Finding the best ramen, or any ramen, on the Northern Beaches is a well-known struggle.
But today, we only have good news… Manly’s newest Japanese restaurant is serving up ramen every day of the week.
Kushi2095 is an Izakaya-style Japanese restaurant that has just opened on Belgrave St (next to Belgrave Cartel). The focus of the menu is undoubtedly on the skewers, or “kushi,” but there’s plenty more to this fun Izakaya. The staff are welcoming, the interior is sleek, and the food does not disappoint.
Your first point of call (after you order a drink) is to choose what skewers to order. The tables here are set up with a slab of stone to rest your hot skewers. Not that they’ll last long. You can expect a range of grilled delights to choose from like succulent chicken and beef to seafood options such as prawns and scallops.
Beyond skewers, there is a large range of small plates. Think fresh sashimi, crispy gyozas, chilli-dusted edamame, and the best miso eggplant we’ve ever tasted. You’ll also want to leave room to try some of the larger share plates, including the Roasted Japanese Pumpkin with baked edamame, cheddar, and parmesan. And the Wagyu Tataki with ponzu sauce, pickled onion, and shallot.
JFC fans, won’t be disappointed with the Chicken Karaage with garlic and aioli, or their crunchy Cauliflower version with crispy breadcrumbs and romanesco sauce. If you’re looking to try something a little more inventive, check out the Sashimi Tartare with yuzu, miso, onion, leek, and gyoza chips; and the experimental Tuna Pizza with chilli mayo, tortilla, onion, tomato, and olives.
But you came here for the ramen news, and like us, you will be thrilled to discover they are serving up piping-hot bowls of ramen at lunchtime seven days a week.
The ramen lunch menu features four options. The Tonkotsu Ramen offers a rich pork broth with soft pork belly, teriyaki shiitake mushrooms, and savoy cabbage. For those seeking a bit of spice, the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen includes spicy pork mince in addition to the classic Tonkotsu ingredients.
The Chicken Ramen boasts a chicken broth with chicken thigh, teriyaki shiitake mushrooms, and savoy cabbage. Lastly, the Yuzu Truffle Ramen can be slurped up with either pork or chicken broth, and features yuzu kosho, savoy cabbage, and a touch of orange zest. Can’t say we’ve ever seen that on a menu before!
If the person you’re lunching with happens to not like ramen (maybe reevaluate your friendship), they’ll be happy to know there are also three epic sandos to choose from. The Prawn Sando features prawn katsu, savoy cabbage, yuzu kosho, garlic mayo, and ‘bulldog katsu’ sauce.
The Meat-Lover Sando with satisfy any burger hound with it’s delicious combo of beef and pork patties, cheddar cheese, cucumber pickle, red onion, burger sauce, and mayo. And the Chicken Katsu Sando with its deep-fried chicken, iceberg lettuce, spicy mayo, and red onion is a winner.
There’s an extensive drinks list, including, of course, sake. Whether you’re a sake connoisseur or have absolutely no idea, the team will help you find a tipple to suit your palate. Their motto here is ‘No sake. No life,’ so you know they mean business. In a special touch, the waitstaff bring out a tray of homemade ceramic sake cups for you choose from.
So there you have it, lots of reasons (ramen, skewers, sandos, and sake) to visit the Beaches’ newest Japanese restaurant. They take walk-ins, but it’s already proving very popular, so consider booking a table on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Whether you opt for a cosy table or a lively spot at the bar, Kushi 2095 a must-visit for an authentic Japanese dining experience and a cracking night out!
Kushi2095
Shop1 / 10 Belgrave St Manly NSW
OPENING HOURS
Lunch
Mon-Sun: 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner
Mon-Thurs: 5:30pm – 10pm
Fri-Sat: 4pm – 11pm
Sun: 4pm – 9pm
Website: https://www.izakayakushi.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izakaya.kushi/
