Feel like ramen at 3am? Get your fix at this newish place without an English name smack bang in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD. This genius 24-hours a day offering may wean us off kebabs, save us from future hangovers, and become the post-work stop that’s also a bargain hunter’s culinary god send.

This established global chain spans South Korea and the United States, and it’s been open for business since late May in Melbourne, the 39th branch. It may be cookie cutter ramen, but it doesn’t feel it. The business has perfected the look and feel of a Tokyo ramen hole in the wall. Think blaring television featuring Korean and Japanese food shows, dark wood-panelled walls, a glass cabinet holding Japanese figurines from One Piece manga, a glossy varnished counter wrapping around the open glass-encased kitchen. So what about the ramen out of that kitchen?

There are four ramen options – the signature tsukemen, the basic ramen, a light karakuchi and spicy black ramen. We professional ramen eaters are so used to saying pork belly is melt in the mouth and falls apart at the mere nudge of a chopstick – it’s become the lingo of any professional ramen eater – but here it’s not. The pork, though apparently cooked 60 hours, feels just-done and I’m left picking up a whole piece with my chopsticks and getting to it with my molars like it’s any old carnival meat on a stick. There’s a charred flavour but that’s a mere external lick from the blow torch the chef blew over it just before he propped the meat on the soup.

The real magic is in the broth. It’s on the salty side but it’s unctuous and leaves umami lingering in the mouth. It makes up for the pork’s misdemeanours. The night menu also includes snacks such as fried chicken, gyoza, takoyaki octopus balls, and a decenthot pot.

Come here for a late hearty breakfast, a very very late night recovery meal in the wee hours, or just for lunch. A soothing bowl of slurpable noodles is good any time, and here it’s possible quite literally.

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