Butao Ramen, Hong Kong

Last time we were up in HK, we arrived here just as these guys sold out of their last bowl, so I made sure to come here today (11-12 Wo On Lane, Flat C, 2530-0600). See, this little hole in the wall has been drawing some very long lines, in part because the chef only sells 200 bowls a day. They are tonkotsu-based with four "color" variants: the normal yellow, a spicy red, a black one that I have yet to try, and the one I got today, the green one, which featured basil olive oil and cheese.

Combine that with the garlic inside, and it basically made it like a pesto, which seemed a bit out of place, but it worked, even if I wasn't a huge fan of the skinny noodles and peculiarly thin slice of chashu. These testosterone-fueled bowls are definitely not shy on flavor, especially when accentuated by some of those pickled toppings that they leave at each table. You can tone down the elements a bit using the paper order form, but I pretty much went for the real deal, which probably obliterated my sodium allowance for the next few days. Next time, I want to give the black one a try.