Genki Roll

Genki Roll has a special place in my heart – I used to eat lunch there quite regularly as a student, so on this visit I tried my old favourite, the hot udon soup, to see if it’s still as good as I remember. The answer is yes. For a great value $5.20 you can get a regular sized udon, and I added tempura vegetables for an extra $2.50. The bowl was still a good size, and the tempura was going nice and soggy in the broth (yum). The noodles remain beautifully springy and given the different widths, I wonder if they’re made in store (does anyone know?). New is the pile of not-very-authentic greens on the side, which I avoided. The tempura vegetables did seem to contain prawns (maybe a communication error?) but was fabulously fried and full of onion and other good bits. Soaked in the broth, they were perfect. The prawn was a bit ho-hum, but as always, the broth is the real star and it was just like I remember -salty, and with that proper Japanese flavour that udon broths should have. Sure, it’s not exactly healthy, but on a chilly afternoon, this dish will warm you to your bones.

Genki Roll, Adelaide Central Plaza, Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA

Ryo’s Noodles

My first stop after picking my bags from the luggage carousel in Adelaide was Ryo’s Noodles. Yep, not even kidding. Last time, Mum gave me massive order envy with her miso ramen, so that’s what we both picked this time. Ryo’s is unusual for a ramen restaurant in that you can request your serve to be salt reduced, which we both did. The star of this ramen is the broth – the miso flavour just adds a lovely richness to the already complex broth, which only tastes better the more you eat. I found myself wishing for a second stomach in order to have more! The pork is beautifully tender and not overly fatty, although I would have liked another slice. The spring onion and bamboo shoots are great textural elements, and the ramen noodles themselves have a great amount of bite, making them a real delight to eat. The bowl actually has a very generous serve of noodles, and I was very full by the end of my meal. We had cups of green tea with the food, which come with free refills – the tea was simple and a nice complement to the ramen. See you on my next visit, Ryo’s!

Ryo’s Noodles, 80 Gouger Street, Adelaide SA

Pho @ Dickson

My friend and I had a craving for pho, so on a Monday night after work we headed up to Dickson to indulge our craving. Pho @ Dickson is unassumingly located on Woolley Street – if I hadn’t know it was there, I might have missed it. The restaurant was quiet on a Monday night and we received excellent service. I ordered the ‘bells and all’ beef pho ($14.50), which included rare beef, beef balls, beef tripe and cooked beef brisket (so, basically, all the beef). The bowl was huge, and this was my first time trying beef tripe – I didn’t mind the flavour actually, although the rare beef is always my favourite part of eating pho. The broth was suitably beefy and I could tell that this wasn’t going to be a need-to-down-a-litre-of-water type pho – it wasn’t outrageously salty and that left plenty of space to appreciate the broth’s flavour. The noodles varied in width, leading me to suspect that they make their own, and all of the usual accompaniments are offered (bean sprouts, Thai basil and lemon wedges, plus the sauces). At the end of our meal a sliced orange was brought out as a palate cleanser. I was impressed, definitely worth a visit.

Pho @ Dickson, 14 Woolley Street, Dickson ACT, no website

Saigon Foodies

I’ve only stopped in at Saigon Foodies once before, and was so impressed with their banh mi that I decided to head back and try out their pho. It’s a small store with no frills but a real sense of welcome. They clearly have their regulars, and I can see why! I ordered the beef pho ($12) to dine in, and took a seat by the window to watch the world go by. Before long, my pho additions were brought out (bean sprouts, lemon, basil and hoisin sauce) and then, voila, the steaming hot bowl of pho. Having never been to Vietnam, I can’t say how authentic it was, but compared to other pho I’ve had in Canberra, I found the broth really light and simple – I would have preferred a bit more flavour. The amount of beef was very generous and combined with the hoisin, that’s where the real taste was hiding. The noodles appeared handmade, although I didn’t get to ask them to confirm, as they were all different thicknesses, and were beautifully silky. The bowl was more than enough for lunch – I think their banh mi is still my favourite though.

Saigon Foodies, 42 Giles Street, Kingston ACT