Ganbaranba

Tried out more than 10 types of ramen at Ganbaranba over the past couple of months, and it has never failed me. I like all of them, especially IKEMEN, MUGEN, ZOROME, and GYOZA (pork dumplings). I always finished the broth too! Gonna miss the friendly people here, Ganbaranba treated me to a farewell drink as they knew I would be leaving soon. I will come back again when I’m in Cairns!

Having been a regular patron of this restaurant for several years, I continue to be impressed by the consistency of its service and quality. The owner remains as friendly and attentive as ever, always ensuring guests feel warmly welcomed and well taken care of. During my recent visit, I had the ramen and the Z-Don, both of which were beautifully presented and rich in flavor. The ramen had a well-balanced broth with tender noodles and fresh toppings, while the Z-Don was artfully arranged, with each element thoughtfully prepared to enhance the overall dish. The atmosphere of the restaurant remains inviting and comfortable, making it a great spot for both casual meals and more special occasions. The staff are efficient and courteous, contributing to a relaxed and pleasant dining experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking authentic, delicious food served with genuine hospitality.

We came here in the evening and it seems to be a popular restaurant in this location. When we entered we were the first in queue as it was full. Though it seems like there was clearly not enough staff. There were multiple tables empty waiting to be cleaned, but they had nobody to do so, so we waited more than 15 minutes even though there were tables empty. The ramen itself, it was definitely not our cup of tea. The soup was not tasty at all, very oily.

This looks like a real authentic japanese ramen place. I ordered the japanese spicy one and really liked it. We tried the gyoza and they were good too. We tried 4 different ramens, see in photo but its number 1, 3, 13 ramen 5 i think was the premium one.

A delightful easy going ramen restaurant, hard to find anything better in Cairns, loved the flavour of the ramen broth and opted for firm noodles, the gyoza was juicy and tasty but needed more texture! Service was prompt and efficient too!

It was a nice shop. Small, and kept as well and tidy as possible. The chicken broth was interesting, but the chicken itself was quite nice, so as the egg and noodles, it was topped with crunchy.... Things, and various different herbs and spices on-top, very interesting. Although the taste of the chicken broth wasn't enjoyable, eating it felt forced, so I had to drown it in soy sauce 😅

Saw some bad reviews about the soup but decided to patronize anyway. We ordered the tonkotsu ramen, which had no hint of tonkotsu flavor at all. Instant ramen has better soup. 😅 the pork was also pretty tough, although the gyoza was nice! Suggest to try somewhere else if you’d like to have some ramen.

Again another shrinkage eatery in cairns lunch noodle soup with pork. Nice write up on the menu(picture looks great) The size oh dear( the other picture ) if there was one ounce of meat then it was a lot. $ 19.26. 👎👎👎

Not sure what all the hub bub was about. It was traditional ramen, pretty tasty, but nothing special or life changing. Service was interesting, but boy was she working!! Great ambiance for a hole in the wall. They were out of dumplings, which is a great sign because it means they're made fresh.

Cheap but vegetarian ramen was terrible. Little to no taste and the noodles were crunchy.

Ramen is okay, 4/5. Located in a big shopping mall. Large amount of noodles. The service is okay.

The ramen was a bit disappointing, especially after reading all the great reviews this place has. Perhaps I've been spoiled by all the great options in Houston, LA, or after sampling the local hot spots in Japan. The ramen here was different to say the least. I ordered the "Ikemen" bowl which is a pork based (Tonkotsu) ramen for $12.50. Presentation looked good, but the broth was simply ok. The broth lacked depth and was not rich. I was also sad to find my egg to be over cooked. The yolk was almost hard and was not soft in texture. Overall, the bowl put food in my stomach but I just can't imagine waiting in line for this. Luckily, we were the first ones there because we stopped by before they opened. They have free iced oolong tea at each table which was nice. The service was also welcoming.

For some reason I lost my ramen photo... Anyway, went to this ramen place since it had such high reviews on google reviews. The ramen here is pretty decent. I got the spicy garlic tonkatsu ramen and the meat was very tender. Broth was also quite flavorful. What I liked most about this place is how the line goes by very fast and how authentic it was given that we were in Australia. I also really enjoyed the dumplings we had here. It was very crispy and had a lot of meat in it! The food was quite cheap too.

