Menya Oiden

I can't believe it's taken me this long to visit Menya Oiden. I have always been to it's sister outlet Menya Mappen next door (the place with amazing Udon) however finally this year, I had the chance to try out Oiden. After much anticipation, I must say I was very impressed. Not only is Oiden perfect for a value-worthy meal, it is genuinely super delicious! Uni students...this is the place to be for a fast and fulfilling meal :)




If you've been to Mappen before then you would be very familiar with the system at Oiden - it's virtually the exact same thing! You line up and grab a drink from the fridge if desired and then move on to place your order, choose your side dishes before finally proceeding to payment. Except instead of udon or saba, your choices revolve around Japanese Rice Bowl dishes. For those who haven't tried both Menyas, please refer to this image below to get a good understanding of how it all works. Essentially It's a self-serve system that's both logical and efficient - absolutely fantastic when you're famished and all you want is for your food to be in front of you within minutes. 



Now this was something new and interesting: Sweet Plum Frappe and Iced Matcha Milk Tea. Unfortunately we didn't try it out on the night but I reckon the Matcha Milk Tea would've been delish...




Ok I was seriously impressed with the Fried Goods selection - not only did they have the usual Tempura ingredients, they also had Takoyaki and Spring Rolls! M had to stop me from grabbing every piece from the range...was so tempted!



...and for those who are more on the heathy side, there are salads, tofu, kimchee and even desserts to add to your tray.



I ordered Ontama Teriyaki Chicken (Large $8.10) which was probably the most popular option at Oiden. Honestly sometimes going safe is defiitely the smart choice. It was hearty in size and bought so much happiness to my taste buds. Huge chunks of tender chicken glazed beautifully with teriyaki mixed with the gooey yolk from the egg = absolute gastronomic bliss. The sprinkles of seaweed added the extra kick to the fragrant seasoning - double thumbs up!



M went with ordering Ontama Beef (Large: $8.10) and as the name suggets, it also involved a gooey egg. You can't go wrong with gooey egg, period. The thin shavings of sukiyaki beef with caremelised onion proved to be a flavoursome combination that went well with each other and even better after mixing it with the egg yolk. Personally having tried a bite, I preferred the chicken as it seemed more "filling". 

What I loved about Oiden was the fact that both dishes were very "saucy" and so we never had a dry spoonful of rice - an essential for rice bowl dishes in my opinion.



For sides, M went for some Fried Chicken, a Takoyaki Skewer and Crumbed Pork Katsu. The chicken was probably the best out of the three - sensationally crispy and tasty, it's exactly what fried chicken should all be about.



For my sides, I got pretty much the same thing except I also ordered the Ebi Prawn Fry. For those of you who are considering going Oiden, this is a must-grab. It was probably the best Ebi Fri I've ever had - insanely crunchy on the outside with juicy prawn meat encased - too good!



A variety of sauces and extra seasoning also available on the communal tables.



The place was buzzing with people and with good reason to. Don't be put off by the line because the system here is seriously fast - before you know it you've ordered, the food's in front of you and you've snagged yourself a seat. 



Happy hungry people eating away!





As mentioned before, Oiden is situated right next to Mappen and both are on George Street near the 3 Monkeys Club. This is definitely a fantastic place to check out if you are after a fast, good meal that's not too pricey. Variety is great here and service is nice and efficient. What more could you ask for?

Another cool thing about Oiden is that most dishes come in 3 sizes - small, medium large and you can even take away. So whether you're after a quick snack or a substantial feed, they've got you covered. 




Menya Oiden
Shop 12, 537-551
George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9267 1368


Menya Oiden on Urbanspoon

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