Nekoland

120 boundary street, west end QLD

Episode 1 of Beneath the Buzz - my review series spotlighting eateries that aren’t flooding your socials yet, but absolutely deserve to be on your radar!

the digest

Order

Sakura shrimp bisque & classic chicken tsukemen - all broths are pork- and MSG-free.

Pay

Around $20 for noodles and toppings.

Consider

Walk past the kitchen to discover a dining room, courtyard and private function space.

Wear

It’s Boundary Street - anything goes!

Reserve

Walk ins only or private event booking.

Thursday to Tuesday, 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm (closed Wednesdays)

Travel

Car – Street parking or West Village car park, 50m

Bus - Boundary Street stops

Train - South Bank Station, 2km

full REVIEW

Originally posted 30 October 2025 on Instagram

Nekoland is the creation of Mathew, Kenny, and Nick – a talented trio whose resumes includes Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong.

From the street, it looks unassuming, but step past the kitchen and you’ll find a surprisingly lively dining space complete with a courtyard, bar, and even a private dining area.

The star of the show here is tsukemen, or ‘dipping noodles’ ramen. The dish comes as two bowls – one with rich, steaming broth and another with chilled or room-temperature noodles. You dip the noodles into the broth a few strands at a time, soaking up all the flavour and pairing them with your choice of toppings.  Then once you’ve finished the noodles, you pour in the accompanying dashi to dilute the broth and sip it like a comforting soup.

While a few Brisbane spots dabble in tsukemen, Nekoland is the only one that’s really made it their focus. Since opening, the owners have been listening to customer feedback and will be simplifying the ordering format. At the moment, toppings are individually packaged for you to select in cute little shopping baskets, but they’re moving toward a more streamlined (and eco-friendly) system to reduce packaging waste which will be a welcomed change.

My only suggestion? Serve the broth a little hotter (since it’s meant to warm the noodles), and the team was incredibly receptive to that feedback.

There are six broths to choose from:

• Classic Chicken

• Yuzu Pesto

• Truffle Sesame

• Japanese Spicy

• Chilled Sweet Corn

• Sakura Shrimp Bisque

Toppings are self-serve and range from panko-crusted pork, chicken, or prawn to tempura squid, wagyu slices, pork belly, and fish cakes.

After one too many glasses of champagne at the neighbouring West End Electric, I played it safe with the classic chicken broth while @wendyfoodie went for the truffle sesame.  Both had wonderful depth of flavour and umami, and I plan to work my way through all the options (except spicy haha!). The noodles themselves were perfectly chewy and springy (you can also opt for udon), and I loved the sweet/salty tang of the pickled mushrooms included.

Our bowls were around $20 each and it’s worth noting that all broths are pork- and MSG-free.

If you’re in the mood for a drink, there’s also a tidy selection of bar snacks alongside sake, chūhai (shochu highballs), beer, and their refreshing signature lemon iced tea.

All in all, Nekoland might blend into the lineup of Boundary Street eateries, but for noodle lovers it’s well worth a slurp. I’ll be back this weekend for their special yakitori omakase and can’t wait to see how the team showcases another facet of Japanese cuisine!