Beer and ramen enthusiasts rejoice: two of Sydney’s best names in food and drink have been working hard to keep you happy this May.
, the bearded, taste-making beer brewers located in Newtown have released a bold new beer called – an ode to a famed motorcycle-riding Newtown local in the form of a hoppy, black American-style porter.
“Last year we brewed a small batch of Motorcycle Oil with one of our Newtown mates,” says Young Henrys cofounder Oscar McMahon. “This year, we’re bringing it back – bigger, blacker and in our first ever 500 ml can.”
With its chocolatey undertones and strong notes of roast barley and rolled oats, it’s not for the faint-hearted.
If the name of the brew doesn’t exactly ignite your tastebuds, rest assured: its flavour is as far from oil as you can presumably get. Yet, with its chocolatey undertones and strong notes of roast barley and rolled oats, it’s not for the faint-hearted, either.
Taking cues from the new brew, , another Newtown favourite appealing to ramen nuts and motorcycle lovers alike, has just released a brand-new ramen dish for the month of May.
Dubbed Darker than Darkness, the heady noodle soup is the perfect accompaniment to a tall Motorcycle Oil, and a sure-fire antidote to even the most serious case of the autumn blues.
Black inspirations: black ramen. Source: Young Henrys
“The idea for Darker than Darkness came about when we were asked to host a lunch party for our mates, Young Henrys,” Rising Sun chef and co-owner Nick Smith tells SBS. “I thought it’d be fun to have a completely black-themed menu to complement the dark beer.”
We add black garlic oil (mayu), for a deeper, smokier, richer, bittersweet finish.
Smith explains it’s not just the broth that’s black, but the noodles and the garnishes too. “The ramen itself is made with organic pork bone and chicken stock, seasoned with shoyu and smoked hocks,” he says. “To this, we add black garlic oil (mayu), for a deeper, smokier, richer, bittersweet finish. The noodles are made black with the addition of organic activated charcoal sourced from our gluten-free baker Noni’s Breads, who use it in one of their products.”
Of course, to top it off: black garnishes. Think blood sausage, black wood-ear fungus, sherry soy-pickled shiitake mushrooms, nori seaweed and ajitsuke (marinated and soft-boiled) egg.
“The garlic oil and rendered sausage fat coat the noodles as you draw them into the mouth, making each bite moreish,” says Smith.
With dishes like these, perhaps autumn won’t be too chilly after all.
Breakfast & lunch, daily 8am–4pm; dinner Wed–Sat 6pm–10pm.
Darker than Darkness is available throughout the month of May for $25, a price that includes a schooner of Motorcycle Oil.
Daily, noon-7pm
Motorcycle Oil is available on tap, in ‘growlers’ and in Young Henrys signature 500ml cans at select bottle stores, pubs and bars.