This was probably the best restaurant and food place in Cairns. I have had a lot of good ramen from almost everywhere and Ganbaranba is up there. I ordered the Mugen Premium Gold with garlic chili on the side. I elected going with hard ramen noodles too. WOW! As I took my first bite, the broth was so rich, the noodles were perfection, and there were so many flavors in one bite. I demolished this bowl so quickly that I wanted more. I also ordered a side of their Gyozas which were a great complement to the ramen. Service was great and they offer complementary cold tea. Yelp says that this place is cash only, but they took my credit card. This was my first food place when arriving in Cairns and it was also the last food place when I left. I would definitely come back to Ganbaranba.

Small restaurant, originally a last minute dinner plan with friends. I was expecting a tasty meal, but I was easily treated to the best ramen I've ever had. Great customer service with friendly staff. Wide selection of ramen and each one is absolutely delicious. Their popular and signature dishes never disappoint, but the rest of their menu is just as tasty. There's a flavor for everyone, and their prices make it more than affordable. Can't wait to go back!

This place has authentic ramen and hands down the most delectable broth I've ever had. I ordered the #6 mugen gold with medium noodles. It was topped with two lean pork slices, mushrooms, sprouts, a half of a soft boiled egg, and fried onion chips. The ingredients were all high quality but the best part was the broth which was wonderfully garlicky. Great aromas and flavors all around! It's no wonder that there's always a line to get into this restaurant.

Pretty good spot to come to for ramen. Certainly not the best ramen I've ever had compared to those in the states and also Japan but for Cairns on a cold night this was perfect. Staff was very nice as well and they turned tables really quick so don't need to worry too much about the line outside. I got the number 5 and it was pretty tasty. I do have to admit that I'm missing the addition options of the nori and also corn. Makes a big difference in the ramen but maybe that's just an LA thing. Worth checking out and all of the Yelp reviews didn't lead me astray. Parking is pretty easy and at certain times of the day it is free so I didn't pay for parking for dinner.

The food was quite tasty but I think may have suffered that I had very high expectations based on its ranking by Yelp! The noodles were excellent but I did wish for a little more depth to the broth and not just salty umami. Takeaway was quick and easy, though I was disappointed they had no outdoor seating. I'd come back and bring friends for takeaway for sure.

We had time to catch this on our last day in Cairns and so glad we made it! I'm not usually a big fan of ramen, but this place changed me! I decided to try a different type rather than the usual tonkatsu. I tried for the first time a salt ramen which consisted of a chicken and fish broth. The ebisu premium kihachi which had salmon toppings in it with all the other ingredients was delicious!! One of the best ramens I've had where I finished the entire bowl. Noodle was fresh with the right consistency. Everything in the bowl blended so well together, I'd recommend to try! The fried dumplings were good and enjoyed all the extra condiments and add ins like fried onions, added great additional flavoring. If you're in Cairns and want ramen, would recommend!

Great ramen bowls and excellent service. Very casual. This is my first ramen experience (other than the package) but am definitely a fan. Daily lunch special is very filling.

This place lives up to its name-- at least in terms of Ramen. Normally I would not pull such an amateur move but I ate all the Ramen before I remembered to snap a photo! Anywho, I ordered the Ikeben (spellling?) which was pork broth, and garlic based. As with any ramen joint, add the extra egg. The surcharge is always worth it! The ramen is deliciously chewy and perfectly cooked. What I like about the broth is that it is perfectly salted as ramen broth can easily lean on the saltier side. The issue I have is the gyoza thus knocking off 1 star. If the establishment preaches to everyone about their Gyoza, it better be good! Unfortunately, it is not that great. Bland filling and the gyoza skin is manufactured dough. The whole gyoza might even be purchased but if not, it sure did taste like it was. This was definitely disappointing but since Ramen is the star of the show, it still holds a solid four stars.

We tried three different ramens(including a vegetarian one) and all three were good. Very friendly staff.

