Ramen Hunting in Sydney

If there's one dish I have just a little bit of a slight obsession with, it's got to be ramen. I am not kidding you when I say I really love ramen. Probably not as much as Naruto (anybody else ever watched this anime/read the manga?) but close enough I'd say. I did eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner on one of my days in Tokyo these past holidays. Yet I come back to Sydney to eat more of it! The hunt for excellent ramen in Sydney continues.

I would never really make an extra trip up to the Northern suburbs if I didn't really have to but one night I found myself in North Sydney and a quick search up on my phone told me Ryo's was nearby in the area. Ramen for dinner it was!

Ramen in tonkotsu soy sauce flavoured soup with roast pork, nori, egg and shallots, $13.50

I believe tonkotsu soup is always the way to go :P This one had a touch of soy added to give it that extra kick of saltiness. The noodles retained a good amount of bounce and I really couldn't get enough of the tonkotsu soup - the broth is the most important element in a bowl of ramen! It wasn't as thick as the likes of Gumshara (which is definitely on the heavy side) so it was very easy to down. I always get an egg if it doesn't come with the ramen but luckily this one did! Still soft and gooey so nothing but positives about it. I would have to say it's one of the more authentically Japanese ramens in Sydney.

When we left, there was a massive line waiting outside so that says wonders about its popularity!

Ryo's
125 Falcon St
Crows Nest, NSW, 2065

Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday: 12:00 noon - 2:00pm and 5:00 - 9:00pm



Another one that has received raves from the blogging community resides in the humble food court of Sussex Centre in Chinatown. Who says you can't get good food in food courts? This food court has undergone a renovation and is actually surprisingly clean compared to what it used to be. You'll find Ramen Ikkyu huddled in the far corner so it could be easily overlooked if you don't know what you're looking for.

Pork rib ramen, $20.00

For twenty bucks, you're sure getting your fair share of meat. JUST LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT PORK RIB. It was amaaazingly soft and tender with lovely fatty parts throughout, and they cut it off the bone for easy eating but don't fret! The bone is still given to you for some caveman chowing :P (We all know the meat on the bone is the most flavoursome). This broth here has a mix of chicken, pork and seafood and is very discernable on the palette. I have to say that my preferences lay with the classic all pork broth (tonkotsu all the way!) but this one was still very delicious. And of course, if you haven't heard of the kaedama, I'm sure that this free extra serving of noodles will tempt you for a visit to Ramen Ikkyu! I would go back for that pork rib alone :D

Ramen Ikkyu
Shop F1A 401 Sussex St
Haymarket, NSW, 2000
Sussex Centre Food Court

Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday: 12:00 noon - 8:00pm

Gumshara, Haymarket

"I love ramen," I said whilst slurping on awesome ramen, not giving a care in the world how I looked.
"Have you been to Gumshara?" my friend asks. 

And thus the legendary ramen of Gumshara was brought up again. I have heard its name far and wide, heard it was good, and that it was the collagen-rific soup of dreams but with all the hype, can it really live up to its name? So it was that one hungry afternoon, I made a pit stop with my sister to try this amazing soup that cooks for hours and hours upon their stove pot in the small kitchen of Eating World food court.

Gumshara is an unassuming little joint, with a little shop front. As long as we can order, that's good enough for me. I was very insistent upon trying the thick tonkotsu soup, but they don't serve that until 5pm ie dinner service. What a pity that was - so disappointing!

Garlic tonkotsu ramen noodle, $11.50

I settled upon the garlic tonkotsu ramen because how can you go wrong with garlic oil? ;) Best stuff ever! So how was it? Can I just say that the soup is the stuff of dreams? With an awesome hit of garlic! Love it. If this was the thinner soup, the thick one must be super intense! This was still sticky enough from all the collagen boiled down from the bones that you could feel it sticking to your lips. The flavour was strong and the noodles were awesomely springy. Of course I also had to nab those eggs first before my sister could even try to steal them. As everyone with siblings knows, first come, first served! Mm, googy eggs... And those ribbons of fat on the chashu! So tender and melt in the mouth... I really wonder if I could down a bowl of the thicker soup. I guess it warrants a revisit to test my limits!

Gumshara Ramen
Shop 211 25-29 Dixon St
Haymarket, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours

Monday: 11:30am - 8:30pm

Tuesday - Saturday: 11:30am - 9:00pm

Sunday: 11:30am - 8:30pm

Snag Stand, Westfield Sydney, CBD

Sweet post summer school celebrations! Went out with a couple of friends to see "Wreck-It Ralph" today. Yes, I know it is a child's movie and yes, it has been showing for a few months already so it's pretty old. But despite that, the cinemas were pretty full which was quite surprising! I also enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. The plot was actually very creative and it's quite different from what has been coming out in cinemas recently. A very nice change.

We also decided to grab hot dogs afterwards from the Snag Stand in Westfield Sydney. Who can say no to hot dogs and cheese? :D

Toulouse, $9.90

How could I resist truffle aioli? I thought the sauteed onions and toasted brioche added a sweet element which contrasted with the rosemary mushrooms and salty pork sausage. I did find the sausage to be quite salty nearing the end though... But it wasn't too high in sodium and I definitely enjoyed it! Though I think the entire hot dog would be a bit too much.

Spicy Spanish Chorizo, $9.90

This one was really good! I liked it even more than the Toulouse. With sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle mayo, baby rocket and shredded Spanish goat's cheese, what's not to like? Loved the slight spicy kick from the chorizo and chipotle mayo. That goat's cheese was also all sorts of cheesy amazingness and it definitely wasn't overpowering in flavour so that the chorizo flavour was lost. I think this was the pick out of the two!

Oh Westfield Sydney food court, you've yet to disappoint me! Can always count on you for tasty lunches (:

Snag Stand
188 Pitt St
Level 5 Westfield Sydney
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours
Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Monday-Wednesday: 10:00am - 6:30pm
Thursday: 10:00am - 9:00pm
Friday-Saturday: 10:00am - 8:00pm