Updated October 22, 2026,first published November 11, 2024
14.5/20Critics' PickChaco Ramen
Japanese$
A humble space for a hearty ramen.
Cloudy with chicken fat and unapologetically rich, the not-quite-traditional fat soy ramen remains the go-to at Keita Abe’s original Chaco outlet, a snug space on a quiet stretch of Crown Street.
Since the pandemic, he’s offered an enticing DIY kit to go – a means of avoiding the sad, soggy fate of the takeaway noodle. But that would mean skipping the camaraderie of the communal table, the warm sake and the scent of roasted sesame that hangs over those deep bowls of sprightly noodles and jammy eggs.
Chaco also serves beef marrow with a cinnamon-flecked curry (more fiery and less sweet than you might expect). It’s good, but there’s a reason everyone else is heads down in that chashu-studded pork-and-chicken broth.
Must order: For the path less travelled, order the fish-salt ramen, which adds fermented mackerel to the mix, along with wontons stuffed with prawn, John dory and a tingle of Sichuan pepper.
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Last visited: 2024
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Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
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