Visited Ganbaranba during a four-night stay in Cairnes based on excellent reviews. The food quality, service, and extensive options did not disappoint. After having truly excellent ramen bowls during our first visit we made it back a second time to try different dishes. Highly recommend a visit to Ganbaranba while in Cairnes!

Whenever I go to Cairns It's a must-visit place to comfort my Asian stomach. just finishing every last drop of soup of ramen means everything. Thanks.

I now understand why this is one of the top 10 ramen spots in Cairns! Hands down super yummy and fast service. So many ramen options to choose from. I ordered the hard noodles and it was the perfect amount of firmness. A must try!

The food was good and quick. Small place with fast turnover. We tried it because of its yelp score. We will have to try some other dishes next time to give this place a higher rating.

Excellent ramen Home made noodles Super Serving size not bad Broth excellent Very friendly staff reminded me of hole in the wall ramen joint in Japan Very traditional look to the place cute set of condiments Love it went 4 time in 2.5 days

Good simple food and service! Ambience of a typical ramen house. Would visit if on a budget

I only have one thing bad to say about this place - there isn't one near me back home!!!!! This place is such a gem. If you're looking for the best ramen you'll ever eat than look no further. From the nice family that owns it to the absolutely incredible ramen dishes they serve this place is simply perfect. I'm a big fan of ramen and I've had some amazing ramen across the globe but I have to say this is a unique surprise and experience. The pork tonkatsu with the chili paste was so good I nearly went back the next day again. The pork gyoza was so delicious like even better than a five star fine dining Japanese restaurant. Thank you for a great experience next time I'm back to visit you will be the first stop on my tour.

Ambiance: - small area - can see the cooking - Japanese tea pitcher looks like it needs to be cleaned Service - quick and friendly - self serve on water Food: - tasty but not the best ramen I've had (i eat a lot of ramen), definitely good though - lots of variety of types compared to other places.

Another day in Cairns, another Asian joint to seek out. Ganbaranba definitely deserves its reputation as the best ramen joint in Cairns. It is staffed by real Japanese owners - I feel like I might be in a back alley joint in Tokyo. Tonkatsu was on point; I had basic bowl and added an egg. Broth was flavorful, but not too salty (which is my pet peeve). Had the medium noodles, which are home made. These were so good, I ordered a second helping. Only downside were the homemade dumplings. I had them pan friend, but found them small and a little lacking in flavor. Price was definitely reasonable; we came on a Monday night, and were seated with no wait.

Lunch is over at 3 and they're closed until 5 or 6 to prepare for dinner, which we didn't know until we got there. We got there at about a quarter to, but they still let us come in. The place was empty at that time so we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. Their lunch specials are a pretty good deal. I think it's a bowl of ramen with gyoza for $13, and you have an option to add an extra bowl of rice.The gyozas are pan fried and are pretty good. Be careful with the dipping sauce though. I stupidly dumped it all over the dumpling and my mouth was on fire afterwards. Good thing their complimentary green tea was available to help me cool off. I ordered this rice dish with bean sprouts and tuna ($6). For some reason, I thought it would be raw tuna, but it wasn't. Instead, it was just canned tuna. Or at least that's what it tasted like - really dry canned tuna. That's my own fault for assuming though. I guess I should have known better than to order this at a ramen place. All of my friends seemed to like their ramen, but since it was so hot and humid, I didn't feel like drinking hot broth. I did try a bite and while it's definitely not the best ramen I've ever had, Ganbaranba looks like your only ramen option in the area. Beggars can't be choosers!

Let me start with the most important detail: vegan ramen. This was our favorite restaurant we ate at in Cairns. A little pushed back from the downtown craziness, but no less busy for it. In fact, come early because this place has a line before they're even open for business. Small and cozy with only a handful of tables and some counter seating, but the staff do a great job of keeping things moving quickly without compromising their A+ hospitality. I've definitely had tastier, more complex vegan ramen elsewhere, but this was good and worth the 5 stars for their locale. Very fairly priced and good size portions. Maybe even the cheapest good meal you can get in Cairns. CASH ONLY

Weak offering propped up by minimal competition. Okay if you need to get your ramen fix, but would pass if expecting more. The broth was one-dimensional (garlicky) rather the complex broth customary with ramen. The noodles were decent, but too soft and with the wrong consistency. The chashu was possibly the toughest I've ever had with ramen and to top if off the portion was small. Was looking forward to extra noodles and chashu, but no need.

