Review: Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

So, after hearing all about the EPIC ramen at Gumshara in the Eating World Food Courts here, here and here, there was little I could do to control my urges and take a visit myself....and drag a few friends along while I'm at it.

I may just be reiterating what everyone already knows, but for those who don't - the pork stock used here is made from 120kg of pork bones and water bubbled for seven days! The store prides itself in its MSG-free stock, and the end result is a stock that comes out rich and thick with collagen.

Trust me when I say that your skin will say thank you afterwards.


On the down side, it may have just been the night we went to visit, but Dixon Street Food Court was emanating with a strange odour which made the eating experience somewhat less pleasant than what it should be. It was also quite busy on the night, and tables were simply not being cleared fast enough for the number of people there.

Nevertheless, we were there for the ramen, and ramen we got.

Hakata Style Ramen - $8.50

Luckily I had run into a fellow Japanese high school friend JP who gave me a little guidance as to what I should try at Gumshara. Apparently Hakata is a region in Fukuoka which has developed its own version of Ramen which features the milky and rich pork broth (tonkotsu broth) with thin noodles.

JP had warned beforehand that the ramen here at Gumshara would taste distinctively less salty than what most Sydneysiders are used to thanks to the likes of Ichiban and Ryo's. If I were to put the three on a spectrum from least salty to most, it would go something along the lines of Gumshara - Ryo's - Ichiban (a place which I have to eat ramen with an extra bottle of water on the side).

*jiggle jiggle*

The stock was thick, but not as sticky as I expected it to be. I have a strange feeling that it was a bad luck of the draw on the night, as I gave it the leave-it-still-for-5 minutes-and-see-if-a-skin-forms test, but to no avail.

On the bright side the pork was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth. They were sweet and ridiculously tender in an I-can't-believe-it's-not-butter fashion. The soft boiled eggs ($1.50) which I added to my bowl was also spot on, and my only beef with it is that I didn't get enough of it.

Tonkotsu Ramen - $8.50

The ramen here is very soft and slippery - and lots of slurping gets involved in the process. AY tried his luck at ordering the Pork Spare Ribs Noodles ($13, only 10 bowls per day) and unfortunately missed out. Considering the fact that we were there way past 7:30pm, I must say I was actually rather relieved that there was none left - if you get my drift.

It's also another excuse to come and revisit.


Gumshara Ramen
Shop 209, 25-29 Dixon Street
Haymarket, NSW
Tel: (02) Does anyone know?