Once upon a time, not so long ago, ramen wasn’t even a word we heard uttered in Sydney. Thanks to Ryosuke Horii, who opened Ryo in North Sydney in 2003, ramen became accessible and quite popular.
Now, in every corner of Sydney, you will find a ramen joint, slinging Tonkotsu broth, and vegan bowls. They’re cheap and will keep you full all day long—what more could you want?
For the best umami-packed, slurplicious bowls of ramen, try one of these joints.
Ryo’s Noodles
Crows Nest
This wouldn’t be a best ramen list without the grandfather of ramen, Ryo’s Noodles. This, little red corner shop is where the ramen craze started back in 2003. You will still find the shop is red, and there is little to no room, inside, but what you can expect is a big, bowl, of thick ramen noodles, and umami-rich broths, that are a perfect balance of savoury and salty. You will find a variety of pork ton kotsu, chicken soup based broths, pork and fish broth, and vegetarian options. Each ramen, comes in a deep bowl, with thick, chewy noodles, and topped with charred pork pieces, greens, soft boiled eggs, and more. If you want good ramen, you can’t go past a $14 bowl of Ryo’s.
RaRa Ramen
Randwick, Redfern, Eveleigh, and more
RaRa Ramen is the king of craft ramen bars in Sydney. With multiple locations around the city, you will never be too far from handwamde noodles, flame grilled chashu (pork belly), and silky rich broth. Their broths are made the traditional way with only water, garlic, and pork bones. On the daily, they churn out 200 batches of thin Hakata-style noodles. You will also find some vegan options too. You can’t go wrong with a bowl of ramen from RaRa, but beware of the weekend lines. For $19.80 a bowl, it’s an affordable lunch or dinner for two.
Lonely Mouth
Newtown
This straightforward eatery is the brainchild of RaRa Ramen, so you get the same quality, but expect bowls of vegan Japanese noodles, and small bites. That’s right, this place only offers up vegan ramen. Expect plant-based Tantanmen Ramen, which is a spicy sichuan based nutty broth topped with plant-based mince, black fungus, and bok choy. There is also a sunflower and hempseed shoyu ramen, shoyu tare cauliflower karaage, and corn tempura to snack on. Order an extra serving of noodles or chilli oil to top up. Ramen bowls range from $19.50 to $21. You can also pair a bowl with Japanese beers or wines by the bottle.
Chaco Ramen
Darlinghurst and Bondi
Tuck into insanely large bowls of ramen, with a sustainable ethos in mind. Chaco is more focused on ramen you would find in Fukuoka, where the pork-broth soup originated. It’s a tiny restaurant, serving four signature ramens, including yuzu scallop, fat soy, and fish salt. You can add extra toppings, and get sides of karaage and gyoza. Bowls range from $18 to $20 and are highly-sought after by Sydneysiders, so stop by to try this slurpworthy ramen. You can also order frozen packs to make at home.
Gogyo
Surry Hills
Gogyo, which translates to ‘charred’ is a small ramen joint from the team who brought us Ippudo Ramen. Although, Gogyo will make you feel like you’r in the backstreets of Tokyo, slurping on chewy noodles, covered in umami rich broth. The tonkotsu ramen here is crafted from a 24-year old recipe, using simmered prok bones. The toppings are just as good with options such as bamboo shoots, roasted seaweed, spring onions, chashu, and more.
Ippudo
CBD, Chatswood, and more
Speaking of Ippudo, this is one of Sydney’s most famous ramen chains, serving big, warm, salty bowls of ramen. The Westfield outlet was the first store, now they’re all over the city. Expect a selection of signature ramen dishes, made from a 25-year old recipe, with no exceptions. The noodles here are cooked to your liking with five levels of softness to choose from. You will also find some delicious sides to tuck into, from gyoza, to pork buns, and Bakuretsu tofu.
Ramen Megumi
Neutral Bay
Here, the tonkotsu is thick, the chicken broth is rich, and the noodles are elastic. For $13 you can get a big bowl of delicious, no-fuss ramen. The signature dish is the gyokai tonkotsu, which is a fishy black ramen made with both fish and pork bones. Inside, there are fewer than 20 seats, so it’s more focused on take away, which is great if you need to pick up something quick for lunch or dinner. The Japanese curry is also worth a try.
Rising Sun Workshop
Newtown
This started as a pop up, but its popularity led to a permanent location in Newtown. The ramen her is simple and focuses more on taste and quantity rather than being fancy. There’s one ramen, available in three styles. Because Rising Sun Workshop is more of a cafe and motorcycle workshop, you can also stop by for breakfast or banh mis at lunch, and get your bike a tune up at the same time.
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