My first ever taste of Ramen! - RaRa in Redfern

Establishment: RaRa Redfern, Redfern

Cuisine: Ramen bar

Allergy information: they offer a ramen that is entirely dairy, egg, seafood and nut free but contains soy
Suggestions: edamame and vegan soy shio for a lovely full meal

I have to admit, I have never known that much about Ramen aside from the fact that it involved noodles. Being Asian, I know people sing its praises, though after a history of difficulty eating at Japanese establishments, with allergies to seafood and egg, I have become quite accustomed to tuning out a little when the topic comes up. Even now, when I end up at Japanese places, I'm still more wont to just munch on some edamame and enjoy the company. Thus far, the ignorance has been blissful enough, but it sure got turned on its head this weekend.

Not that long ago, a good friend of mine casually mentioned that they had vegan ramen at RaRa Redfern near where she and her family live and sent me a photo of the item on their menu - Vegan Soy Shio. Having never had ramen before, I was curious so we decided to try it out and made it out there last Friday. Prior to our visit, my friend kindly contacted them via their Instagram to double check that it would be safe for me to eat with all my allergies and they just as kindly answered, double checking if I may be allergic to soy or sesame. Once we were in the clear, it was all go.

As I couldn't get out to Redfern earlier than 6.30, we had to wait a little bit, but eventually we all got called in and made our orders. Once the Vegan Soy Shio came out, I have to admit, my knee-jerk nervousness at anything that looks milky kicked in immediately.

Though I love the mix of colour in this bowl!

Don't get me wrong, it looked amazing, but after years of training it takes the doubts a few extra seconds to process something that looks like milk, however my friend pointed out the big stack of Soy Milky cartons piled not too far away from our table and I pushed the worry aside to take my first taste test with a small spoonful of soup - which was delicious!

I really wasn't expecting that at all. That little sip alone was packed with flavour, so much so, that it made me more impatient than usual while I waited out my customary first few minutes in case of any reaction. My friend, who has no allergies and an excellent palate, also had a taste and agreed that it was pretty damn good. When my minutes were up and all was clear, I tucked right in and enjoyed every mouthful.

I'm not much of a food critic but that broth was beautifully rich, savoury and had a hit of spice that didn't topple this usually spice-shy eater but rather added to the overall tastiness of the dish. I was told to get into the noodles quickly as the speed at which they tend to soak up the broth would make them harder to eat if I waited too long so I did just that, clumsily chopsticking away. Honestly, the noodles, mixed in with the broth, the peppered tomato, the shallots and the seasoned bamboo, made for one of the most delicious new dishes I've had in a while.

I am already planning to return and inquire about one of the pork dishes, but for now, I would highly recommend anyone who has never tried ramen before, whether due to allergy or for lack of vegan options, or simply because you've just never tried (it happens!), to skedaddle out to Regent St in Redfern and give it a try.

Here's an option for the non-allergic folk, courtesy of my other friend's RaRa Tonkatsu.

To avoid the lines, it's best to try get there before 6pm as after that point, the crowds out in the alley start to build up pretty fast and I got to see that for myself. The place has a lively bar vibe to it while still being a good place to bring the kidlets and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. It's a slight wait as they cook each bowl fresh, but it is absolutely worth it. 

The kind of shots you get from a photography-shy wannabe blogger. Will keep trying!

Cheers RaRa for broadening my Japanese cuisine horizons!