Ramen Ya, Melbourne

Highlight – Decent prices for the CBD

Lowlight – Noodles were quite average

Charshu Ramen

Chicken Katsu

FOOD?

After an intense half a day of shopping we decided to take a break for lunch at Melbourne’s GPO. By this point we were starving as we didn’t eat much for breakfast. I opted for the popular house special, Charshu Tonkotsu Ramen. The charshu slices were very thin and tender but too bad there was so little of it. Noodles reminded me of Maggi noodles but I was super hungry so managed to finish it all. The broth was tasty and helped keep me warm from the chilly winds outside.

As my fiancé usually orders the ramen he decided to try the Chicken Katsu Bento Box for a change. The batter of the chicken was well seasoned and there was a generous amount of katsu sauce and kewpie mayo. The rest of the dish was filled with standard bento box items, gyoza dumplings, salad and rice.

SERVICE?

Orders are made at the counter and customers are free to sit wherever they please with their table number. Meals were delivered relatively quickly after ordering although there was a slight mix up in our orders where they delivered two bento boxes to us instead of one.

AMBIENCE?

Not much ambience, customers are mainly there to eat and go. There are a handful of communal tables outside and some indoor seating if you’re lucky.

VALUE?

Well priced for a restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD with most items around the $10 mark. Regulars can obtain a loyalty card where if you buy nine ramen meals you receive the tenth one free.

BOOKINGS?

At the GPO restaurant, bookings are only accepted for dinner. It can get quite busy during lunchtime on weekdays. The Bourke Street chain allows bookings for both lunch and dinner.

out of 10!

Ramen Ya
Shop 25G, Melbourne’s GPO, 350 Bourke  Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9654 5838 

Shop 9, The Paramount, 108 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9662 1001 

The Hardware Sociéte, Melbourne

Highlight – Delectable CBD brunch spot

Lowlight – No bookings policy

Croque Madame

Baked eggs with chorizo, tomatoes, spinach

FOOD?

To start off our day in the city we decided to grab some brekky before our full day of shopping. At first we attempted to visit Mr Tulk but unfortunately due to it being a Sunday it was closed. Hardware Societe was somewhat close so we decided to give that a go.

When we first approached I was weary about the patrons waiting outside but decided to put our name on the list anyway. The waitress informed us the wait would be around 10-15 minutes so we decided to wait it out since it was too cold to walk elsewhere. I ordered a coffee to keep me warm and by the time it arrived our table was ready.

I’m a fan of the Croque Monsier and Madame trend at cafes. My dining companion mentioned she had not tried one before so I encouraged her to give it a go. The toast was warm and crunchy filled with salmon and melted gruyere cheese topped with a glossy sunny-side up fried egg.

I tried the hearty baked eggs with lots of chorizo, tomatoes and spinach. It was the perfect hot meal for the first week of Winter. Just a few comments though, I know it adds to the taste but I would have preferred my bread without the drenching in olive oil. And there was probably a bit too much cooked egg yoke for my liking, it would have been nice if it were runnier to add to the dipping sauce.

SERVICE?

We were seated at the bar stools facing the small kitchen area and were surprised to see only two cooks churning out the meals. They were both very systematic in their processes and delivered the food efficiently.

AMBIENCE?

Cute bustling cafe that’s constantly full of people indulging in delicious food and deep conversation. Seats are situated quite close together so there is little space between tables allowing for sneaky eavesdropping. There’s also a large share table at the back of the room.

VALUE?

Very affordable and good value for money considering the city location.

BOOKINGS?

Bookings and credit cards are not accepted here. We waited around 10-15 minutes for our table on Sunday for brunch which I felt was quite reasonable.

out of 10!

The Hardware Societe
118-120 Hardware Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9078 5992