Hakata Gensuke Carlton is the fifth local branch of the prolific ramen shop that set the gold standard for Hakata-style tonkotsu (pork-bone broth) ramen in Melbourne. It's also the first to grace the city's Northern suburbs.

A typical bowl of tonkotsu ramen at Hakata Gensuke starts with a creamy, gelatinous broth coupled with homemade noodles, slow-cooked chashu (pork slices), menma (bamboo shoots) and negi (spring onions). What differentiates the Carlton branch is that it's the only one in Melbourne to serve chashu made from pork belly, as is the Hakata way.

They also serve a 'dark horse' Shoyu ramen, made with a mixture of tonkotsu and shoyu (soy sauce), and a dish of Ontama Cha-Mayo Rice featuring the shop's pork bellu chashu topped with a Japanese slow-cooked egg. Both dishes are unique to Hakata Gensuke Carlton, although the shop's signature ramen varieties are available as well.