Menya Noodle Bar City
Menya is rated as one of the best places to get ramen in the Sydney CBD. Tucked away discreetly behind office buildings, its slightly-tricky location doesn't prevent the line from snaking out the door every day at lunch hour.
Thankfully, many members of the line are there for takeaway orders, and it wasn't too difficult to find a seat to dine in. The service, as most busy Asian eateries are, is efficient and no-nonsense, which is perfect for a quick break during the working day.
Unlike the slightly-more-famous Ryo's in Crows Nest (which has quite a limited menu), the menu at Menya is pretty impressive: it spans several pages and apart from noodles (a slighly overwhleming array of ramen, soba and udon) you can also get a range of Japanese curries and a la carte items such as gyozas and takoyaki.
Of course, I had to start my Menya journey with the Menya Ramen. The broth I selected is the tonkatsu, which is a collagen-rich broth made by simmering pork bones for over 10 hours. Many would tell you that drinking collagen-rich broths will make your skin more youthful, which is complete poppycock. On the other hand, tonkastsu is the richest and most satisfying option for ramen base, and my absolute favourite.
The Menya ramen comes with generous slices of pork, half a soft-boiled egg, bambo shoots, a sheet of nori and some imitation-crab cakes. The broth is rich and silky without being too fatty (though I have no doubt it definitely is rich in fat), and I'm going to say that the noodles at Menya are better than those at Ryo's - they are a lot chewier and bouncier.
The best ramen I have had in Sydney, hands down, with Ryo's a close second.
Japanese curry is a barely-spicy curry that leans towards being slightly sweet, and it is a great rice accompaniment because it is so moorish that before you know it, you have downed way more rice than you had thought you were capable of eating. The chicken at Menya ns succulent and fried to perfection, the rice is of good quality - a very filling and satisfying dish indeed.
If, however, your curry does not satisfy your hunger, for an extra $4.50 you can get a small bowl of ramen in a broth of your choice, with imitation crab cakes and bamboo shoots. The one pictured above is in a light shoyu broth, which is clean, unadulterated savoury goodness.
Takoyaki is one of my favourite Japanese street foods: they are octopus pieces encased in a sticky-rice and flour ball casing. The takoyaki at Menya is slightly cold and therefore not as good as the ones you can get on the street. There is a stand that makes fresh takoyaki before your eyes at Chatswood during its weekend street market which is superior to the takoyaki at Menya.
Score: 4.5
To be honest, the 4.5 is a tad harsh - had we not ordered the takoyaki, Menya would have received a 5 for sure. Still, when one item is sub-par, you can't award full marks.
Cost: great value for money
Address: Shop 2, 1 Market Street, Sydney
Website: https://menya.com.au/
Thankfully, many members of the line are there for takeaway orders, and it wasn't too difficult to find a seat to dine in. The service, as most busy Asian eateries are, is efficient and no-nonsense, which is perfect for a quick break during the working day.
Unlike the slightly-more-famous Ryo's in Crows Nest (which has quite a limited menu), the menu at Menya is pretty impressive: it spans several pages and apart from noodles (a slighly overwhleming array of ramen, soba and udon) you can also get a range of Japanese curries and a la carte items such as gyozas and takoyaki.
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| Menya Ramen, $11.90 |
The Menya ramen comes with generous slices of pork, half a soft-boiled egg, bambo shoots, a sheet of nori and some imitation-crab cakes. The broth is rich and silky without being too fatty (though I have no doubt it definitely is rich in fat), and I'm going to say that the noodles at Menya are better than those at Ryo's - they are a lot chewier and bouncier.
The best ramen I have had in Sydney, hands down, with Ryo's a close second.
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| Kara-age curry, $13.90 |
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| Value ramen, $4.50 with main meal |
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| Takoyaki, $7.90 |
Score: 4.5
To be honest, the 4.5 is a tad harsh - had we not ordered the takoyaki, Menya would have received a 5 for sure. Still, when one item is sub-par, you can't award full marks.
Cost: great value for money
Address: Shop 2, 1 Market Street, Sydney
Website: https://menya.com.au/
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