Noodle Lover’s Awesome Sydney Ramen Adventure – Gogyo Surry Hills (4/7)

I’ve been in Sydney for exactly a week by the time I visited Gogyo Surry Hills, which was one of the stores that kept showing up on my Google search results when searching for best ramen in Sydney. As I headed down to Gogyo (which I’ll be referring to from now on for brevity’s sake), my mind’s ready but my body decide to send an opposite message instead.

Possibly due to my body not used to the arid air in Sydney’s winter, I developed a sore throat which thankfully subsided a fair bit in a few days, thanks to effective sore throat gargle that made the pain more bearable to deal with. But before the recovery process kicked in, my throat has to undergo some pain which affected my appetite, so my assessment of Gogyo may not be the fairest in this visit. You have been warned.

Regardless, nothing shall stop a noodle lover from enjoying what they do. So Gogyo Surry Hills I went. Thankfully, it was walking distance from my hostel.

As indicated by the store front, Gogyo Surry Hills serves mainly Hakata-style ramen, which is best known for their thin noodles in tonkotsu broth. This is also the style that is popular amongst many Singaporeans, with many ramen stores in Singapore following suit to meet supply and demand.

A brief history of Gogyo Surry Hills

When I first found out about Gogyo, I admittedly didn’t do much research about its origins prior to my visit, thinking it was another trendy ramen store set in a nice neighbourhood. But upon further digging, apparently Gogyo is owned and led by Ippudo’s founder Shigemi Kawahara all the way back in 2003. Unlike the flagship franchise’s focus with ramen as the main star, Gogyo’s focus leans towards a bar-like atmosphere, offering alcoholic drinks and hefty sides that elevates the ramen scene to a more sophisticated level. Judging by the store’s cozy interior, I’d say they did a good job selling this additional component to their customers.

Contemporary or not, ramen is still ramen at the end of the day. For me to best assess ramen, I would be providing my critique based on how well they prepare the simplest dish, in this case, their Kogashi Miso ramen. No frills, no distractions, just a simple bowl of ramen right in front of me to taste. That’s how I roll.

I visited Gogyo at their early opening hours, with only a few customers present as I was led by a server to a counter seat. From where I was seated, I was mesmerized by how spacious their kitchen looked like in full view, and I was given the privilege to witness the ramen chef preparing my meal as I waited patiently.

It took me a while to choose what to have for brunch, and I eventually settled on their regular Kogashi Miso alongside their Portobello Mushroom Tempura. I’m a total sucker for mushrooms when I see them offered in restaurants, and just testing the waters to see if it complements well with the ramen. As always, I gave my order to the server and with some time to kill, all I did was to drink some water and admire the kitchen and the interior.

Taste Test – Kogashi Miso (AUD23) + Portobello Mushroom Tempura (AUD5)

The first thing that grabbed my attention was a slightly burnt smell emitted from my bowl, even before the bowl was placed on my counter. Upon seeing how dark the broth is, it definitely has a very charred flavour and it was only taking my first sip of the broth that I realize that this was a miso-based ramen rather than a shoyu-based one. As expected from Hakata-style ramen, their noodles were firm, with its hardness feeling al dente like pasta. Still, I was able to finish the noodles as quickly as I slurped.

The broth had a pretty sweet aftertaste thanks to the use of chopped onions and like most miso used in ramen in Australia, it compounds the sweetness even more. Combined with the milder taste of the noodles, the broth was effective in blending with the noodles that made it taste more aromatic than by itself.

Now, this is where I feel like this is the dish’s weakest link and where the bowl falls short in my opinion: the toppings.

I try to find some positives in whichever bowl I encounter, but I was a little letdown with how lackluster the toppings were, holding back the kogashi miso’s potential to be better than it is. The thin slices of chashu was off to a disappointing start, and compared to the other ramen I’ve ate before Gogyo, it was pretty dry even when submerged with the broth. The rest of the toppings were ‘just there’, with so many ingredients competing for my attention throughout my meal that I was somewhat overwhelmed by the time I was halfway through the bowl.

For my side, perhaps it would be nice if there was some sauce, like Japanese mayo or chili sauce provided to dip the portobello mushroom tempura onto. While I appreciate the spring onions, it wasn’t enough to save it. That said, I have myself to blame for making some questionable choices that I may not be happy about upon hindsight. Perhaps I should have ordered their gyoza or their karaage instead even if my throat hurts like hell at this point in this trip but I dunno, I just wished the mushrooms or the batter were seasoned better at the very least.

Personal insights

Maybe I’m judging this bowl of ramen a tad too harshly with the worsening of my sore throat. I could have visited Gogyo when my throat’s feeling better on another day but time was my greatest enemy. Despite raising these issues, it certainly nails the main features of Hakata ramen, and if I didn’t know that this was an offshoot of Ippudo, then it definitely emulates that particular style very well. If you don’t mind having plenty of toppings in your ramen supported by a multi-layered tasting broth, then Gogyo’s a good fit to satiate your cravings.

Before making my way to the Sydney Fish Market to look at the fishes and creatures that used to live under the sea, I was in need of answer nature’s calls. Fortunately, Gogyo has a toilet of their own and what a way to end my visit. It was super clean, super fragrant, and best of all, super calming thanks to its warm ambience and homely deco. Makes me hard to believe I was at a ramen store for a moment there.

What’s next?

I know I’ve been complaining about my throat quite a bit in this post, and I apologize to anyone who might be tired of me rambling about it. Well, we’re all human at the end of the day. And in that instance, I thought, perhaps chicken soup could be the solution to my problems.

I mean, it’s a tried-and-tested dish that cure upper respiratory tract infections well such as irritated throats, coughs and congestion. Not to mention the heavenly combination of putting chicken soup and noodles together…wait, that’s it.

For any ramen enthusiasts who has gotten up to this point in this series, you would know which store I’m talking about. You know the one…

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Location of Gogyo Surry Hills

Address: 52-54 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Opening Hours:

• Sunday to Tuesday, 11.30am to 2pm, 5pm to 8pm
• Wednesday, 11.30am to 2pm, 5pm to 8.30pm
• Thursday, 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5pm to 8.30pm
• Friday & Saturday, 11.30am to 2pm, 5pm to 9pm