Black garlic ramen was a knockout. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
An anthropomorphised ramen bowl waves happily from the wall of Umi-ko Izakaya on Merimbula’s main street.
Opened in 2024 by Japanese chef Kaoru Ito and local Merimbula chefs Jamie Sverdrupsen and Brett Kryskow, Umi-ko Izakaya has quickly become a much-loved part of the local food scene. Jamie also co-owns nearby Bar Monti with partner Kat Harley.
Japanese izakayas are informal bars usually focussing on drinks and snacks and Umi-ko has branched out to include substantial meals like ramen and rice bowls.
The result is a large menu covering a wide array of Japanese eats. Dining with a large group of friends we mainly opted for individual bowls, with a few shared plates between us. Our selections of drinks ranged from tasting flights of Japanese whisky, to cans of hard-lemonade, beers and tea.
Agedashi tofu is a favourite dish which did not disappoint at Umi-ko. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
My first pick was for an entree of agedashi tofu: a delicate dish which can all too easily become a salty, soggy mess in the hands of an amateur.
At Umi-ko, the tofu remained plump and the broth was perfectly seasoned: hits of umami richness blending with the creamy tofu.
We wanted a shared snack and couldn’t go past the charmingly named firework roll.
This turned out to be a sushi roll filled with tempura fried enoki mushroom – which “exploded” out each end – avocado and pickles. The enoki was seriously crunchy and paired nicely with the smooth avocado. I will eat pickles any day so I was very happy with their inclusion!
Firework rolls are festive and textural. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Around the table my mates picked different bowls: chicken ramen, curry chicken katsu and a torched salmon don served with an egg yolk to stir through the rice for a rich and creamy finish.
I shared a bowl of black tonkatsu ramen which has a base broth made with black garlic and served with chashu pork, Osaka egg and bamboo shoots.
Folks, this might just be my new favourite ramen. Black garlic is made by slowly fermenting whole bulbs of garlic at a steady temperature over about a month and the result gives you a rich umami flavour with a surprising sweetness. Yes, the garlic is still there, but it’s mellow.
If you compare garlic with white vinegar (strong, overpowering and best used in moderation), black garlic is like an aged balsamic: complex, sweet, sticky and something I would happily splash around.
The torched salmon rice bowl was as pretty as it was tasty. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Often I find ramen that exclusively relies on pork broth for flavour lacks complexity, but adding black garlic elevates the broth into something greater than the sum of its parts.
The noodles were bouncy, the egg “googy” (iykyk) and the toppings delicious. The rest of the table was similarly happy with their choices and there was barely a grain of rice or teaspoon of liquid left in our bowls.
The soundtrack to our evening was a smooth playlist of Japanese city pop, the decorations were delightful and the staff were friendly and helpful, despite this being the end of a long weekend and they had been run off their feet.
Umi-ko Izakaya is an excellent addition to Merimbula’s thriving food and wine scene. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Merimbula is awash with great eateries and Umi-ko Izakaya is an excellent part of the food scene in this gourmet town.
Umi-ko Izakaya is at 56 Market Street, Merimbula. It is open from 5 pm until late, Tuesday to Saturday. Follow Umi-ko Izakaya on Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on About Regional.
