KOKORO TOKYO MAZESOBA - SYDNEY — Restaurant in Sydney

Kokoro Mazesoba - Simple, but is it enough ?

On a sunny Friday, Kokoro Mazesoba opened its doors for the first time. We arrived curious and hungry, eager to try a style of soba still unfamiliar to Sydney’s noodle scene. The Zenbu Mazesoba: “the works” landed in front of us, complete with pork belly, bamboo shoots, soy-marinated egg with a runny yolk delicately placed to the side, and a few strips of nori to round it out. Out of pure gourmandise, I added the seaweed-seasoned fries to the order.

But the 25-minute wait on opening day dulled the sparkle. The fries arrived cold and under seasoned—an underwhelming start for a place with so much hype. When the soba finally appeared, I reached for the chirirenge, the ramen spoon, slightly puzzled by its presence given the broth-light style of the dish. Still, I mixed in the yolk, stirred gently, and took my first bite.

It was… fine. Interesting textures, gentle flavours, but no moment of revelation. The dish was lukewarm, and while there was balance, it lacked the heartiness or soul that warms you from the inside. Like a promising candidate at a job interview, Kokoro showed potential, but didn’t quite convince me it was ready for the role...

Strangely enough, it was the spoon that ended up justifying its place. By the end, as the noodles gave way to a slurry of sauce, egg, and toppings, the chirirenge was the only way to enjoy what remained.

Overall, Kokoro Mazesoba offered a glimpse of something fresh and promising. But as with all things minimalist, there’s a fine line between refined and forgettable. Simplicity only sings when the fundamentals strike the right...

Tokyo Mazesoba was a bowl of thick noodles drizzled with a shoyu sauce and topped with scallions, seaweed, seasoned pork & beef mince, then finished with a wobbly onsen egg.

Mixing everything together resulted in an umami-rich tangle of pleasantly chewy noodles coated in creamy egg and pieces of meat. A heavy dash of vinegar and chilli powder cut the richness and rounded out the flavours.

I also tried the gyoza which were juicy and well-seasoned with a thin skin. Not super crispy but still good.

There's a $3 discount for takeaway which is generous. Only five mazesoba options were available when we visited on Tues 12pm. Unsure why but the lady explicitly confirmed that it was not a takeout vs dine-in issue.

Be aware that vinegar and chill powder are not automatically included with takeaway orders, nor was it mentioned by staff. We had to borrow the vinegar bottle from one of the dine in tables and add it to our takeaway bowls directly. A friend who got takeaway later didn't even realise that vinegar was an option, which is a shame as it is a key component of the dish. At the very least, they should have common bottles at the collection point with sauce containers.

Service was pretty slow but hopefully it will improve in due course. Would def revisit, hoping all the other mazesoba options will be...

One of Tokyo’s most famous mazesoba spots has landed in Sydney! 🍜✨ With a 10-year award in Japan, they’re serving up rich, authentic flavours you can watch being made in their open kitchen — the ambience feels just like Japan 🇯🇵

✨ Must-tries: 🥢 Zenbu Mazesoba – smoky chashu, spicy minced pork & beef, egg yolk, bamboo shoot, seaweed, garlic, fish powder & kokoro noodles. 🥢 Niku Mazesoba – slow-braised chashu, spicy minced pork & beef, egg yolk, seaweed, garlic, fish powder & kokoro noodles. 🥢 Mentai Cream Mazesoba – creamy mentai sauce, chashu, egg yolk, seaweed, garlic, fish powder & kokoro noodles. 🔥 NEW! Beef Sukiyaki Mazesoba – tender sukiyaki beef, spicy minced pork & beef, egg yolk, seaweed, garlic, fish powder & kokoro noodles.

Mix well before eating for that umami bomb! 💥

📍Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba 225 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia

#sydneyeats #sydneyfoodie #japanesefoodsydney #mazesoba #sydneyrestaurants #michelin #sydneyfoodscene #foodstagram #eatsydney #sydneycafe #sydneybrunch #sydneyjapanese #japanesefood #sydneyfoodshare #sydneyfoodies #sydneyfoodbloggers #sydneyfoodguide #brunchinsydney #sydneyinfluencer #sydneyinfluencers #sydneyjapanesefood #sydneysoba #japanesefoodlover #sashimi #sydneyramen #newinsydney #justopened #tokyofood...