Redfern's Super-Popular Ramen Bar RaRa Has Opened a Second Outpost in Randwick
The eastern suburbs ramen joint boasts bigger digs, an extended menu and its very own window-framed noodle room.
Redfern's much loved ramen shop RaRa has garnered a cult-like following since opening its doors in 2018. Those who've visited the joint will have seen lines around the block, which start to form even before the restaurant opens for dinner service.
Now, lucky Sydneysiders have doubled their chance to taste a bowl of the restaurant's ramen. RaRa Randwick has opened within the recently launched Newmarket Dining Precinct — and it boasts bigger digs, an extended menu and its very own window-framed noodle room.
"We have been thrilled with the response and amount of interest and patronage at Redfern," says Scott Gault who co-owns the restaurants with Katie Shortland. "Opening a second site will be a good chance for more Sydneysiders to experience what RaRa offers."
Kitti Gould
Executive Chef Terry Jeon (ex-Spice Temple) is a self-proclaimed ramen fanatic. At the new outpost, Joen is making the noodles daily using an imported noodle machine — in a dedicated noodle-making room with large windows. Plus, all of the soups are still made from scratch in a special pressure cooker using all free-range meat and eggs.
The full RaRa Redfern menu is available at Randwick, too, but the new joint is also set to launch plenty of brand new dishes, which will be available in the coming weeks. While the menu is not quite yet finalised, expect the likes of chicken and vegan katsu curries, pork and corn korokke (Japanese croquettes), chicken karaage and a variety of onigiri options. Another new specialty will be the hiyashi chuka — a Japanese cold noodle salad with sous-vide shredded chicken breast, topped with house pickles and goma dare sesame dressing.
Kitti Gould
For drinks, expect more imported Japanese beers and local cans from Yullis Brews, as well as natural wines by the glass and other Japanese specialties like sake, highballs and umeshu sodas. And, similarly to Redfern, the space will have a mix of glowing red neon and light timber elements — just much larger. It was designed by Aphora Architecture, whose team took a trip back to Japan in order to prepare for the build.
"As with Redfern, the store layout is focused on connecting the diner to the theatre involved in the preparation of various handmade elements of the ramen, which is ultimately at the heart of the RaRa spirit," says head designer Andrew Forsyth.
Kitti Gould
That voyeuristic noodle room we mentioned earlier sits near the entrance and allows patrons to watch all of the noodle-making in action. Meanwhile, at the other end of the restaurant, smoke from the char siu grill offers its own form of 'theatre'. We recommend pulling up a stool at the wrap-around bar, which sits central to the space and allows you to enjoy all of restaurant's entertainment.
RaRa Randwick is now open at Shop 1/162- 164 Barker Street, Randwick. Opening hours are Monday through Wednesday from 11.30am–9.30pm, Thursday through Friday from 11.30am–10pm, Saturday from noon–10pm and Sunday from noon–8pm.
Images: Kitti Gould
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