chaco ramen

authentic as it gets. this japanese izakayabarreminds me of japan. 

their gyoza ($8) was one of the best around, along with the dipping sauce - not just ponzu!

the fat soy ($14) was also excellent - just the right balance of all the flavours! you can also choose how much backfat you want in the bowl!

i really enjoyed their fish salt ramen and would definitely return to try their cha shu rice ball ($5) and onigiri ($5). chacobarhas won my ramen lovin' heart! so check them out!

despite not having tried the more unique offerings at chaco ramen, what i did have was more than enough to convince me that any item on the menu would be worth my while. although their recipes may be far from traditional, there was an unmistakable respect for, and understanding of the ingredients that was clearly evident, resulting in bowls of ramen that were not only delicious, but also tasted right. as big of a call as this may sound, but chacobarmay be tied for first with rara as my favourite ramen-ya.

my dear guorium🧪 booked this japanese skewerbarone day before for celebrating 🥳 our first 1/2 anniversary!

when i enjoyed the lovely, warm and sold light atmosphere, i was dreaming about i was in japan. — we did ask the waitress if we can get a larger place, and she kindly refuse my request. —so, we faced the ugly wall for whole night.

the food, generally is over-seasoning! i would say i am into the texture, but every single skewer is either too sweet or too salty... and then i feel they are overpriced. however, gyoza 🥟 is the best among all the fried dumplings i tried in sydney, but the best fried dumplings i tried worldwide is in beijing, called ‘wuming panfried dumplings”

i don’t know why they are so probably... it’s soo congested inside and because the open kitchen and so close to the dinning room, funny kitchen smell left on guo’s sweater.

i gonna show you the real sichuan chuan chuan when you are in my hometown and then you will know how fantastic that even chuan chuan can be cooked in several ways!

gyoza is to die for!

venue:
tiny ramenbarwith communal table on crown street.

service:
awesome, they give sometimes for you to decide even though i came just before lunch service ended at 2 pm, and they tell you special on the wall is available only for dinner.

food & drink:

gyoza :
recommended! house made and serves 4 pieces.
trust me you will come back for this gyoza.

yuzu scallop:
i never had such and interesting ramen like this in my life.
the both is super yummy, the combination all together is making sense, love the black fungus in the broth.
the dory dumpling was smooth and delicate!
for me the scallop a little bit chewy, because of the side muscle is still intake, but then again it’s only my opinion.

chacobarconcocts new and exciting ramen flavours. however, ramen is only available at night on mondays and no reservations. we ended up waiting for about 1.5 hrs and that was for 4 people. the ramen wasn’t worth the wait, at least open up another ramen night or make reservations available so customers can book.

*note* prices on the website and zomato appeared to be less than the menu we got in person. overall, quite expensive and i felt the broths needed more depth in flavour but if you like a more unique broth then give chacobara try but be prepared for the long queue!

ordered:
•karaage chicken ($13) - friends said it was delicious

•gyoza 6pcs ($14) - plump & meaty filling of gyoza, good but expensive for 6pcs

•fat soy ramen ($18) - you can choose the level of fat for the pork back fat & we chose “normal” which was just right - needed more depth of flavour

•yuzu scallop ramen ($19) - definitely the most interesting ramen broth i’ve had, the yuzu gave it that tangy-ness that i wasn’t used to but my friend thought it was a refreshing taste

•fish salt ramen ($18) - light broth for those who prefer lighter broths - i liked this one

•yuzu rum cocktail ($15) - i liked yuzu in the rum and it was a nice and refreshing drink

will be back for:
+ egg custard
+ chef’s 6 skewers

this is an intimate littlebarthat will not be out of place in yakitori lane in tokyo. yakitori’s were well grilled, and had great charcoal flavours. i particularly liked the chicken wing, lamb shoulder and chicken crackling. the egg custard was smooth, the fish perfectly moist, and had a great truffle essence through the dish - delicious. a hot green tea in this case, rounded off the meal well on a cold winters night. service was great and polite but a little slow on a packed night - understandable in this case. will be back to try the ramens!

chacobaris seriously amazing! really wanted to try their famous uni wagyu but they didn’t have it that day. their kim chi rice + bone marrow was a bit overrated though! the duck with egg yolk was honestly sooooo good! the prices at chacobarwasn’t too bad too! definitely need to try out their ramen one day!