The service here is SUPER fast so don't be deterred if you see large crowds out the door. This place gets orders and your food out within minutes! The menu looks extensive but many of the items sounded very similar to me. Pork broth plus or minus garlic and chilies. My bf and friend both got different variations on their tonkotsu ramen and me being a miso lover got the miso ramen. The tonkotsu was pretty tasty and had the standard flavors you would expect of any ramen shop but the miso was totally different from the style I was used to in the States (chains like kukai or Hokkaido) and Japan. The broth was more clear and tasted like a cross between the miso soup you get at sushi restaurants and an udon broth. It was still good but I was expecting something very different for a miso ramen. All of our eggs were also on the more cooked side so if that's your favorite part about ramen this place might not be your favorite. Overall it's great for the pork based ramens and I would stick with any one of their tonkotsus for a solid and quick dinner!

Surprised that there was a legit ramen spot in this city. Was looking for a quick and good meal and this hit the spot. I arrived at 11:35am, 5 mins after it opened and there were 3 tables ahead of me. Definitely go early. By 12pm, the place was packed. Ordered the Sunrise ramen and gyoza. Amazing prices ($16 for my entire meal) and good food gives this a 4.5 stars in my book. -Sunrise ramen: ordered with the middle softness noodles and boy were the noodles amazing. Broth really hit the spot as well. Pork could use some more fat in my opinion -Gyoza: good dumplings but nothing too special -Service: in and out in less than 20 mins. Wait staff was friendly but it's a business so expect a check right after you order. Would highly recommend if you're craving noodles in this city.

Great place. Very small and not good for larger groups. The #5 ramen was all I had and it was delicious. Pork, rich delicious broth, noodles that could be ordered soft medium or firm, a half egg and a pitcher of refreshing cold green tea by my side. CASH ONLY. You can add extra of anything to the soup. My favorite ramen ever.

First time to visit the place for ramen. It's good but for my taste, could have been a tad more spicy. Added two extra spice spoons of pepper spice and it was great. The dumplings were just so so. But the service was great. Smiles all around.

Was wondering how they had 80+ reviews (while most in Cairns have ~10) but so glad I went! I had to wait a little bit for one person, but was totally worth it. Got #10 and it came out quickly. Unlike the picture on the menu, you get just one big prawn, but hopefully that doesn't deter you. I got the hard noodles, but wish I had gotten the medium. Used to noodles being slightly over cooked but should have known this place was legit and would know better.

Authentic Japanese food at affordable price. The queue can be long at dinner time, recommend to go around lunch time if you want to avoid the long queuing time.

My favorite Ramen place in the world. I've even had Ramen in Japan and it doesn't compare to this place.

The taste of Ramen are awesome. This restaurant is crowded during dinner time but don't worry, you will only wait for 10 to 15 mins to be seated. Please try the dumplings here!

I had #2 ramen and gyoza, a bit disappointing for the ramen is not the curly and chewy type I used to have in other ramen store but satisfied my stomach for traveling over 10 days without Asian food. The broth is very tasted.

We arrived around 7pm and waited for about 10 minutes to be seated. This place is cash only. Our group of 3 only had 37 AUD, so we were limited in our options. We ended up ordering 3 bowls of ramen, but I really wish we had more money to try their homemade gyoza. I ordered the Ikemen noodle, which has a tonkotsu base with crushed garlic, special garlic oil, egg, bbq pork, and thin noodles. They let you choose the chewiness of your noodle, and I went with medium. The broth didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped, but everything else about it was pretty good.

Of all places in the world, finding a fantastic ramen place in Cairns was the last thing on my mind. I was pleasantly surprised! The staff greets you and seats you swiftly. Their ramen is just pure flavor and unpretentious. They are cash only but in the event you don't have cash on hand, they'll have you enjoy your food and pay later. Must visit if you're a ramen lover!

