Ramen Takara has two locations across Auckland. Their Browns Bay restaurant is a tiny Japanese noodle and sake bar that's cheap, cheerful and always packed to the brim with hungry guests. I remember the first time I stepped foot in Ramen Takara. I was in year 12 at school and had just started working my first "big girl job." My girlfriends and I came here for dinner, dollars in hand, feeling more grown up than we had in our lives. That's one of my fondest teenage memories and every tiem i step through their doors, I'm transported back to being freshly 16 years old.

Though that was a decade ago, their food is just as good and always tastes the same. Don't you just love it when a restaurant is consistent? Their dishes include Shoyu and Tonkotsu Ramen (my favourites), Teriyaki Salmon, miso soup, and crispy lotus root Renkon Chips (a must-order any time we're here!).

How to get there

Ramen Takara's Browns Bay restaurant is on the North Shore of Auckland. When you arrive in Browns Bay, I recommend driving down to the waterfront and parking in the carpark on the far righthand side of the beach. You can't miss it! From there, Ramen Takara is approximately 50m away on the lefthand side of the road as you walk towards Woolworths and New World. They do not accept same-day bookings, but you can put your name down on their waitlist at the door! It gets busy, so you can expect to wait a while, and you may need to circle the carpark a couple of times before you get a space.