There are lots of Japanese noodle places around Sydney. Not many places I have the longing to go back. Ippudon in the city is one of them. However, with the current social isolation and the weariness of going on to the public transport for 30 minutes for a bowl of noodle, it is not that enticing.
Luckily a local joint in Randwick opposite to the Prince of Wales Hospital Barker Street entrance had opened up, and boy, it really fulfils my needs for Japanese noodle.
RaRa Randwick prides itself for selling the local Japanese street stall flavour for its noodle. Anyone who had been to Japan and visited these acclaimed local noodle cart will know that it is about that rich and thick flavour that adheres itself to the noodle and all the ingredients bathing in the soup.
At first, I had reservation as this is a high sell when it comes to Japanese noodle. However, the enthusiasm of my colleague who told me about this joint melted my scepticism so I decided to give it a go. The end result, I think I don’t really have the need to go to the city just for a good bowl of Japanese noodle anymore. For me, RaRa delivered everything it advertised and more. And man, they have Pocari Sweat on the menu! Nothing beats a good bowl of noodle with a good drowning of Pocari Sweat!
RaRa doesn’t sell a whole array of noodles. It focuses on a few, namely the Tonkotsu (pork bone), Tori (Chicken) and Vegan (well vegan) soup noodles. You can add its house black garlic and chilli to the soup and that’s about it. Also, you have a choice on how hard, elastic or soft the noodle is at the time of ordering. So, it really tries to cater to different people’s preference despite having a limited menu. However, its focuses on a few made sure that you have consistent experience with every bowl of noodle they serve. My favourite is still their classic Tonkotsu with black garlic. The black garlic added a desired fragrance and taste to the soup without overpowering it. Being the bottomless pit, as per usual I order an extra serve of noodle to go every time. From my experience, if you do so, I highly recommend you put it right into the main bowl as soon as it is served, as the noodle texture changes over time if left to cold in the side bowl. But if you put it right in at the beginning, although it looks very full in the bowl, it stays at the right texture and the right taste if you are will to give it a good mix without worrying about the presentation. The Tori version is not bad either, although I personally prefer the rich and thick flavours presented by the Tonkotsu counterpart.
RaRa is not a huge space, it has tables on either side of the bar, where the waiting staff take orders and serve drinks. Next to the U-shaped bar table is a long high table for bigger groups. At times when weather permits, they have small tables for two to three right outside the shop. I personally prefer to stay inside the cosy space, which is a fusion of a Japanese noodle shop and a modern chic design. Also, there is a huge glass panel on the left where you can see the noodles being freshly made on the day. It might be a bit gimmicky but it is still cool.
As I said previously, one of the sales for me with RaRa is the presence of Pocari Sweat. It is one of my favourite drinks and strangely enough not a lot of Japanese places serve it. It is an alkaline drink that balances your body fluid composition, especially after extensive sweating (thus Pocari ‘Sweat’). It does not taste like sweat but in fact quite delicious for me.
RaRa Randwick locates in the new Newmarket hub opposite to the Barker Street entrance of the Prince of Wales Hospital. With the current pandemic situation, probably a number of food outlets have delayed or wound back their operation. However, if you are interested you can still get takeaways from RaRa and the good thing is that they separate the soup and the noodle, so you don’t need to worry about the noodle get very soggy by the time you get home or get back to your office.
I personally have a standard appointment as a treat with the same colleague every week at RaRa now. Hopefully your experience will be identical to mine. :)
