Ramen Zundo — Restaurant in Sydney

Discrimination and profiling of people of Indian origin.

We (myself and my brother) arrived at the restaurant for dinner. A female staff member pushed us out of the door to the curb and pointed at the menu outside. "Once you have decided what you want, you can come inside". She was quite standoffish. We assumed that this might be just another restaurant with tough service and you have to order before you sit. No worries! We selected the items, paid at the register and we were then told to sit anywhere we wanted. The place was empty, with patrons on 2 tables in the inside section and 3-4 outside ones.

However, we observed that EVERYONE after us was invited to sit down first, menus brought TO THEM and few had the privilege of water brought to them; from their self-service water section. The same waitress was exceptionally welcoming and all smiles with them. In retrospect, these were all white patrons.

We called another staff to our table and asked that why were we treated as such. She apologised for the behaviour and stated that that was not their usual way. We wanted to leave quickly after this when the third waitress came and said that we 'misunderstood', there was a 'miscommunication' and she is sorry that we 'feel' this way. We clarified to her that this is not about our feelings but a factual description of what had just happened. We are dressed appropriately and were not rude or loud. Then we don't understand what's so unique about us that we were served a free entree of fresh discrimination.

The owner/chef came out and wanted to talk to us outside the restaurant. Of course, he wanted us out of his hair. He was very polite but didn't provide an explanation or a solution. He kept giving excuses that the restaurant was busy. Firstly, it was not busy and secondly, you cannot discriminate people if you're busy. We ended up explicitly telling him that they had racially profiled us. Otherwise, there is no other explanation for their discrimination.

I just hope that that waitress and your staff should experience racial discrimination and then you'd realise how hurtful and embarrassing it was for us. We are everyday Australians and this is the first time ever that this has happened to us.

I am not sure where you guys are from but in Australia, we don't disallow people to enter restaurants if they are not of our favourite skin colour. We have visited Japan on multiple occasions and we were never discriminated in that country. It's a shame that this has happened to us in a Japanese restaurant, in Australia. I am stunned with what you guys did to us. This is not becoming of a Japanese or...

Located World Square mall on George street, Zundo is an underrated ramen joint in Sydney.

With an understated and simple decor, the restaurant gives off a casual Japanese vibe. For seating, they have many small tables and some larger ones for bigger groups.

When we got there, there was a line up and waited for about 10 minutes. During the line up, we picked up the menu on the stand and beelined to the cashier who took our orders. The staff was incredibly polite, friendly and helpful. We had some dietary restrictions and they were so attentive to our specific asks.

We ordered the vegetarian ramen in shoyu (soy) broth as well as karage ramen in shoyu, shio (salt based) and miso broth. Although on the menu it says chicken and pork broth, if you don’t eat pork, you can omit the pork based broth. It was nice to see a pretty good selection for vegetarian friendly options as well.

The ramen noodle was cooked perfectly, giving a chewy and springy texture. The broth was very flavourful with a lot of depth. Our table enjoyed the soy base broth the most (don’t be intimidated by the dark soup). The shio was a little on the salty side but layered and not one note. The miso broth was rich and creamy, so if you enjoy a thicker soup, you’d enjoy this. Surprisingly, the vegetarian soy broth was just as flavourful as the chicken one. It was tasty and savoury.

If you like ramen, we highly recommend you...

📍 𝗭𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻 ⭑.ᐟ

❤︎ 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱: Craving a warm, comforting bowl of ramen on a rainy day ❤︎ 𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵: Tonkotsu Ramen Original ❤︎ 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿: Cozy solo meals, quick lunch breaks, or warming up on a chilly day ❤︎ 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲: Casual and welcoming, with friendly staff and a bustling atmosphere

I visited Zundo Ramen and ordered their Tonkotsu Ramen Original. The broth was rich and flavorful, simmered for hours to extract deep umami notes from the pork bones. It had a creamy texture that coated the noodles perfectly. The noodles themselves were thin and al dente, providing a satisfying chew with each bite.

The soft-boiled egg was a highlight—marinated to perfection, with a slightly runny yolk that added a luxurious richness to the dish. The slices of pork chashu were tender and well-seasoned, melting in the mouth and complementing the broth beautifully.

Despite the restaurant being busy, the staff were attentive and friendly, ensuring a pleasant dining experience. The warm ambiance and delicious ramen made it an ideal spot to escape the rain and enjoy a hearty...