You spoke, and owner Taiyo Namba listened. Then head chef Chris Schofield worked his magic.

“We have introduced some updated recipes for our broths and new high-tech machines for cooking our dumplings which have made an astonishing improvement to the taste,” Namba told Food & Wine.

“We’ve also added a few delicious side dishes like kara-age wings – Japanese-style fried chicken wings –  agedashi tofu and creamy potato and crab croquettes known as korokke.”

Susuru opened five months ago and the response from the public was, Namba said, “phenomenal”. Eager customers lined up along Newcastle’s King Street, waiting for a table. 

“We knew Novocastrians were craving ramen and gyoza but the demand was far greater than we ever expected,” Namba said. “It was quite a test to serve that many people but our staff did an amazing job keeping it ticking along. The huge numbers have now tapered off and we’re getting a steady flow of customers for lunch and dinner. The ongoing construction works around the city have created a challenging environment for business but we’re soldiering on.”

Ramen enthusiasts, he said, rave about Susuru’s tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen.

“This has been our best seller until recently when our new katsu curry ramen, a pork cutlet and Japanese curry, made its debut. Our new kara-age wings are also flying out the door. Susuru uses traditional ramen flavours of tonkotsu, shoyu (soy) and shio as well as great spicy ramen and vegan ramen options, however our fortnightly specials have allowed us to experiment with flavours you wouldn’t see in your traditional ramen shop.”

As for Schofield, he is planning another trip to Japan this year.

“To follow up on his study at the world-renowned Miyajima ramen school in Osaka, he is looking to investigate some amazing super-thin ramen noodles and intensely flavoured broths in southern Japan,” Namba said.

“The new menu offers more choices and better defines the ramen styles that Novocastrians desire. You don’t have to love ramen or gyoza to enjoy a meal at Susuru – a variety of side meals can also be enjoyed.”