Ramen or Udon? The age old question and definitely a relationship deal breaker. Udon, while still hugely enjoyed, is less popular to its noodle brother ramen and for questionable reasons. Perhaps Sydney just hasn't been exposed to the great offerings that udon can bring; probable considering the number of top ramen restaurants compared to udon joints around town. I will forever be a ramen person - 2 bowls a day in Japan still didn't make me sick. But sometimes, I gotta give its less appreciated sibling some love as well. We got your back, udon.
Marukame Udon specialises in sanuki udon, characterised by its square shape and flat edges, in a self-service style restaurant. Order your udon, watch the chefs boil noodles fresh for you and into a bowl, pick your sides and extras and pay at the end like a cafeteria; talk about efficiency! I love watching chefs pull and tug at noodles, working their magic to create something so delicious - it's an amazing sight.
There's a huge variety of toppings and sides, everything you could possible want to go with your big bowl of noodles. Fried chicken, prawn/fish/chicken/vegetable tempura, croquettes and even inari! The portions are quite generous as well making it all the more easier to share a few different sides with your partner.
Sesame Chicken Tempura $2.90 and Curry Croquet $1.90
Teriyaki Chicken $3
The sesame chicken and croquette were a bit of a let down, mainly because they were quite cold and dry. The sesame chicken didn't have much seasoning and the croquette had no taste of curry, a real shame :-( The teriyaki chicken was tasty though, grilled in a lovely sauce that made it sticky with a subtle sweetness.
Kake Udon with beef $7.90
In the simplest forms of udon, you have kake udon - a mildly flavoured broth usually made of daishi, shoyu and mirin. Additionally toppings can be added to enhance the flavours, but usually just topped off with scallions. Marinated beef was added to this version that Rvr had, which he quickly devoured as soon as I took the photo...
Kimchi Pork Udon $7.90?
Ok, kimchi isn't 'traditionally' Japanese (ok, it's not Japanese at all) but the tang and spice from the kimchi lifts the taste and makes it that much better. The noodles were springy and had that lovely bounce texture that makes slurping udon so enjoyable, and since slurping noodles in Japan shows the enjoyment of food then I must be one happy customer. I also topped it with a heaping of tempura flakes for that extra crunch!
I've heard it gets quite busy during lunch hours, so if there are lot of bottoms seated downstairs then there's also an upstairs dining area. While I don't think we'll be seeing a 'traditional' udon restaurant in Sydney any time soon, Marukame Udon comes close second for our quick and simple udon needs. And if nothing else, the prices are incomparable; it's ridiculously cheap (and gets you full!) in an growingly expensive city. The service is quick and efficient with their self-service style set up (similar to Menya Mappen) which makes this place flavourable to students and family alike.
Labels: food