In Japanese, “buta” means pork and “yama” means mountain – put them together, as in Buta Yama, and you get “a mountain of pork”. For a ramen restaurant that uses over 50 kilograms of pork leg and back bones on a daily basis, the name couldn’t be more apt. “We use an abundant amount of pork,” says Jameson Chiang, chef-owner of Buta Yama. “[It’s] to create a rich, deep and authentic tonkotsu broth.”
Naturally, the restaurant’s classic shio tonkotsu ramen is the star of the show. The rich, creamy pork bone broth has umami in spades, and the chashu pork – which sits beautifully atop the noodles – is cooked sous-vide, resulting in incredibly tender slices of meat. “It’s completely different from [the flavours] found in some other ramen shops,” explains Chiang. “The rich umami flavour comes purely from carefully simmering the ingredients for hours.”
Other menu highlights include a black garlic oil tonkotsu ramen; Jiro-style ramen; miso pork back fat ramen (a soup rarely seen in Adelaide or even Melbourne, according to Chiang); and a spicy miso ramen. The latter was inspired by the famous Kikanbo ramen shop in Tokyo. The whole menu was designed in consultation with Hoshino-san, a globally-respected ramen chef who owns a restaurant in Musashino Ramen Complex in Tokyo.
As for drinks, expect the classics: Japanese green tea, beer, and highballs.
Although passionate about Japanese cuisine for much of his life, Chiang worked as an electrical engineer for two years before a twist of fate saw him acquire Mugen House, along with a few sushi takeaways across the city. Last month he opened Buta Yama on King William Street last month.
Now, more than ever, it feels like the right time to open a dedicated ramen shop. “I’ve been to Japan many times … In recent years, I’ve noticed that a large number of foreign tourists in Japan were Australians,” says Chiang. “I was surprised to see so many Australian visitors. Particularly in ramen shops.”
He isn’t imagining things. Australia’s love affair with Japan is at an all-time high: according to Japanese tourism figures, nearly one million Australians visited the country last year. Buta Yama, with its bold noren curtains, cement walls, gold lettering and Japanese artwork, is ready to fill the ramen-shaped hole in returning visitors’ hearts.
Buta Yama
421 King William Street, Adelaide
No phone
Hours:
Daily 12–2:45pm, 5pm–9:30pm
