Sydney’s ramen game is undeniably strong. From Auru in the north to the newly opened Mensho in the CBD, there’s no doubt about the quantity of top-tier ramen spots in our city.
But when it comes to abura soba, the soup-less bowl of ramen, it’s a whole other story.
Translating to “oil noodles” in English, abura soba was first popularised in 1950s Tokyo by restaurant owners abandoning broth to better keep pace with lunchtime crowds. In place of soup, the noodle shops offered chilli oil, rice vinegar and other condiments to flavour their bowls. Fast forward to the present day, and Kajiken in Haymarket is bringing in crowds of its own – the first Aussie outpost for the franchise from Nagoya, Japan, is the only joint in Sydney to hero abura soba.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWThere are Kajiken stores all over the world – from Japan to Singapore, China to New Zealand. And it’s no wonder Sydneysiders are queuing: the chain’s Michelin-recommended.
Some may think ramen without broth is a culinary controversy but without ladles of broth to hide beneath, the house-made noodles take the spotlight. Kajiken’s soba noodles are made in-house daily with a machine imported from Japan.
“They taste best two days later,” owner Jason Yu tells Broadsheet. “We actually make all the noodles and put them in the fridge set to a certain temperature and keep it for one to two days before we serve them.”
From the street window the machine can be seen mixing raw flour, a vivid yellow colouring, salt, water and kansui powder (a mix of potassium and sodium carbonate that creates a firm-yet-springy noodle). The dough is rested for a few hours before it’s refrigerated for two days before serving. These strands are thicker than traditional ramen noodles, making them better prepped to carry the sauces, oils and toppings.
The broth-less bowls typically come with your standard ramen toppings – think bamboo shoots, nori and chashu – while Kajiken is known for its variety. There’s egg served three ways (raw, lightly poached or boiled and seasoned), spicy mentaiko (fish roe) and mozzarella.
“They’re all locally sourced and we make all the toppings on site,” Yu says. “There are no processed or frozen products.”
The most popular serve is the homura, where a rich, moreish sauce backdrops minced pork, nori and bamboo shoots, with a sprinkling of noboshi (fish powder) and a perfect glistening egg yolk.
Opt for the Wagyu if you’d like pink slices of beef joined by onion sauce, yoghurt and egg, with the crunch of fried onions. And if the sauce isn’t to your taste, add vinegar, something spicy, garlic or sesame seeds from the bottle station on your table. Once your food hits the table, the team recommends mixing the noodles, sauces and toppings for 20 seconds.
There are kaki furai (breaded and fried oysters) and tako karaage (fried octopus balls) among the sides. And for dessert, a deep-fried red bean mochi taiyaki.
In the week since Broadsheet’s visit, the menu has grown with a chilli coriander abura soba that was inspired by the excellent coriander ramen at Chaco, and kinokomori abura soba for the vegetarians.
It’s been a while since Sydney has had a challenger in the ramen ring, but abura soba is already shaking things up.
Kajiken
2/605-609 George Street, Sydney
Hours:
Mon to Thu 11am–9pm
Fri & Sat 11am–10pm
Sun 11am–9pm
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