When the nights are cold and chilly, there are just some things you can’t say no to like a good bowl of ramen. We all have our own criteria for what makes a good bowl of ramen — maybe you like the broth thicker or the noodles springier, or more ingredients in your soup. No matter how you like to have your noodles, there’s something on this list for you.
We’ve rounded up the 10 best ramen places in Sydney for you so you no longer have to sit around asking each other what to eat on your next dinner outing!
Widely touted as Gumshara’s rival, Ryo’s Noodles is a sure contender in this category. Ryo’s fans swear this is some of the best ramen you’ll find in all of Sydney.
If you’re a first timer here, order the chicken soy broth with juicy roast pork ($9.80) – YUM. One of the nicest things about this place is the decor – you’ll feel as though you’re instantly transported to Japan. Butcher’s paper decorated with kanji line the walls and good luck cats brighten up the mood around the room.
There is a variety of ramen to choose from – half with chicken soup, the other half with a rich pork tonkotsu broth, brimming with collagen that is said to be good for the skin. Their Tokyo Soy ($9.50) is said to be the most popular – a tonkotsu soy sauce soup with slices of fatty roast pork, boiled egg, a nori seaweed sheet and vegetables. If you’re up for something special, go for the ramen with miso bolognese ($11) – an interesting Japanese take on an Italian favourite.
As comforting as this place gets, it only seats around 15 people at a time comfortably, so there’s always a queue outside. But hey, it is totally worth the wait.
Signature Ramen: Tokyo Shoyu Ramen ($9.50)
Price Range: $10.50 – $14.50
Address: 125 Falcon St, Crows Nest, NSW 2065
Opening Hours: Noon – 2pm, 5pm – 9pm (closed on Wednesday)
When anyone mentions ramen, this is the place that comes to mind. Everybody knows it. Located in a nondescript food court on the edge of Chinatown, Gumshara is known for its Tonkotsu ramen ($8.50), a hearty broth made with pork bones.
Served with slices of pork and seaweed and collagen-rich pork broth that is produced by boiling over 100kg of pork bones on a daily basis, this bowl of ramen is all sorts of goodness. Better yet, prices start at a very affordable $10.50 a bowl!
Gumshara’s broth is the thickest and densest you’ll find outside of Japan. If thick soups just aren’t your thing, you can opt to ask the server to make your soup ‘less thick’, or choose the fish broth option that they also have available. But hey, if it’s your first time, the original is definitely worth a try.
(Note: Tonkotsu broth not available between 3-5pm)
Signature Ramen: Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.50)
Price Range: $10.50 – $13.50
Address: Shop 211, Eating World Harbour Plaza, 25-29 Dixon Street, Chinatown, Sydney, NSW 2000
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9pm
At Manpuku, the traditional soy-based chicken ramen has more than 300 years of history in Japan. Their signature Gara Shoyu Ramen ($11.90) contains butter soft pork belly, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, shallots and a seaweed sheet. The soup stock is great and not super thick; the noodles thin and not soggy. Manpuku’s broth is also very creamy – not in a heavy food-coma inducing way, but in a delectably soothing manner.
Thanks to this, it’s a very comforting go-to on a chilly night. And the best part? They’re soon to be opening up a second branch in Chatswood!
Signature Ramen: Gara Shoyu Ramen ($11.90)
Price Range: $11.90 – $14.90
Address: 482 Anzac Parade, Kingsford NSW 2032
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9:30pm
A dodgy shopfront doesn’t stop me from frequenting this place. Located up a dim stairway, the first time you visit this place you almost wonder if you’re really visiting a ramen shop. Once you get your hands on a bowl of ramen, however, there’s no looking back.
Ramen Kan is certainly known for its authenticity and deliciousness. With a good range of ramen to choose from and located just behind Haymarket, it’s a great place to visit to satisfy your ramen cravings. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, go for the seafood ramen ($12.90) topped with pork – yummy!
Signature Ramen: Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.80)
Price Range: $11.90 – $13.90
Address: Level 1, 90 Hay Street, Chinatown, Sydney, NSW 2000
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10pm
The long twisty spoons are recognisable a mile away. Instantly, you know you’re in Ippudo. After branching out to major cities like New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong, the widely-loved franchise has found their way to Sydney.
Hailing from Hakata-Ku, Japan’s ramen capital, this internationally-acclaimed restaurant serves some of the best ramen in Sydney. If it’s your first time here, go for the Shiromaru (from $15) – a Hakata-style ramen (which means whiter, milkier broths and straight noodles) with juicy pork loin, crunchy bean sprouts and silky black mushrooms. You can’t go wrong with this.
