07 June 2010

Rhamen Genki ~ Japanese Noodle Bar - Artarmon

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia
Authentic Japanese food brought to you by Sam Stosur and MC Hammerhead.

We've been out all morning hunting treasure for our bookstore, and we were feeling just a little shabby from staying out last night watching the tennis with a hundred or so very cheery ladies and a few fargone Cronulla Sharks supporters at the Golden Barley Hotel, Enmore. Miss Chicken discovered that if you ever need to get a blabbering drunken Sharkies supporter out of you face, just mention the words "MC Hammerhead." I don't know what it means, but it works. Miss Chicken wears the football pants in our house.
Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

The point is that were hungry, dehydrated and in enemy territory, ie north of the Harbour Bridge. We dropped into the little 'Japan-World' in Artarmon, next to the train station. It's a lovely little spot with two restaurants very popular with Japanese folks, a couple of Japanese mini-marts, and the Furu Hon Japansese bookstore.

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

We've been to Sushi-Ya before (excellent) so this time we try Rhamen Genki next door. It's a nice place to eat with a few tables inside and out and friendly staff.

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

Miss Chicken goes for a miso ramen set, the gyoza fried dumplings, salad and rice comes out first. All good.

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

The miso ramen is good but not great.

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

Ditto the tonkotsu ramen. The broth was ok, a great tonkontsu ramen sends me into a little dreamworld for foodnerd joy, alas this one didn't, I'm guessing it's just not their specialty. In both ramens the noodles were ok but not great, a little gluggy and beansprouty, good but not great. We left happy though not in rapture as we do from some other ramen joints. Genki Ramen is at 6 Wilkes Ave, Artarmon.

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

For sweeties head to the two little Japanese minimarts at the end of the strip. Both are great. Our favourite is Anegawa Japanese Groceries, the lady who runs the place is an absolute sweetheart and very helfpul, a great source of advice for cooking and ingredients.

Genki Japanese Noodle Bar Artarmon Sydney Australia

Today we little piggies try some Japanese cheesecake. There were two kinds, baked and cream. We went the cream: it tasted of Philly Cream Cheese and lemon, delicious.

BACK AGAIN IN JULY 2012...



We're back two years after our first visit and we've fallen in love with the place. Either our the ramen or our palettes have improved, we love this place. We love the very Japanese polite sing-song service and we love the food.

The miso ramen was excellent - not as thick and rich as some but we like it this way, it's quite a refreshing soup for a ramen.  There's plenty of noodles which are well cooked, and we like the roast pork too.



The Takana Rahmen is equally delicious. It's a spicy number with a nice chili hit and pickled mustard greens (takana) and pork. There's a fair chili wallop to this. The broth is light layers of dried chili powder and very nice veggie broth. We'll be back for this for sure.

Next time Alison will remember to ask for an egg, and Shawn will ask for no bean sprouts. And we hear the curry is good here, lots of folks were having curry tonkatsu, it looked and smelt great.



Love the Thomas the Tank engine cups used for the self service water.

Rahmen Genki on Urbanspoon

5 comments:

  1. nice review awesome pics. and btw you can hang out to Mandarin Shopping Centre along artarmon after you eat :D

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  2. the ramen doesnt do justice to this shop. the beef curry at genki ramen is a must try, my boyf is a japanese curry freak and he claims that it's one of the best he ever tried! and i cant deny that as well =)

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  3. Yes I've heard the curry is good here and we've recently developed a taste for Japanese curry, we must come back - thanks for the sticking the idea in our heads, much appreciated :-)

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  4. You should revisit this place again...the lane has become little Tokyo in lower North Shore with recent opening of Robata Jones, a good Japanese grill izakaya restaurant. The next door Sushi Taro which replaced Sushiya is also a popular spot for sushi and donburi.

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    Replies
    1. Now that's a good idea - haven't been here for years, thanks!

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Thanks for your comment joy - please keep your musings happy - if you want to complain about a restaurant please do it on a restaurant review site (or your own blog) - we're all about celebrating cultural diversity and the great eats that come along with it :-)

Our ethics: We pay for all our own meals and travel (though sometimes Mum shouts us).