We first noticed menya Makoto Japanese restaurant driving down Hunter Street when we saw an A-frame sign with the word RAMEN printed in bold letters.
Being Japanese food devotees, we quickly headed for Harbour Park on Argyle Street (the best-kept parking secret in Newcastle) and walked across the road with only one thing on our minds – noodles!
The humble Japanese eatery, located next door to The Embassy Cafe, is not much to look at but we soon realised that’s where the authenticity starts.
We were greeted by a friendly staff member who invited us to sit down and gave us some menus.
With j-pop music playing in the background, we checked out the offering and, with the help of Google Translate, tried to read the izakaya-style menu on the walls.
We ordered at the counter and a waiter quickly bought out glasses of ice for water and the drinks we had purchased.
Soon after, a big bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen and a plate of Karaage Curry landed on the table and it was time to try what menya Makoto had to offer.
Our ramen bowl was stacked with rich pork broth and noodles that were cooked to just the right firmness.
The bowl also had two types of pork in it, chasiu and on the bone, a full ramen egg (ajitsuke tamago) split in half and it was topped with spring onion, mushroom, seasoned bamboo shoots (menma) and a sheet of seaweed.
To say the Tonkotsu broth was the best we’ve tried in Newcastle is an understatement. And while it’s far from the milky white bowls of goodness you get in those hole-in-the-wall ramen places in Osaka, it’s on par with some of the best places to grab a bowl of the Japanese national dish in Sydney.
The Karaage curry bowl was also one of the best we’ve tried in town. Perfectly cooked and seasoned Japanese fried chicken with a curry sauce that had just the right amount of sweetness (the way it should be), served with perfectly cooked short-grain rice.
We can’t recommend this place highly enough and we will no doubt become regular customers as we work our way through the menu.
If you love Japanese food, especially ramen, you need to add this to your list of places to try.
You can find menya Makoto at 301 Hunter Street in Newcastle and check them out online at menyamakoto.com.au. They’re currently open Wednesday to Saturday for dinner from 5 pm until 9 pm and serve lunchtime specials from 11 am until 2:30 pm.
