Butao Ramen

Don’t let the long line of people turn you away to another restaurant — this ramen is worth it. People are in and out in no time and if you miss your number when it’s called, they’ll move on to the next one quickly. You really won’t wait too long.
The menu is pretty basic and you get to choose your ramen flavor, noodle type/​size, spicy level, meat, toppings, and add in’s.
If you’re lucky they’ll seat you at the bar where you can watch the cooks work away in the open kitchen. The broth is super flavorful and the noodles are cooked just right (to your liking, in fact!) Pork belly is free to add and pretty good. But what I can’t stop thinking about is their tea eggs: the best I’ve ever had in my ramen.
You’ll understand why people are in and out, one taste of the ramen and you won’t put down your chopsticks till its done: P Can’t wait to come back!

Both a friend and a foodie website recommended Butao, so I figured I had to give it a try. I got the 黑王(Black King), which was a tonkotsu broth ramen that had squid ink imbued in it. They even gave me a napkin to cover my shirt while I ate, since squid ink is hard to wash off clothes.
Anyway…about the food! The broth was heavier and less aromatic than I expected, but an interesting flavor because of the squid ink. Noodles were done well as were the two pieces of pork in my bowl. I can’t say I loveddddd the meal, but it was definitely a unique ramen experience (and I am a ramen FAN!) that I would recommend others to try.
On a final note, this place is kinda pricey for ramen: 95HKD (~13USD) for the 黑王bowl and Butao only accepts CASH, so just come prepared. Enjoy the experience; you can’t eat ramen with squid ink everyday!

Butao’s branch in Sha Tin opened in 2013, meaning those of us in the New Territories could finally savour the legendary tonkotsu ramen without trekking all the way to the island and lining up for an hour.
Since it’s opened in Sha Tin, I’ve been going here quite regularly because the flavour of that tonkotsu is addictive. The classic Butao ramen is $ 83, while the Black, Red, and Green King are $ 10 more. I love the original, but the Red King is right up my alley — all that fearless spice and velvety red broth makes me drool even now. Word of warning — if you tailor your ramen with some Butao spicy sauce, anything higher than x3 might make your nose run and your lips red.
You can always tailor your ramen with the provided checklist, offered in English and Chinese. Butao lets you adjust the strength of your soup base, infused oil, and garlic. You have to decide on your free toppings — pork belly, pork butt, spring onion, and cabbage. I prefer the pork butt, which is less fatty. I also go for the marinated Japanese egg for an extra $ 17, with still runny yolk in the centre that makes your broth all the richer.
As for your ramen type, it’s either thick or thin; and really hard, hard, normal, soft, or really soft. My preference is for thin, hard noodles, as I like a bit of bite, but nothing overbearing or straying from the delicious goodness of the broth.
After these life-​changing decisions, you get your bowl. And what a glorious bowl it is. The first time you go to Butao, you will undoubtedly be tempted to get another bowl right after. But I advise you now to take a moment, catch your breath, let all that ramen inhalation take its time to settle in your stomach. And don’t worry, it’ll still be there the next time you’re at New Town Plaza — it’s not going anywhere, it’s joined the Dark Side now.