One of my favourite things about Ippudo is the fact that you get to pick the texture of your noodles – soft, medium, or hard. The broth is great too – milkier than the tonkotsu base at most other places and not as heavy.
Definitely make your way to this place early – it sure packs up fast.
Signature Ramen: Shiromaru Tonkotsu Ramen ($15)
Price Range: $15 – $21
Address:
Westfield Pitt Street Mall, CBD
Shop 5021, Level 5, Westfield Pitt Street Mall, 188 Pitt Street, CBD, Sydney, NSW
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm
Central Park, Chippendale
Lower Ground, Central Park, 28 Broadway, NSW
Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm
Meet Market Street’s finest, Menya Noodle Bar. You’ll recognise it instantly – curly, bouncy ramen noodles topped with slices of pork and a shower of green onion. It seems pretty standard by now, but I always go for the tonkotsu soup base. My first mouth into the bowl and I feel like I’m in heaven.
The chicken katsu ramen ($11.90) offers succulent, crispy chicken complemented with sesame seeds. If soup’s just not your thing and you’re up for something different, try the Dragon jya-jya men ($11.50) – hot noodles covered in a spicy, chilli-studded pork mince and boiled egg garnish. One of my favourite things about this ramen bar is definitely the prices. It’s not very common that you can find ramen at $9.90 in Sydney!
Definitely go early. Seats get snapped up quickly at lunch hour.
Signature Ramen: Menya Ramen (with your choice of soup base)
Price Range: $9.90 – $11.90
Opening Hours: 12nn – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Address:
CBD
Shop 2, 1 Market Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Chinatown
Shop TG8, Prince Centre, 8 Quay Street, Chinatown, Sydney, NSW 2000
A former chef of French-Japanese fusion restaurant BlancHaru at Elizabeth Bay, Chef Harunobu Inukai is the clever mind behind the noodles at Ikkyu – which are all handmade on site! Broths are made with pork and chicken bones, and their handmade noodles are apparently aged for two days.
If you often feel like your ramen doesn’t come with enough meat, you’ve come to the right place. Ikkyu’s ramen comes with a generous serving of meat. There are eight variations on the signature paitan broth, including shio, shoyu and miso, chilli oil and veggie.
As if this deal can’t get any better, you’ll get another serve of noodles for free if you have leftover broth. Just take your bowl to the counter and ask for ‘kaedama’. I mean, surely one serving isn’t enough!
Signature Ramen: Tokyo Soy (clear chicken-based broth) ($11.50)
Price Range: $11.50 – $14, $18 and up for additional meats
Address: Shop F1A, Level 1, Sussex Centre, 401 Sussex Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Opening Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 12nn – 8:30pm
Thursday to Saturday: 12nn – 9pm
One of the most exciting things about this Surry Hills restaurant is their famous Ramen Challenge. A standard bowl of their ramen is great – the broth is rich and the noodles with just the right amount of springiness. But here’s the special challenge: If you can finish their enormous bowl of ramen by yourself within an hour, you’ll win a $100 meal voucher. If you can’t finish it, you’ll end up walking away with a $100 bill. Only 30 people have succeeded to date!
This special is available anytime but Friday night, and is a whooping one and a half kilos of noodles in two and a half litres of broth topped with meat and vegetables.
Of course, you can always choose to order one of their standard bowls of ramen. That way – you definitely won’t walk away disappointed.
Signature Ramen: The Ramen Challenge
Price Range: $11.50 – $17
Address: 1/426 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW 2010
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (closed on Tuesday)
A huge plus of this ramen joint has got to be its location. Conveniently located at World Square, Ramen Zundo is a favourite haunt for city peeps. Its signature ramen is Zundo White ($12.90), made with pork broth that’s boiled over 12 hours and pork belly that melts in your mouth. Not convincing enough? Spice it up with an extra chilli kick by ordering the Rich Zundo Red ($12.90) for a full flavour hit. One of the great things about Zundo is that its ramens also come with smaller portions! So if you’re not a big-eater, their small portions would be perfect for you.
Signature Ramen: Zundo White (Tonkotsu based)
Price Range: $11.90 – $13.90
Address: Shop 1030, World Square Shopping Centre, 644 George Street, NSW 2000
Opening Hours: 11:45am – 9pm
Whether you prefer milky Tonkotsu or clear chicken soup base, juicy roast pork or crispy chicken katsu, these 9 ramen places have surely got you covered. Let us know in the comments section below if we missed out on any other fantastic ramen in Sydney!
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