Get on board Japan’s DIY noodle craze at this TikTok-famous Cabramatta cafe

Happy Ramen Express has brought a taste of Japan’s popular DIY instant noodle shops to Cabramatta and become a big hit with students, families and TikTok.

The family-owned business went viral on social media shortly after opening in mid-May, with TikToks racking up more than 130,000 views and creators raving about how the experience made them feel as though they’d travelled to Japan or Korea.

DIY instant ramen bars have been around in Japan since at least 2014 and have begun to pop up more frequently across the United States and Australia in the past year.

It’s a simple concept: customers choose from about 50 varieties of packaged instant ramen (sourced from Japan, China, Korea and Thailand) and then from a fridge of toppings such as fish balls, rice cakes and vegetables, prepared at an off-site kitchen.

After paying, it’s time to assemble and cook the noodles in an aluminium-lined cardboard bowl, using induction machines pre-programmed to pour in the correct amount of water and heat the bowl until the ramen is cooked.

“Our goal was just to open somewhere people could have an affordable feed … so we didn’t expect it to blow up on TikTok the way it did.”

Hanh Lee, co-owner of Happy Ramen Express

Affordability is key – an entire meal (including noodles, toppings, snacks and a drink) costs less than $20 – but it’s possible to assemble a bowl for less than $5. From 1 to 4pm Monday to Wednesday, students in school uniforms can pay under $12 for the lot.

“Our goal was just to open somewhere people could have an affordable feed … so we didn’t expect it to blow up on TikTok the way it did,” says Hanh Lee, a former chef who owns and operates Happy Ramen with husband James Lee.

“We did enough prep to last a week before we opened, but it was all gone by the second day. We were struggling to keep up with demand.”

Happy Ramen’s selection of instant dry and soup-based noodles include popular brands such as Buldak (in flavours such as habanero lime, 2 X spicy and hot chicken curry), Shin Ramyun, Pho Noodles and SauTao – all of which are halal.

Customers mix and match the ramen packets, creating “recipes”.

“The weirdest combination I’ve seen is when a customer mixed the black bean noodles with tom yum soup and topped it with cheese and corn,” Lee says.

“I was watching him, and he was like, ‘No, you have to try it, it’s the best!’ and he looked so confident it made me curious.

“It … wasn’t the best.”

Lee says their eldest daughter, 11-year-old cooking enthusiast Bella-vie Lee, inspired them to open Happy Ramen. Instant noodles are an easy and comparatively safe way for children to get into cooking, she says.

The prices, instructions and buttons at Happy Ramen are deliberately simple and child-friendly, and the cafeteria-style tables (with condiments and containers of freshly chopped coriander and spring onions) are filled with students during the after-school rush hour.

“It’s because it’s a comfort food,” Lee says. “No matter where you are in the world, people love instant ramen because it’s affordable and convenient.”

Open Mon-Wed noon-11pm, Thu-Sun noon-midnight.

263 Cabramatta Road West, Cabramatta, instagram.com/happyramenxp