Their service are super good! Gyoza is fantastic! Spicy noodle is my favour :)

I was surprised by this surprisingly good ramen place in Cairns. I came here twice, ordering Ikemen and Mugen Premium. They are both basically tonkotsu ramen, with minor variation on ingredients and flavor. Not up to par with places like Ippudo or good ramen restaurants in Japan, but definitely good for this area. They also give you a pitcher of cool tea, definitely appreciated on a hot and humid day. The service is fast. The ramen comes with an egg, but not soft boiled (mine was pretty much hard boiled). No nori. The pork felt a bit on the leaner side. Some more minor complaints: I don't really know why they have so many menu options that are basically the same, with the differences not well stated. The waiter also asks whether we want gyoza, on both trips that we went there. This kind of up selling is annoying and unnecessary, in my opinion.

Great ramen in Cairns? What!?! Talk about an unexpected find. Never expected to find a legitimate Japanese restaurant and so many Japanese patrons in Cairns. There must be a large influence here that points to my ignorance and need for further cultural education. Anyway I went with the ramen on the last page, Koshitantan (described as lightly spicy with ground pork and veggies and I then added pork slices), and gyoza. They gyoza comes out after the ramen and the sign explains this is because they make it fresh. Indeed it's worth the wait (only an extra $2.50 during lunch specials) it is so tender and fresh. Honestly nothing beats ramen in Tokyo, but this place brought my mind back to Tokyo remembering how the ramen was there. This is authentic not like the "Japanese" restaurants in Los Angeles and it's close and comparable to the better ramen shops in NYC. If you are a ramen lover like me this is a definite must.

This location offered plenty of different broth options accompanied by different toppings and noodles. The menu styling is set up fairly similarly to a Hakata Ikkousha and had different explanations for the broths and hybrids. I ordered Shoyu with all the toppings, which overall was a great value. Great value and flavor for one of the few Ramen locations in the downtown area of Cairns.

Small place with decent ramen. The service was fast and there was a wider variation of ramen available, though some rather confusing.

Tried this place while I was in cairns for vacation, and was pleasantly surprised! They had a large variety of different ramens, with explanations for each one either in the menu or on the wall. I ordered the seafood ramen with prawns. You can choose your noodle cook- soft, medium, or hard. Also, there is a station with free pickles radishes and other cold goodies. The service was super fast, and before I could even drink some of the complimentary ice tea at my table, the food came out. The broth was delicious, and the toppings so well prepared! Soft boiled egg, prawns, corn, rice puffs. Once I finished all the noodles, I went ahead and declared my need for more. They actually anticipate this, and so there is a menu option for a second serving of just noodles ($1.50). You gotta save some broth from your first bowl though! I finished my second bowl before my 3 friends finished their first. I win.

Ramen was great (the best Ramen I've had so far), dumplings were yummy, the staff were friendly. What else do you want?

Get here early, and you'll beat the line that'll be out the door. Probably the best place I ate while in Cairns. There's a counter space for solo eaters. The kitchen staff is ALWAYS working since there's so many customers. Even better is the two waiter/waitresses are amazing at remembering orders and keeping the right attention needed. HUGE Bonus - Free iced tea at your table after a hot day outside.

My fiancé and I both ordered Sunrise which came with few pieces of roast pork and it hit the spot. Along with that, we also got the gyozas (10) and on our table, there was nice cold tea that helped us cool down. What I love about the ramen was that the broth wasn't salty, it tastes just friggin' good! I wouldn't mind going again there for dinner again tomorrow night And service was great since it was fast and attentive!

Found this place bcs of yelp's high rates, however, the ramen is so ordinary and it's better u keep a low expectation to avoid disappointments. Soup is very light, noodle is the most usual type from Asian supermarket, nothing I could highlight to u. The service is friendly and there is free cold tea.

Great noodles, great service, small restaurant, ice cold tea pitcher at all tables, noodles are really good and if you run out they will get you more for 1.50. Flavor is excellent and all staff friendly. All staff are Japanese. Cash only business, no cards. 12 aud for a meal, 16 plus for fancier. Would go again.

The ramen was excellent with great broth and you can have the noodles cooked to your liking. I didn't like the gyoza, the filling tasted funny.. This is cash only business, fyi! Definitely worth trying some ramen here though~