chacobaris that tiny hipster yakitoribarwhich is featured in virtually every food guide and stamped as one of the “best japanese restaurants” in sydney. australians’ adoration for japanese cuisine is understandable but the standard of japanese dining in sydney is at most rudimentary and pale in comparison to other cities like melbourne, singapore, hong kong or taipei.

i ordered three yakitoris (chicken skin, thigh and pork belly). the yakitoris were considerably cheaper than tokyo bird’s but still expensive at $5-6. the skewered meats were “grilled over charcoal” but did not have any crunchy texture nor develop any fragrant aromas. the meats were hard and dry.

the texture of the chawanmushi was probably the best in town. the silky and soft texture does not disintegrate (like sushi e’s) or tastes like a salt mine (like shiki). however, the chawanmushi does not have a ginkgo nut to break the monotonous flavour and tastes dreadfully eggy.

chacobardidn't really meet my expectations. firstly the place was quite small, so we waited about 15 mins or so for a table, which i didn't mind. i'm quite used to lining up for some decent ramen. but what was sort of a let down was how fast things sold out. i wanted the special wagyu ramen & karaage chicken. both were sold out, so i settled for the yuzu salt while my partner got the pork cha shu. the dishes came out looking delicious! another let down was how small the portions were... i have never gone to a ramen restaurant where i finished all my noodles and was still starving. usually i'm stuffed and unable to finish all the noodles. the ramen was delicious but my partner and i can both agree that it was nothing special.
aside from all that, the restaurant is very cosy and has some beautiful artwork and decor, giving it a very nice vibe and atmosphere. i'll like to come back here and try the yakitori some time, so until then.

chacobaris an ambient, modern yakitori-ya in a quieter part of darlinghurst that also specialises in ramen for lunch.

ramen: their ramen is nothing short of amazing, and always the one i recommend when asked about good ramen in sydney. the selection is limited, which, if you know your ramen, is a sign of authenticity. all the choices are quite unique and clearly handcrafted, down to their toppings including the delicious john dory wonton. their menu changes always improves on previous iterations subtly. their latest yuzu scallop has become a personal favourite, with a great balance of buttery richness and zestiness of yuzu in the broth. abit heavier than the famous afuri yuzu ramen in japan, but very similar. i also always go around opening time and have never had to wait for a seat.

yakitori: selection of yakitori is limited but executed decently. they have a great variety of other izakaya style dishes, especially in their specials which usually feature some unique seafood. the specials can be hit or miss but some of the good ones have been very very good. decent variety in whiskey and japanese craft beer also.

tldr: amazing ramen, decent yakitori

chacobaris a quiet and intimate japanese restaurant/
bar specialising in yakatori and japanese whisky.
the mrs was a bit sick so we didn't try any whisky this time :(

the serving sizes are quite small but every bite was amazing. each dish seems to have been prepared with extra care, thus enhancing the flavour and experience.

the special was a kimchi rice with bone marrow. omg it was amazing!!!

been to japan recently and miss all the izakaya restaurants? chacobaris the closest thing to traditional japanese bbq. cute little restaurant with a small sign which might be a bit hard to find, but once you're there, it's like being transported to japan. cosy with nice japanese decor, chacobarboasts a nice list of japanese whiskey which perfectly accompanies the food. 

ramen is also good, but only available on certain days.

i’m a bit late to the party, but chacobaris indubitably excellent for yakitori and other delicious japanese dishes in a cozy, homely crown street space.  taro chips with aonori are mixed with what we think are potato chips. half a dozen plump gyoza are served in the pan – they get quite sticky to the point of exploding chaos. they’re without a doubt the best gyoza i’ve eaten in sydney. tsukune is paired with a perfect 62-degree egg. deep fried calamari is matched with squid ink aioli. we get overexcited and order too much food: especially the two serves of the grilled rice ball with black cod moromi was way too much.

looking for an authentic izakaya in sydney? well look no further because chacobarhas the food  and alcohol and the ambience covered. it's a tiny restaurant (much smaller than i had thought) so i was quite shocked that they could accomodate a group of roughly 15 people. they did so happily even though we literally occupied most of the restaurant. the place had a really nice vibe as we could enjoy the food and chat away without the roaring noise expected at a typical bar.