Tokyo Ramen


Newly opened in Macquarie centre and a pretty cheap bang for your buck, Tokyo Ramen is the place to fill your stomach. Unfortunately I wouldn't consider it a great ramen place but it'll do if you're after something filling and cheap. 




The actual shop is quite small and is probably better handled as a take away shop rather than an eat in.
The decor of Tokyo Ramen is very street style and alludes back to authentic ramen shops in japan where you can often sit at the counter or along the street of a street side store.
Although the decor alluded to japan, it was quite tight of space and quite dark which made the crammed space feel even more pronounced.

The menu had the usual generic items: Don, Ramen and Udon. 
The prices are very reasonable at first glance and the menu seems quite broad within each section.
Ramen started at $8 and maximum around $16, the whole menu seemed to sit around $20 or under. 

Soft Shell Crab and Chashumen (Ramen with Roast Pork)
First and foremost before getting to the food, I don't exactly appreciate styrofoam cups in any establishment (even if you are just having table water) so that did not make a good impression on me. 

The soft shell crab came out nice and hot, freshly cooked and very crunchy. It was a nice start to the meal. The sauce was okay but wasn't too much to make a major taste impression, however the crab was delicious enough on its own without it.

The Ramen's pork came out in a generous serve and was very flavorsome - it really penetrated into the broth.
The ramen was served really hot which is always nice, however the soup was a bit bland and tasted mostly like the pork that infused within it than ramen broth itself. The noodles were nicely cooked but overall the soup really let it down. 

Chicken Katsu Don
Chicken Donburi is my go to dish if I'm absolutely starving: what's better than fried chicken and rice absolutely slathered in egg?!
I noticed that the egg was less of a tamagoyaki style that I'm often used to. Instead, it was just a fried egg that seemed to be a lazy afterthought. 
The donburi was quite dissappointing. The chicken was strangely sweet and egg pretty flavorless. The 'fried' egg rather than a lightly scrambled egg really made the whole bowl quite dry. 
Tempura Udon
The tempura was nicely cooked, crunchy and light with its dipping sauce, the variety of prawns and vegetables was a nice combination and serving size. 
The udon, like the other broths, was a little on the bland side,with not much flavor - but the noodles were tasty. Without the tempura though, the udon itself would also be quite disappointing. 

Overall the meal was below average but still very filling to say the least.
Considering the price (total for all 4 meals and 2 bowls of miso was $50) it was very reasonable but I feel that cost compromised for the flavor. 
The portions were large and the service was lovely and overall the establishment was very cheap.
If you're happy to settle on generic ramen for a full belly on the cheap then Tokyo Raman would be for you. 
I may give Tokyo Ramen another go in the future but for now it's not on the top of my "must go back" list. 

Let me know if you've had a different or similar experience at Tokyo Ramen!

Tokyo Ramen on Urbanspoon xx. 



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