Irasshaimase (いらっしゃいませ) ! That's a phrase you've probably heard often when eating at a Japanese restaurant, shouted above the sounds of the kitchen and buzz of diners by single or multiple sushi chefs as new patrons enter through the door. It means 'welcome', but what you probably didn't know is that it's also common for shop employees in Japan to greet customers with the same phrase, which is what we experienced on holiday there last year. It isn't always expected and welcoming, though, - on many occasions we witnessed retailers saying (or sometimes even shouting) it spontaneously while patrolling the aisles of their shops, perhaps to remind customers that they are there to help. But only in Japan.


Enter Goshu Ramen Tei, a hole-in-the-wall Japanese ramen joint up near the Wynyard Park end of Wynyard Station (York St exit) in the heart of Sydney. You don't hear Irasshimase upon entering (most of the seating is outside), but it does have that authentic Japanese ramen stall-style feel. On this busy weekday, it's lunchtime and we notice that all the tables are occupied, full of both small and larger groups of predominantly office workers chowing into comforting bowls of homey Japanese food. Next door to this eatery is another aptly named noodle restaurant called Ramen Condor, and you may be forgiven for mistaking one for the other. Today, however, it seems that Goshu Ramen Tei is the more popular of the two.



Ramen is the specialty dish here, as hinted by the name, and a range of rice dishes (Don), Udon, Teppanyaki and Bento are on the menu too, as well as tempting Japanese curry and rice sets. Most of the seating is outdoors on simple wicker chairs and wooden tables, although there are a couple of cosier tables inside around the corner from the kitchen. Because of the wind tunnels in the city, sitting outside at lunch (or dinner) can get a bit chilly, so a thoughtful touch is added by the cosy, plush, red blankets draped over the arm of every few chairs. We wait for no more than five minutes before a table becomes free for us, and after that the Japanese waiters are quick and efficient with service. As we wait we watch as multiple bowls of steaming hot ramen pass us by on the way out of the kitchen to eager diners around us. Mmm...


The first thing that arrives is gyoza, a small plate of 6 dainty, perfectly coloured dumplings accompanied by a vinegar-soy sauce concoction. They are crisp and tasty upon first bite, and are tasty with not too much nor too little filling.



Next is the chicken teriyaki bento box. The attractive thing about Goshu is that when ordering a bento you are able to pick and choose the options to your taste and budget - some come with a main dish, salad, agedashi tofu and miso, and others with added dishes such as sashimi or tempura (or both) and wagyu steak. You can even swap the tofu for edamame, or opt for fried rice instead of boiled. The serving is generous, with the chicken moist and plentiful cut in small manageable pieces mixed with capsicum on top of a pile of crispy noodles. The sashimi is fresh and thick, and the agedashi has a nice batter but is a little bit cold.




Ramen time. The chicken teriyaki ramen has a soy soup base - my personal favourite soup style as I find it's not as heavy or rich as the tonkotsu or miso base but still just as tasty. Sometimes referred to as Tokyo-style ramen, the one I order has to be the best soy-based ramen I've ever had (well, so far..). The soup is deep and rich, with a large pile of squiggly, egg-yellow noodles swimming about in amongst bean sprouts, slivers of shallot and corn topped with a sprinkling of deep fried shallots. This is just enough to make be conmpletely satisfied, a good serving size with lots of bite-sized pieces of tasty, tender chicken.