Gaku Robata Grill

Since we went on a Wednesday, the restaurant didn’t have uni available. The sashimi platter (P2) was pretty underwhelming—nothing tasted particularly fresh, and the snow crab was especially disappointing: overly salty and clearly not fresh, more like low-quality frozen seafood. ❌ The eel (P3) was also a pre-made product, simply thrown on the grill for three minutes. The meat was tough and definitely not worth the price listed on the menu. ❌ On top of that, one of the chefs was casually scrolling on his phone during service. Considering how sushi is made with direct hand contact, this was incredibly unsanitary and unprofessional. I don’t even want to think about how many bacteria were on his phone case and screen. The foie gras mochi (P4) was the only dish I actually enjoyed—it tasted great, but it’s very rich, so you can’t eat too much of it. This is the only item I would recommend. Now, for the worst part: the beef tongue (P5). I was shocked to find that instead of being grilled, it was slow-cooked and served in a thick, sour-tasting sauce with mushrooms that had zero mushroom flavor. The tongue itself was absurdly thick—almost like a brick—and poorly prepared, with visible taste buds on the edges (I was too disgusted to take a photo, and even thinking about it now makes me feel sick 🤢). To make matters worse, the wagyu salad had unwashed greens, which was completely off-putting. At that point, I just wanted to leave. We finished with a caramel ice cream roasted sweet potato for $20, but it was nothing special. The total bill for two people was $254—definitely not worth it. If you’re thinking of coming here, I’d only recommend the foie gras mochi and nothing else.

Despite arriving without a booking, we were seated quickly at the bar, and watching the chefs in action was fun. The truffle edamame was a standout, the agadashi tofu was amazing, and the popcorn shrimp, though not traditional, had a nostalgic charm. The lively atmosphere became more intimate by the end of the night, making for a great dining experience. 🫶🍣🥢

I have been to Gaku Robata for ramen lunch twice. My daughter has been for 4 times. We both rank this place the 1st on our Sydney ramen list. It has the authentic jap bar vibe and the food is absolutely delicious! Not only the ingredients are fresh, the amount of toppings is generous. Can’t wait to try their dinner 😀😀 Update:- We finally got a chance to have dinner on Saturday . Delicious is an understatement. We loved every dish that we ordered. Especially the claypot rice. Must try dish was Chawanmushi with crab & truffle Homemade caramel ice cream with the roast sweet potatoes was a good combination.

It's a cozy little place with amazing food. We added truffle to a few of our dishes but it wasnt necessary. Food was amazing on their own. Our booking was 8 and we were there on time. But by 8:45 they were asking for last orders already while we havent even got all our first orders. Also we had a bottle of sparkling sake. It went a bit too bubbly when the waitstaff opened it and half the bottle was spilled. She continued to pour into our cups without saying anything. It's not her fault that it's got bubbles, but when we got only 200ml out of the 350ml that we ordered it was just a bit sad. Overall good experience and will definitely go back, just probably go for the 6pm booking and not order a sparkling.

What a wonderful place ! It was our first time and we were speechless, the flavor and the meat are exceptional. This is definitely the best ramen we had in Sydney, and we will definitely go back !!

This one hat restaurant is a top choice for anyone seeking exceptional ramen for lunch. Although seating is limited and there is often a queue, the service is efficient, so the wait is manageable. They serve only 40 bowls of ramen each day, making the experience feel exclusive and distinct from other ramen establishments. The atmosphere is unique and adds to the overall appeal.

Update: Overall the food was better than last visit (only liked the chawanmushi previously). Yakiimo and caramel ice cream was another standout. Note that there is a minimum spend of $60 per person is not clear on the website menu, and you only find out after you arrive at the restaurant. This is quite steep per person and not a pleasant surprise. ------- Previous review: Cannot recommend the truffle spanner crab chawanmushi enough. It's the perfect combination of silky soft, smooth, savoury deliciousness with a hint of truffle and just DELICIOUS.

A small Japanese restaurant in Darlinghurst reminds me of the restaurants in Japan. It gets really busy so get there early or prepare to wait. We had the deluxe eel set with chawanmushi set. And the yuzu duck ramen. Everything was amazing. Go now.

Went in for some ramen dinner. They don't serve at night, totally fine and understandable. I asked when they serve, and they told me 12-2pm. So i agreed to come back later in the week. Upon leaving, we were charged 5$/person for the water we had not yet been served. And when we paid and got the bottles, we were told we could Not take them to go. So we left with a $15 charge and nothing had been served. Definitely not returning

This is literally the best ramen I have eaten outside of Japan. They have a limited number of bowls available so make sure you get there early to get yours! There's usually a special, currently clam chowder for winter, which is so good. Chicken and duck ramens are always a winner. Round your meal off with delicious pork gyoza. Be sure to bring cash!!

The shittiest restaurant ever. When I called for reservations, they cannot understand what I was talking about, they don't understand English at all. Then during the dinner time, they gave out food to another table let us wait for more than half an hour---an no apology at all. When I paid the bills, I asked what's that dish is, cause I don't want to pay something that they gave to another table, the cashier said 'it is what it is' Fuck you bitch, just go fuck yourselves