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I've heard good things about Manpuku in Kensington, so I was excited to see that it had opened up closer to home for me and I could finally taste for myself how it stacks up to other ramen places in Sydney. The location is a bit of a walk away from the main shopping precinct, but this hasn't deterred people from coming. I've been a few times now and it's very popular especially during weekend lunchtimes - so be prepared for a short wait.
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| Manpuku gyoza - $6.90 |
Apart from ramen, there's also some tasty side dishes like takoyaki ($5.50), karaage ($5.50) or mini rice bowls. We start with the Manpuku gyoza - a pork pan-fried dumpling topped with Spanish and spring onions. On my most recent visit, this didn't seem like it was on the menu anymore, but I can attest the plain pork gyoza is just as good with a nice crispy base and a tangy dipping sauce.
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| Tonkotsu shoyu ramen - $14.50, with extra egg - $2 |
There's a few different types of soup bases to choose from, including chicken soup, pork bone tonkotsu soup, and miso. For most of the soup bases, you can also chose between salt (shio) or soy (shoyu).
The tonkotsu soup is creamy and rich but not too thick. The tonkotsu shoyu is a bit salty for my liking, but the shio version which I've had on subsequent visits, has a pleasant balance of saltiness and umami. Both come with two slices of cha shu, bean sprouts, cabbage, black fungus and a sheet of nori.
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| Shio gara ramen - $13.50, with extra egg - $2 |
