Fukutontei / Fukutontei Ramen » Melbourne Japanese Restaurant Guide

FFuku in Japanese means happiness, while ton means pork and tei means shop. So Fukutontei is a shop where you attain happiness by eating pork. Simple!

What sort of pork? Tonkatsu, of course. Fukutontei’s version is traditional and authentic, with a crunchy breadcrumb coating, tender fillet and a special sauce you can add self-ground sesame seeds to.

Of course, katsu-curry is also on the menu, combining that lovely tonkatsu crunch with mild, heart-warming Japanese curry. At just $12.80, it’s affordable, too.

Indeed, low prices are a Fukutontei signature. The regular tonkatsu lunch set is $14.80 and other dishes, such as the new ramen options, are around the same price.

For example, the amusingly-named and highly popular Aso Volcano Ramen, made with super-spicy Aso Volcano Sauce, is $13.80, while the equally popular Charcoal Beef Ramen, with its smoky flavour and large serving size, is $15.80.

The more traditional Shoyu Ramen and the very hot Spicy Miso Ramen are also $12.80 and $13.80 respectively, and even for dinner, izakaya-style dishes start below $10 and the popular and filling nabe are all under $20.

This means afterwards, you can probably afford to indulge in a new, unique dessert Fukutontei added this year called the Cookie Kiss – a delicious chocolate ice cream and Oreo cookie milkshake that will likely leave you in a chocolate coma.

Unsurprisingly, this combination of tasty food and low prices has made Fukutontei a hit, with a second
Greensborough Plaza outlet recently opening in the new restaurant section.

This location places a heavier emphasis on ramen but still serves the full city menu, so locals can enjoy some shopping then relax with a ramen lunch or tonkatsu dinner.

If Fukutontei keeps expanding at this rate, there may even be a third or even fourth outlet near you soon, so keep an eye out!