The Ramen Shop (191 Riddiford Street, Newtown)

Finally, an excuse to go to The Ramen Shop (not that I should need an excuse, but I will happily take one!). Needing a quick meal before heading off to No Lights No Lycra (give it a go if you haven’t already), The Ramen Shop seemed like an appropriate stop. I’d heard a bit about it; it entered a burger into the Burger Welly competition for Wellington on a Plate, and it used to be a pop-up ramen shop until just a few years ago. With a series of long wooden tables (canteen style), a window seat and then a few smaller tables, The Ramen Shop had a very communal feel about it. Everything was affordable but still looked delicious. After making my order I took my spot at one of the long wooden tables and settled back to enjoy the scene. Looking around, I could see (and hear) people slurping from their bowls in every direction and scooping up their noodles with chopsticks. There were people of all ages, including two children who looked like they were those of the owner. The food certainly didn’t take long to come. We had ordered steamed buns with pork, which actually came out more bao style (sliced with filling, as opposed to a whole bun with a filled centre). Those were delicious, as was my pork belly ramen. Although the chicken karaage itself was tasty, the broth that it came in tasted a bit too much like fish for my liking. There were lots of other snacks on the menu, which I would love to try given the opportunity.