Ilko Mazesoba swaps the soup for a sauce and makes ramen summer-ready

One of the downsides of warmer weather is that it makes certain delicious, piping hot meals impossible to eat. I'm thinking of ramen, of course. Bowls of steamy, soupy noodles aren't exactly the most relaxing thing to tackle when you're already sweating over the news.

I say all this to my parents as I attempt to convince them to try some brothless ramen with me. Known as mazesoba – literally, "mixed noodles" – this version replaces the traditional soup with a sauce. It's a relatively young cousin of the brothy original and is also sometimes known as abura soba (oil noodles) or mazemen in Japan.

The fact we get to eat it in Sydney is thanks to Michelle Widjaja, owner and chef at Darling Square's Ilko Mazesoba. This time last year, Widjaja trained with a ramen master in Osaka. There, she learnt the best way to make a fat, springy wheat noodle – the kind with maximum surface area to carry a salty, flavoursome sauce.

"You can take your time with eating [mazesoba]," says Widjaja. "With ramen, you have to slurp and you have to eat it quickly, otherwise the noodles will absorb all the soup. I'm a slow eater. So I get to take my time and the texture doesn't change much."

But novelty isn't the main appeal here. The former pastry chef is serious about noodle-making as a craft. So much so, she partially crowd-funded a $20,000 machine to make the dough in-house. These days, she goes through a total of 150 kilograms of noodle dough a week, catering not only to dine-in patrons but a takeaway trade driven by the growing work-from-home crowd.

For those who get to venture out, a trip to the store is recommended. There's the obvious reason Widjaja's noodles are best eaten fresh. But nothing quite replaces the joy of eating among pictures of the restaurant's ramen-eating mascot, an internet-famous dog called Flynn the Shiba.

On the food front, prepare to feel slightly dazed by the options in the line-up. There are seven main kinds of mazesoba on the regular menu, each with varying degrees of spiciness, and – wait for it – cheese.

Start your adventure with an original mazesoba. The trademark dish has chunks of house-made pork belly chashu, a runny onsen egg, a dusting of spring onion and the classic umami bomb of bamboo shoots and shredded nori. The tare (or sauce) is made of the same soy-based marinade that flavours the smoky chashu.

My parents, both die-hard ramen fans, enter the soupless territory with gusto. Each follow the advice (helpfully stuck on the side of each table) of adding two swirls each of kombu vinegar and chilli oil, before mixing the whole thing up vigorously.

The result is a tangle of noodles coated with sauce and egg yolk. A dreamy sight – one that vanishes before our eyes before we know it. Thanks to the broth-free status, sharing is possible. The challenge comes when all three of us find ourselves unexpectedly drawn to the option with cheese.

Granted, it was a fancy mazesoba on the truffle specials menu. For $30, you get a generous snowfall of black truffle shavings on a medley of mushrooms, egg and a trio of cheese: parmesan, mozzarella and tasty. I am reminded of an eggy carbonara or the richness of a still-warm cacio e pepe. But to compare this dish to an Italian sibling would be inadequate, because there is nothing like it.

Save room for the vegan mazesoba. It features slow-cooked tomatoes inspired by Ivan Orkin of New York City's popular Ivan Ramen. Not to mention a house-made black garlic oil that makes you wonder how you'll eat anything else now without it. After all, it's the small things that make the most thrilling difference – like a summer-ready ramen.

The low-down

IIko Mazesoba

86 Hay Street, Haymarket, Darling Square

Main attraction: A brothless ramen, laden with colourful, umami-packed toppings that's perfect for the warmer weather.

Must-try dish: The truffle mazesoba. Yes, it's $30. But for this you'll get shavings of black truffle that makes a delicious companion to a handful of melty cheese.

Insta-worthy dish: Most of the noodles are photogenic, especially after a hearty stir that coats the mazesoba with a saucy, eggy glaze.

Drinks: Tea and soft drinks from $3; beer $7-$9.

Prices: Mazesoba $14.90-$16.90; truffle specials $10-$30; donburi $14.90.

Hours: Mon-Thu 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-8pm; Fri 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9pm; Sat 11.30am-9pm; Sun 11.30am-8pm.