SHOJIN Ramen, Ippudo

SHOJIN Ramen, Ippudo

Ippudo may have only brought their Ramen revolution to Sydney diners recently, but it was first established in Japan back in 1985, expanding to over eighty stores at last count. Since opening in New York in 2008, it has spread globally with stores now in Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, China and London. With the unbelievable response to the Westfield store in Sydney, a second outlet has now opened in Central Park.

I was invited specifically to try the SHOJIN vegetarian ramen ($15), a dish with absolutely nowhere to hide, with a simple broth made from vegetable extracts and whole grain noodles. The old saying, “less is more”, springs straight to mind here, as the lovely flavour nuance of the broth carries the dish, with the noodles cooked just far enough to provide a subtle, but perfect textural counterpoint. It is executed so well, in my opinion, the deep-fried kakiage is not required. There maybe more popular ramen choices on the menu, but I would return for this dish alone.