Ramen & Izakaya Himeji

Really fun and quirky experience. Highly recommend the banquet (you’ll need a min of 4 people) for a taste of everything. Chef Ikeda really looked after us throughout the night and the waiting staff were great (contrary to some reviews I’ve read). There’s a bar, some tables, plus semi-​private booths — also a private function room at the front.
It’s not quite the Izakaya of Japan, but a more formal restaurant hybrid (in price and atmosphere). It’d be a great place for a first date or work dinner — classy but not too serious. Formal décor, jazz playing but big pints of Kirin and a Ramen menu!
I’ve been to Genki a few times, and now this. I appreciate chef Ikeda’s efforts in bringing old Adelaide some of the more «bleeding edge» Japanese food pop culture.

Absolutely love this place. I’ve been here a few times with family and friends and everything has been great. Excellent service and food. The banquet menu is so delicious, especially the wagyu beef with garlic purée. I haven’t had the ramen here yet but I am keen to try it. However be aware that this is Japanese cuisine with difference. There are of course a huge array of traditional dishes but some have been a bit modernised. The tea selection is also great.

Popped into Himeji Ramen because it is a new Japanese restaurant in Adelaide, and i just love Japanese foods. Since the word ramen was in their restaurant name, i just had to try it. There is a range of ramen, though not as extensive as other ramen restaurants but plentiful none the less.
Ramen also comes with a side of sauce and pickled condiments if you are into that. The ramen was quite good. It was rich in flavour with enough spice packing. You are also given an option on how you liked your noodles cooked which is nice, because i like my noodles just a little under cooked to maintain its rigidity. It is only after eating at Himeji that I came to the realisation that with ramen, the noodles plays an incredibly important role, providing the perfect texture and blend between the broth.
Interesting thing though, I learnt that ‘naruto’ is food but also a famous popular Japanese animation.
Overall, Himeji was wonderful. The ramen is to die for, it was flavoursome and noodles are cooked to perfection. It is now my favourite and go-​to ramen restaurant in Adelaide.

Before going into the review I need to thank a certain friend for introducing me to this place. I’ve been 2 times in the past 2 weeks and I plan on visiting again sometime soon.
The first thing that sets Himeji apart from your average Japanese that it’s an Izakaya, a place where small plates of food are served to accompany drinks, although they serve ramen and other dishes as well. The décor is absolutely amazing, with an open bar where diners can watch the sushi chefs work.
Onto the food. The first time I ordered the Kokuryu Himeji Tonkotsu Black ramen. The broth was thick, which is the polar opposite of the thin broth most ramen places use. And it was delicious, rich and I was able to taste the garlic, black sesame and miso… so much umami. The noodles had a nice texture and were really thin, reminds me of soba noodles (i ordered the noodles a bit harder than usual). The thin sliced pork belly, egg and veggies were good but the highlight was the broth. It’s decently priced, $ 15 or under, which I think makes it better than similarly priced competitors.
I also ordered the pork belly bun since I’ve never tried the tawainese ‘gua bao’ or its vietnamese equivalent. It’s alright, nothing to write home about. Hard bun, doesn’t really stand out. It’s pretty small as well so that was a miss.
Second time, I ordered the Kinryu Spicy Miso Tonkotsu. It was great as well, had the thick rich broth, sliced pork belly, egg and cabbage and other veggies. We also ordered a plate of karaage fried chicken, gyoza and takoyaki. The gyoza were tiny and really not worth the price, but the filling was alright (I still prefer chinese pork and cabbage dumplings, they cannot be beat), the kaarage was a bit too salty but fine, takoyaki was good.
This place is still quite new and so are the wait staff. Not that this is a bad thing, because they didn’t lack enthusiasm and were friendly, it’s just that lacked some experience.
So, definitely come for the ramen and drinks. I’ll try the sushi and sashimi next time, but this place is awesome for ramen. I think it stands out from the recent influx of Japanese restaurants in the CBD.

Bring on the Ramen! I have always been a massive fan of Ramen. I read some history on Ramen and it seems that a lot of Japanese Chefs have experimented with the concept over the years. So you will probably find that each restaurant will have a different version. So, keep this in mind when you are making comparisons.
Now… the moment you have been waiting for! How was the Ramen? Well… I think it is one of the best ones I have had in Adelaide. I ordered the Umami Chicken Ramen. This has a clear style broth, chicken, boiled egg, a bit of veg and noodles. It was not a complicated dish. But I think that is what I like about it. I wanted to see how good this restaurant was at making a simple broth and I was very happy. The chicken tasted like it was lightly grilled before placing in the soup. I could take a little smoky flavour. Love that!
As for the venue, it is lovely. Decorated in wooden panels, with a large wooden bar and two separated dining areas. I did have my eye on the lampshades above the bar made from paper. I would love those at home!
If you love watching a chef work, take a seat at the bar! The sushi prep station is there and you can watch them work while you dine. Also to note is that there is a separate bar menu to the main dining menu. So, if you are after a small dish, this might be a good option for you.
If you are a fan of all things Sake and Japanese Whiskey, you will find a very impressive selection on the bar. Have a read of the drinks menu for tasting notes. If you love cocktails, there is a range of very well priced cocktails. I tried the Calpico Chuhai which had a Soju base. Yummooo!
I’m impressed with this new edition to Japanese Restaurants in Adelaide! Woo hoo!