With the colder days nearing, the ramen cravings are only intensifying. Japanese ramen is a delicacy of wide range and variety from different sorts of broths, type of noodles and toppings.

Differences aside, each and every bowl is full of soul and is the ideal meal to slurp back over the chilly season but with the number of different ramen restaurants in town, picking a place is a struggle. We’ve conjured up a list of our favourite ramen joints and their speciality bowl to make life a little easier for you.

Hokkaido miso ramen from Ramen Do
Located near the end of Symonds St, Ramen Do is consistently bustling with customers wanting to get a taste of their infamous Hokkaido miso ramen. The stock for the broth has been slowly brewed and finished off with miso, soy sauce, fish and shellfish to give the rich soup extra layers and elements of different flavours. Served with a mortar and pestle of sesame seeds for a toasty aroma, rich pork mince to thicken the broth and strip of tender pork belly, this is a hearty bowl of pure comfort.

Miso curry ramen from Miso-Ra
Staying true to its name, Miso-Ra specialises in the comforting bowl of miso ramen. Our favourite is the miso-curry ramen as the soy flavours are enhanced by the curry powder and the soup reaches a thicker consistency. The broth is a concoction of miso, pork stock, chicken stock, corn for bursts of sweetness, rich pork mince, aromatic sesame seeds, spicy red pepper, fragrant coriander and shoyu marinated egg. The whites of the egg have absorbed every bit of salty flavour from the infusion of the shoyu while the yolk remains bright and runny.

Akamaru shinaji from Ippudo
There’s nearly always a queue to wait for a table at Ippudo, but trust us, it’s worth the wait. Since opening in Westfield Newmarket last year, the ramen joint has been a popular highlight of the mall’s food offering. Ippudo is a worldwide chain, but that doesn’t stop its ramen from being topnotch; the menu allows diners to choose the hardness of their noodles, and the sides are also worth ordering. The akamaru shinaji ramen is particularly delicious, as the tonkotsu broth is enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil, adding depth and richness when mixed in. Adding a flavoured egg is a must.

Tan-tan ramen from Ramen Takara
When Ramen Takara first opened up in Browns Bay, people were crossing bridges to satisfy their ramen cravings. Luckily, Ramen Takara opened another restaurant on Ponsonby Road and both joints are as great as each other. The go-to bowl at Ramen Takara seems to be the Chinese sichuan dandan noodle and Japanese ramen hybrid, the tan-tan ramen. The broth is thickened and enriched with pork mince yet each spoonful is as enjoyable as the one before from the added spice acting like a constant palate refresher. The bowl also consists of a vegetable stir-fry, bok choy and shredded leek which soaks up all the flavours of the salty and spicy soup.

Tonkotsu gyokai shoyu ramen with extra charsiu pork from Ramen Lab
If you’re looking for a salty bowl of complex flavours, the tonkotsu gyokai shoyu ramen is awaiting your arrival at Ramen Lab in Takapuna. The broth is a mix of pork bone soup that has been reduced down, soy sauce and fish stock. The toppings consist of bamboo shoots which add an earthiness to the dish and spinach and seaweed to enhance the fish flavours of the broth. Adding extra charsiu pork is a decision that you will not regret as every inch of the edge of the bowl gets covered with a slice of tender pork, just enough for every mouthful.

Tanpopo chashu ramen Tanpopo Ramen
This ramen restaurant is one of the first to introduce Auckland to the delicacy. Tanpopo opened its doors on Anzac Avenue almost 15 years ago and has grown to expand to Highland Park as well as Glenfield. The special Tanpopo chasu ramen is what it’s most renowned for. The creamy pork soup base is enhanced with extra salt and black garlic oil to add a punch of flavour. The thin noodles are cooked in a way to maintain some firmness and springiness and the slices of pork melt in the mouth. Tanpopo also allows you to customise your bowl and we always recommend adding a soft-boiled egg and sometimes butter to make the broth even thicker.

Oh My Hot!! Tonkotsu chashu ramen from Daruma
Having just opened a new CBD outpost in Commercial Bay, Daruma is worth a visit for its spicy tonkotsu chashu ramen. Tender slices of chashu, or braised pork, are combined with a nitamago (soft boiled) egg, rocket and nori seaweed, all topped with a hot chilli oil. With a spice level ranging from ‘medium’ to ‘extra hot’, it’s the perfect thing to blast away any winter sniffles. 

Paitan from Zool Zool
While tori paitan, a creamy chicken broth-based ramen, isn’t quite as well-known as tonkotsu worldwide, Zool Zool is far ahead of the trends. Only available three days a week from Tuesday until Thursday, this paitan is truly something special. Consisting of a rich chicken broth reduction, mixed with marinaded chicken char-shu, bamboo shoots, spring onion, egg and wakame seaweed, this bowl will have you feeling full, happy and content.