Ramen Ikkyu, Chinatown

Although this epiphany has been a long time brewing, I came to the final conclusion in Tokyo (after some particularly porky ramen soup) that Ramen doesn't quite agree with me. I'm often left feeling a bit gurgley in the stomach, which sucks as I really love eating ramen.

This is probably not the end for moi and ramen though, don't you worry!  Of course, I'm willing to suffer for my food blog as I just had to try Ramen Ikkyu which opened in Chinatown last year to much fanfare (and long queues).

As with most places in Sydney if you wait long enough the queues will die down and this food stall, which is tucked away in the corner of the Sussux Centre Food Court in Chinatown was blissfully not crowded when I arrived for an early after work dinner.

There are so many different types of ramen broth that I find it really really really confusing - salt, soy, miso, chicken, pork, chicken AND pork, chicken and pork with seafood. Wikipedia has been no help so I have NFI what's going on. I *think* that ramen broth/stock is some varation of chicken/pork/whatever and then that broth is flavoured with salt, soy or miso. If I'm wrong let me know...and if you know the deal again, PLEASE let me know.

Ooooh, touch screen ordering! Fun!

The base stock here is a mixture of pork and chicken (aka Paitan) and is described as having quite a "rich mouth feel". This should've been a warning to me that I was going to get "the gurgles" but I went ahead anyway (I'll give you 10 guesses at how this meal ended for me *gurgle*). It looks SO good though, doesn't it?

I ordered the "Chef's Special" ($13.50) which comes with black garlic oil and chilli. I just LOVE the slightly burnt, smokey flavour that the black garlic oil gives the broth. It's quite addictive.

The ramen here is HUGE and comes loaded with egg, bamboo shoots, pork belly, seaweed, shallots, bean sprouts etc etc. As soon as I saw the bowl I instantly knew it was a mistake to order an extra serve of pork on the side but for $3.00 it's hard to resist all the little extras you can buy to top up your bowl.

Needless to say I couldn't finish my meal...even with the extra serve of pork it was WAY too big. Lord knows then how anyone takes up the free offer of "kaedama" - an extra serve of noodles to go with any leftover broth you have left. Gurgle.

Ramen Ikkyu is at Shop F1A - Sussex Centre, 401 Sussex Street, Haymarket. Call them on 9281 0998.