Mensho Tokyo Ramen Sydney — Restaurant in Sydney

Some mixed feelings here. I so wanted to be able to give it 5 stars, but I just can't.

The price: Upfront, I am going to point out that the price here is unlike any other ramen place in Sydney, charging well upwards of 30 dollars per bowl.

The queue: Is insane at the moment - likely due to it being new and also exploding thanks to TikTok/IG influencers. I got there about 15 mins before opening and there were 10 groups already ahead of me. I also still saw people queueing up later at 9:30pm - despite it being quite the rainy night.

The queue is decently managed - there's a dedicated staff member sending people in, and tracking who is in the queue. It's probably as good as it gets without there being a phone number queue which is most effective as it allows people to move away and not disrupt the sidewalk and other businesses. I suppose having a visible queue helps generate hype though....

The service: is pretty standard for what you'd expect in 2024. There's QR code ordering (which some people love but I hate... service fees/surcharges, easy target for phishing, having to dig up card details, etc.) and little staff interaction besides when you walk in/out, although you can call someone over to assist with identifying what to order, and they're decently proactive with refilling water and clearing dishes. I'd place it being a bit better than RaRa, but not at the level of places like TenTo.

The vibe: The entrance feels grand - you walk up some stairs with some nice decor and someone welcomes you up the top - the inside dining area is pretty standard for a ramen place.

The food: I'm reviewing some vegetarian items here - if you're less interested about the vegetarian side of things, this review might not be for you.

I ordered the macadamia tantanmen ($34) with added ajitsuke tamago ($4.50) and mushrooms ($2.50). I'd say the serving size was recently generous.

The added egg was nice, with the right firmness and the correct gooey texture to the middle, although it needed a touch more saltiness to it. However, at $4.50, it's easily the most expensive ramen egg I've seen.

The noodles themselves were brilliant, with the right bounciness to them and allowing you to slurp up the flavour.

The broth itself leaves me feeling mixed. While it certainly had a nice creamy and nutty flavour, it was definitely on the salty side (unlike its accompanying egg), and didn't really allow the chilli oil or Szechuan spiced to shine through. I'm normally the type of person that finishes their ramen broth, but I could not here. I think I definitely preferred the tantanmen broth at Lonely Mouth before they closed.

The toppings were decent, and the macadamia paired well with the dish - however, I really struggled to find the roasted tomato (was it forgotten??), and that mushroom which I paid $2.50 for? I only found 4 pieces of mushroom in my entire bowl.

(I'm also a bit biased because I love bok choy but I feel bok choy could've paired really well with this tantanmen).

I would like to say I'd come back very often for the ramen, but it definitely wasn't worth what I paid for it, even without the additions. I'm sure I'll be back eventually once the queues disappear, and perhaps it not being mind-blowing is a good thing for my bank account.

The vegan fried chicken ($10) I got was pretty nice, and I certainly left feeling fairly full thanks to the reasonable portion size of the ramen, but I do feel like there could have been a bit more 'chicken' at that price point. The 'chicken' is actually just well coated mushrooms, and I definitely enjoyed them. It's not KFC-style by any means but it's certainly delicious. They come paired with togarashi and a slice of lemon, although I feel like it wouldn't hurt to have some form of sauce/aioli instead.

I'd say the place is worth checking out if you're okay with spending a little for a special occasion - although I'm wondering why the prices are so much higher than the Melbourne location: the COL difference isn't that much - and I'm hoping we get to see their take on a vegan shio ramen...

TL;DR Poor quality/quantity for price and wait time.

Wouldn't come back unless something has drastically changed.

Only highlights was the small piece of Duck Chashu which had a very unique taste and the hot broth.

$100 for 2 ramens and a side with 1 hour queue time, if the quality was amazing I wouldn't mind the wait time and the steep price but it just didn't match up.

We had the Toripaitan/Lobster Bisque/Corn Wings.

-- Queue/Wait Time -- After entering the store which was literally 1/3 empty we wondered why such a long queue even existed, but we soon realised their kitchen cant keep up as the wait time for the ramen from ordering to table was quite long up to 30 minutes which we found a bit excessive for ramen for the amount of staff that existed behind the counter + small variety on the menu.

-- Service -- QR code ordering, nothing special there, apart from the non explicit CC surcharges.

No small plates provided for Sides, normally if the ramen came out soon after the Side I wouldn't complain but given the long wait time from the Side coming out to ramen this wasn't a very good experience.

Also the time between ramens coming out for the table was long, should be timed better so ideally everyone gets their ramen around the same time.

-- Food -- Corn Wings (Side): Bit pricey at $9 but given inflation, acceptable, was tasty.

Lobster Bisque Ramen: Absolutely not worth the price for the quality/quantity served. If the quality/quantity was up to scratch then wouldn't mind the price.

1/ Broth had an extremely over powering sour taste which brought out a bad fishiness. 2/ Lobster was overcooked and chewy, literally struggled to bite it apart. 3/ At the end found two overcooked scallops at the bottom of the bowl that tasted like dried scallops (should've been placed on top) 4/ Added extra Pork chashu, was razor thin 2mm tasted a bit like ham rather than chashu (might just be my preference) 5/ Portion size of noodles was also quite small, probably comparable to slightly less than a pack of instant noodles. 6/ Noodles were a bit odd, texture and taste was like undercooked buckwheat noodles

Toripaitan Ramen: OK, but for the price vs quantity not great.

Only amazing experience from this was the small piece of Duck Chashu which gave us a taste we've never experienced before with Duck so honestly this felt like a signature they can use. Also the broth was hot enough.

1/ Broth is decent but we've had some better broths, even in Sydney. The truffle paste didn't really make the broth better or worse. So unsure of that bit. 2/ Again chashu was razor thin 3/ Portion size same as above slightly less than a pack of instant noodles. 4/ Noodle texture...

This is by far one of my top choices for ramen in Sydney. I came across this place from some of the social media features and no regrets visiting Mensho!

I have been here 3x, and without fail, each time, it is still so good. My go-to is the Signature Toripaitan, which without fail delivers authentic fantastic meals for me each time. The broth is out of this world for me. It is amazingly flavoursome with a great depth of flavour, especially with the truffle past in the broth that comes through beautifully. It is not overly rich or oily, which makes it a pleasure to consume from start till the end. Love the fact that there is a sufficient amount of proteins along with the noodles that are always cooked just right. The fried enoki as a topping is a nice touch.

Highlights & tips: This place is only walk-ins. For all the times I have been to Mensho, there is always a queue. It starts at the entrance of Temperance Lane on George St. A staff member will be there to guide where to queue and to wait. On cold nights, they have a Thermos of hot tea that they serve to patrons waiting in line. The staff will inform when a table is available and patrons will need to walk down Temperance Lane and up the stairs. I didn't take note if there was a lift to head up to the restaurant, which was located on the first floor. Orders can be placed through a scanned QR code or through the staff. They accept both cash and card. If the restaurant is crowded, it can be a bit of a wait for the ramen, but it is not too long of a wait. Tables can be quite close to each other and large groups will find it very hard to dine together at this place. Staff are generally friendly and helpful. Decor is tasteful, warm lighting and welcoming. There is counter/ bar seats and table seating as well. The ramens are definitely on a pricier end compared to other ramen places, but for the quality, it is worth it.

It is worth giving this place a go if you are thinking about it. I would come back here again for my...