Taro's Ramen

Taro’s Ramen is an authentic slice of Japan on Ascot’s Racecourse Rd, owned and run by chef Taro from the popular Brisbane CBD institution that goes by the same name.

The sleek modern eatery is a welcome addition to the dining precinct, offering diners steaming bowls of delicious ramen (the house specialty) and, in the evenings, a menu that expands to include a selection of Japanese tapas, such as Karaage (chicken, curry and oroshi ponzu), chilled BBQ pork salad, soft shell crab with grated radish and citrus soy or a melt-in the mouth serve of Agedashi tofu. Also highly recommended on the tapas list are Wagyu Blade Roast (tataki style with ponzu olive oil, wasabi and micro herbs) and garlic chilli edamame, which go down a treat with a cold beer.

The ramen list features the dishes for which Taro is renowned and that CBD diners can’t get enough of, using sweet pork sourced exclusively from Bangalow, halal chicken and Darling Downs free range eggs – spicy Red Tonkatsu and Fire Tontaktsu (for those that like it extra hot); Miso Ramen – a golden triple soup with pork mince flavoured with oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, miso, Char sui pork, sprouts, egg shallot and bamboo shoots, with garlic chips and black sesame; and Shio Ramen – a clear broth containing a blend of veges, chicken and dried seafood, topped with salt chicken char sui, egg, shallots and fried prawn powder.

Being licensed, Taro’s stocks a decent range of beer and wines (*diners can BYO bottle of wine for a small corkage charge pp) and has thoughtfully paired beers and wines with the various dishes on the menu for maximum flavour and enjoyment. In addition there are organic bottled juices and soft drinks along with traditional drinks like Premium Ureschino Green tea and Matcha – traditional powdered tea and Buddhist espresso. (Matcha also comes as a milk shake).

Nice to know:  As a thoughtful touch for wine drinkers, Taro serves up over 20 wines by the glass, in elegant Riedel glasses. The tables in the restaurant were hand-built by Taro, whose craft skills extend beyond the kitchen.

In a nutshell – Taro’s Ramen is an asset to the Racecourse Rd dining scene and makes a great place for a hearty year round lunch or casual great value evening meal. 

A full list of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane HERE