoza, karaage and chashu gohan (pork chashu on rice). Hataka Gensuke's other competitor also in the city, Bari Uma offers a similar menu with similar sides.
*We once observed a Tinder date which went horribly wrong - a non-pork eater being brought to Hakata Gensuke 😅!
Which broth and sides?
In terms of food, the obvious thing to order here is any of their tonkotsu ramen. Noodles run thin and their chashu is on the leaner side. You'll find all their tonkotsu broth to be rich, collagen filled and porky. Guests have the ability to omit toppings and adjust noodle hardness.
Bigger eaters might want to add additional cha-shu, egg or kaedama (extra noodles). An option is available to include all toppings ("special toppings") which will set you back to nearly $30. The most bang for your buck approach is probably to get an egg and kaedama. Make sure you have the kaedama sent out later - as cold and hardened noodles aren't exactly desirable.
Grab the Signature Tonkotsu if it's your first time.
Black Tonkotsu is a slightly less porky variation and is my usual order here (Eddy). Those who aren't fond of a super porky ramen might want to opt for their lighter options like Shoyu Tonkotsu (soy tonkotsu), Shio Tonkotsu (salt tonkotsu) or Miso Tonkotsu. They even have a spicy God Fire ramen and even a Vege Ramen.
As for sides, we always gravitate towards the gyoza. Hakata Gensuke serve up our favourite gyoza in Perth. We love the light and thin skin and the crispy bottom. They also have a cheese mentaiko variation which is just as delicious.
Chicken katsu and karaage are also available on the menu. Both are passable and will satisfy your cravings, but it's probably not something we'd order again. With the chicken katsu, we think I'd be a bit easier to eat if it came cut into pieces (how you'd normally find katsu served).
The karaage was nothing to write home about, however still juicy and passable though (our favourite karaage in Perth goes to Kai Japanese).
If you're after some more carbs on-top of an already creamy and rich bowl of ramen, Hakata Gensuke offer two rice bowls. One with pork belly, poached egg and mayo, and another (pictured) with pork belly and a poached egg. Hakata Gensuke's pork does run a little more on the leaner side, so maybe we'd grab the mayo variant if we were to reorder.
Before visiting 🚙
Anything else I should know before visiting?
- Expect lines when visiting at peak lunch and dinner times
- They have a reasonably priced "happy hour meal" from 3-5pm Monday to Fridays (check their online ordering system for more info)
- The menu is predominantly pork, so we'd suggest checking out their Northbridge branch (specialising in chicken broth ramen) if 🐖 isn't your thing
- Bigger eaters might want to grab extra noodles and additional toppings
What's the address?
Where do I park?
Some street parking is available, otherwise there is plenty of free parking across the road at Hawaiian's Park Centre.
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