Ichibandori

What do you get when you bring together one of Sydney’s best ramen chefs (Hideto Suzuki) and one of its the sushi masters from the past two decades (Tomoyuki Matsuya)? This, a 20-seater late-night ramen and robata bar with two chefs who, for the first time in their careers, are doing whatever they want.

The first half the night, pre 9pm, Ichibandori is a robata bar. Find seasonal veg, unusual cuts and marbled everything blistered and smoked over charcoal, alongside a sharp menu of Japanese booze and a few raw seafood options. Post 9pm there’s only two options, both of them ramens and both of them $25 plus. The reasoning there is that good ramen shouldn’t be cheap, not if it’s using the same ingredients you’d find in the kitchens of Sydney’s best restaurants. The signature (at $25) is a refined chicken and pork broth that’s generously loaded up with a rotating list of luxurious toppings. The alternative option ($25 - 40) could be anything from tuna-bone broth with full tuna steak to savoury chocolate ramen.