Ryo's Noodles - Japanese Ramen from Crows Nest

Ryo's Ryo's Ryo's. All I've been hearing over the last few years is how amazing Ryo's Tonkotsu Ramen is. It's always been a bit far out of the way since I'm not a North Shore kid, and pretty much never venture past Milson's Point, but today was a day for adventure, to try something new. I've heard many good things about this small busy restaurant, and it's about time to see if it lives to what people say about it. Most of the people that rant about how amazing this place is went to either North Sydney Boys or North Sydney Girls High School, which is conveniently right next to Ryo's. If only there was some amazing cuisine near my high school whilst I was growing up!

We decided to visit roughly around 6, as my friend had heard stories that if you visit too late, you may be turned away if they've sold out of ramen. Which in my opinion is quite preposterous, if they specialise in ramen and do not have enough supply to meet demand, that's just economic inefficiency and wasted economic surplus! But away from my commerce train of thoughts, this restaurant was quite convenient to get to, a few minutes away from North Sydney towards Crows Nest. We easily found parking nearby a block down from Ryo's and walked back up. Arriving there at 6:20 PM, there was already a small line outside waiting to enter the restaurant, as visible in the photo above. As we approached the front of the line about 15 minutes later, the queue had pretty much doubled!  Guess we arrived just in time before the rush :).

Menu outside the shop, also displaying the recommendations of the restaurant from various sources, such as TripAdvisor and Good Food Guides. Chicken Soup Ramen sounds quite interesting, but seeing as I came here for the Tonkotsu (Pork Soup) that everyone talks about, maybe another day. Nothing much else really caught my eye, maybe the Fried Chicken sometime else, since I really do love my Chicken Kaarage.

Panoramic photo of the inside of Ryo's. Fairly small restaurant that felt quite authentic. Fair enough, it isn't as fancy or upmarket as Ippudo, but it has a nice homey cosy feel about it. I went with a friend, and we ended up sharing a table with another group of three people but no hassles there. However it may be problematic if you are visiting with more than a few friends, as  you may be waiting awhile until there is available space inside. 

And up on the wall, the Top 5 dishes of Ryo's, written in both Japanese and English. Guess I've never actually realised it but there are different flavours of Tonkotsu broth available. I've just always ordered the tonkotsu broth with miso paste at Ippudo, which is pretty much miso flavoured after you mix it in. After seeing the Top 5 menu hanging from the wall, we decided to try the top 2 ramens available, as well as Ryo's very own pork buns. 

Firstly on the entree, we tried the new pork bun. ($4.50). Coming from Ippudo and the talk of the town, I just had to try Ryo's version of the pork bun. Funnily enough, what I had in mind was an Ippudo-esque open ended pork belly bun but better, also costing more than Ippudo's $4 Pork Bun. What was delivered, was a Chinese Style Pork Bun, similar to a Char Siu Bao from a Chinese or Yum Cha restaurant. 

The hints of ginger were very evident in the generous amounts of pork packed into the fresh bun, providing it with a very unique flavour. Certainly better than what you'd get at most restaurants in terms of the filling generosity. However, I feel that the Ippudo buns have a bit more wow factor, in terms of texture, taste, and overall satisfaction derived from the bun. The pork bun came out at the same time as the ramen, but I guess for a small busy local restaurant like Ryo's its nothing too significant.

Finally the moment of truth; How does the Ramen of Ryo's stand up against its competition?

Ramen in Soy Sauce Flavoured Tonkotsu (Pork Soup) w/ Roast Pork, Nori, Egg and Shallots. ($13.50)

This soy flavoured tonkotsu stock was a fair lightweight and a tad salty. The Bok Choy had been cooked just enough to leave it a bit crispy, which I found quite enjoyable. The roast pork was nice and tender with a bit of melt-in-your-mouth fat, which contributes to the wholeness of the dish and leaves you wanting more. For this, an additional serving of Roast Pork slices can be order for an additional $6.50.  I feel that it is somewhat too light for my tastes, as my taste buds desire a slightly heavier broth. The dish lacked texture and depth, leaving it without the wow factor I was looking for with Ryo's noodles. But don't get me wrong, it is a very nice soy sauce Tonkotsu, however I believe that this isn't the ramen I have been looking for.

Ramen in Spicy Hot Flavoured Tonkotsu (Pork Soup) w/ Roast pork, Egg and Shallots ($13.50)

Personally, I found this spicy tonkotsu a lot more engaging and flavoursome than the soy sauce tonkotsu. It was quite a mild variation of spicy which tingled your senses without causing too much distress from the spiciness, which I found very pleasant to consume. I felt that the noodles further enriched the dish, providing a hearty medium for the spicy broth to be enjoyed upon. And don't forget the tasty soft boiled soy egg!

I am not sure if such a traditional ramen restaurant such as Ryo's can be compared against a more modernised ramen restaurant such as Ippudo, but I have heard that Ryo's provides the most accurate representation of authentic Japanese Ramen at a very reasonable price. Will also have to compare the same dishes across both restaurants to attain an accurate representation of which restaurant is truly better. Comparisons aside, I would wholehearted recommend Ryo's for those who are after a slightly lighter ramen :) Will definitely be coming back for the Spicy Tonkotsu when I have the time.

Ryo's Noodles

Address: 125 Falcon St, North Sydney NSW 2060

Phone:(02) 9955 0225

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Sunday	12:00-2:00 pm, 5:00-9:00 pm
Monday	12:00-2:00 pm, 5:00-9:00 pm
Tuesday	12:00-2:00 pm, 5:00-9:00 pm
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	12:00-2:00 pm, 5:00-9:00 pm
Friday	12:00-2:00 pm, 5:00-9:00 pm
Saturday	12:00-2:00 pm, 5:00-9:00 pm