Menya Noodle Bar, Chinatown

By now you must've noticed that I have soft spot for ramen.

Mini deluxe set from Menya

You guessed right.

First of all, this is going to be a short post. I still have few essays to be done but I kinda miss posting so I have to make a short one this time. I hope you don't mind!

So that day was windy, and the mother dragged me to Chinatown with the purpose of buying souvenirs for relatives in Indo. She apparently had been craving her fav teriyaki chicken ramen from Menya noodle bar, and thus refused to go to my suggested places including Gumshara and Menya Oiden. Tired assuring her, and starving too, we finally made our way to the bustling noodle bar.

Menya is a small yet stylish Japanese ramen restaurant, tucked below the stairs of Prince Centre. It's a popular ramen joint, but we were early so we get seats easily.

Menya noodle bar entry

You have to choose your food first upon entering, and join the queue on the cashier. You'll be given a number and then try to find a seat. Be mindful that you're gonna share a long communal table with strangers, because Menya dining are is very small. Few long tables in a rather long corridor, that's all. Don't be surprised as well if you're greeted by loud voices exclaiming 'welcome' in Japanese. The chefs have shocking voice volume, I am telling you.

Dining area

Condiments and sauces are complete, including the very lovable Sriracha chilli sauce. You don't have to pick sweet drinks from the fridge, the water dispenser is there to help you saving some bucks.

Clockwise from top left: condiments and sauces, ramen eating posters, street-facing table, free flow water

And there she goes, enjoying her fav teriyaki chicken shoyu ramen. It's as good as usual, with light but flavorsome broth and tender teriyaki chicken chunks atop. A perfect one for a chilly weather.

Teriyaki chicken ramen (shoyu)- $10.90

I wanted to try various dishes so I went for the deluxe mini set; consisting of mini tori-gara shoyu ramen, gyoza, and a mini rice bowl. There are five options for the mini rice bowls, but the one  I picked was the buta mubashi (chopped roasted pork, chopped shallots and mayo).

The buta mubashi rice bowl is simply delicious, the roasted pork has great flavour and very tender. And I always love Japanese rice.

Deluxe mini ramen set (mini tori-gara shoyu ramen, gyoza, and mini rice bowl) - $13.90

The words on the menu list said that tori-gara (chiken) shoyu ramen will be included in the set, but I think I got tonkotsu (pork) shoyu ramen instead. No complaints whatsoever, really.

There's a slice of pork on top of the slippery noodles, and it is how you spell delicate. It just melts in my mouth, and really this whole bowl of ramen is really hard to fault. Even better with sprinkles of chilli powder and Sriracha chilli sauce.

Mini tonkotsu (?) shoyu ramen (included in the set)

The pork and vegetables gyoza are a winner for me, crunchy skin on one side but soft skin on the other. The filling is comforting, juicy minced pork, and they are cooked to perfection.

Pork and vegetables gyoza (included in the set)

The set may look so filling, but it actually suit my stomach capacity very well. Yes, the mother had taken one or two gyozas but overall the set was downed easily.

This place is really close to my uni. I really don't mind getting takeaways fro them for lunch.

Currency: $1 = IDR 9,500


Rating: 3.5/5 (Really worth the try)
Lovely ramen and other Japanese menu, service is quick, ambiance is okay although can be really tough getting a seat, price is reasonable.







Address:

MENYA NOODLE BAR


8 Quay St Shop Tg8
Haymarket, NSW 2000

Phone: (02)9212 1020

Website: www.menya.com.au