Been curious about the list of Sydney's top 15 ramen dishes we've been hunting down, as recommended by Japanese magazine Cheers?
Here's your handy reference guide. The list was published in August 2008, and as far as I can tell, this article recommends 15 different ramen dishes - my Japanese is limited to hiragana and katakana so any translations (the named dishes? anything worth noting in the accompanying blurbs) gratefully accepted (translations received - thank you GYF readers YZ and AN!).
I have decoded the restaurant names though and I think I have the trading hours down correctly. Please leave your feedback on your experiences at any of the places listed, or perhaps suggest a venue which has been overlooked that you think deserves attention.
Click on the pics to view large.
Please note: The list is not numbered, nor ranked, but I'm adding numbers for reference convenience.
HAPPY NOODLING!
1. MENYAShop TG8, 8 Quay Street, Haymarket Chinatown, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9212 1020
Open Monday to Friday 11.30am-3pm and 5pm-9.30pm,Saturday and Sunday 11.30am-4pm and 5pm-9.30pmRecommended dish: MEGA RAMEN (super size ramen)"Mega ramen with soup that has been simmered for a long time with a double serve of noodles as well as egg, pork and fried chicken."New store now open on Market Street
GYF visited: September 2006
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2. SUN-SUN (formerly Ten-Sun)Shop 1, Crows Nest Plaza103 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9906 2956
Open 7 days for lunch and dinnerLunch 12pm-3pm (Saturday and Sunday till 5pm)Dinner 5.30pm-9pm (Sunday till 8pm)
Recommended dish: PIRIKARA MISO RAMEN (spicy miso ramen)"Spicy miso vegetable ramen with cabbage, chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, choy sum and corn, a veritable rainbow of vegetables in a pork and fish stock."
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3. TON-TONLevel 1, Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9222 9960
Open Monday to Friday 9.30am-5.30pmMenuRecommended dish: GEKIKARA RAMEN (super spicy ramen)"Super spicy ramen with a high quality pork bone stock base with chilli and Korean chilli sauce [gochujang?] as well as abalone XO sauce and shallots"Ton-Ton2 now open near George Street cinemas.
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4. TOKYO RAMENShop 1042Hornsby Westfield Shopping Centre236 Pacific Highway, Hornsby, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9987 2688
Open Monday to Sunday 9am-5.30 pm (Thursday till 9pm)Menu
Recommended dish: NEGI MISO RAMEN (miso ramen with shallot)"Miso shallot ramen in a soup with a secret recipe. A little spicy with the crunch of shallots and smooth miso."
GYF visited: December 2008 - and tried it
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5. ICHI BAN BOSHILevel 2, The Galeries Victoria, 500 George Street, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9262 7677
Open Monday to Sunday 11am - 9pmMenu
Recommended dish: TANTAN MEN"The sesame flavour balances out the sweetness and the spice in this Japanese interpretation of a traditional Szechuan noodle dish."
GYF visited: February 2008 and August 2005
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6. RYO'S NOODLES (also known as Ryo Tei)125 Falcon Street, Crows Nest, Sydney(corner of West Street)Tel: +61 (02) 9955 0225
Open Thursday to Tuesday (closed Wednesdays)Lunch 12.00pm-2.30pmDinner 5.00pm-10.00pm
Recommended dish: RYO-TEI SPECIAL (Ryo's special noodle)"Ryo-Tei Special with the deep flavour of pork bone stock and a little spice served with tender pork and melt-in-your-mouth soft boiled egg."
GYF visited: March 2008, August 2007 and July 2007~~~
7. MOMIJI303 Pitt Street, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9283 3835
Open Monday to Friday 12pm-5pmRamen finishes at 2.30pm
Recommended dish: GOMA KARA RAMEN (Spicy sesame ramen)"Spicy sesame ramen with a fish stock soup base."
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8. KENTA81 Military Road, Neutral Bay, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9953 5422
Open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-2pmDinner Tuesday to Sunday 6pm-10pmClosed on Mondays
Recommended dish: DONGURO RAMEN (specially created for Cheers magazine)"Pitch black ramen with a bouillabaise soup base, flavoured with tomato and basil and topped with sun dried tomatoes."
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9. RAMEN KANLevel 1, 90 Hay Street, Haymarket Chinatown, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9211 6677
Sun-Thu 11.30am-10pm Fri-Sat 11.30am-10pm
Recommended dish: NEGI CHASHU RAMEN (Shallot and roast pork ramen) "Double the size of a normal ramen topped with many slices of pork, egg and shallots in a pork bone stock soup base."
GYF visited: August 2005 and November 2004
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10. ZENYA NOODLE BAR217 Rowe St, Eastwood, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9874 2122
Opening hours:Lunch Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am-3pmDinner Tuesday to Sunday 5.30pm-9.30pm (til 10pm on Fri & Sat)Closed on Mondays
Recommended dish: KOGASHI NINNIKU RAMEN (Garlic ramen)"The soup base is made from boiling a pig's head for 15 hours [!]. Topped with thick slices of pork, egg, shallots and other goodies."
GYF visited: January 2009~~~
11. KOMACHIShop 1, 426 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9319 6554
Open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 11am-10pmFriday and Saturday 11am-11pmClosed on TuesdaysMenu
Recommended dish: ZASAI RAMEN (Chinese pickled vegetable ramen) "Za-sai (Chinese pickled vegetable) ramen in a chicken stock soup base with salt-flavoured ramen. The noodles are made in-house from a blend of two types of flour."
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12. RAMEN CONDORShop 1, 5 York Street, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9299 8686
Open Sunday to Friday 11.30am-10pmClosed on Saturdays
Recommended dish: MABO RAMEN (Mapo tofu ramen)"A Japanese-flavoured take on Chinese cuisine, this spicy ramen is topped with soft tofu."
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13. GOSHU RAMEN TEIShop 2, 5 York Street, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9290 3745
Open Monday to Saturday 11am-10pmClosed on Sundays
Recommended dish: GOMOKU RAMEN (Five flavour or combination ramen) "This soup base is a mix of chicken and pork bone stock topped with a variety of stir-fried vegetables, pork, prawns and an egg."
~~~14. AJISEN RAMEN94 Hay Street, Haymarket Chinatown, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9211 8380
Open Monday to Sunday 12pm-2pm and 6pm-10pm
Recommended dish: PAIKU-MEN (Special tonkotsu ramen)"Fall-off-the-bone pork ribs top this pork bone stock ramen in a dish which originates from Kumamoto, Japan."
GYF visited: January 2008
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15. UMAIMONShop 5, 51 Druitt StSydney NSW 2000Phone (02) 9283 0606
Monday to Friday 11am-10pmSaturdays and public holidays 12pm-10pm
Recommended dish: BEEF STEW RAMEN"Beef that has been braised for two days is served with vegetables on top of this ramen with a miso based soup that has been created from a secret recipe."
GYF visited: October 2008
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Do you agree with the above?And can anyone read Japanese :)
This changes everything! I now have 14 specific ramen dishes to track down and sample :)
Leave a comment if you've tried any of the dishes above, and come back to this post if you do so in the future.
AN says: "I have been to all and I like Ryo-tei's Tonkotsu syoyu ramen the best or Kogashi ninniku ramen from Ajisen."