Menya Hassaku (麺屋はっさく) in Kaminaka, Fukui

This is Menya Hassaku, a brand new ramen shop in the Wakasa area, near my town. Their menu consists of chicken-based toripaitan ramen, such as tsukemen dipping-style. They currently have only six counter-top seats, so get in early!

Along with most of the other customers in the shop, I also opted for the Ajitama Shiro Chashu ramen, with egg and extra chashu, for 1230¥ ($11 USD). With only the friendly proprietor running the shop and taking orders, it took a bit of time, but it was nice to be able to watch his process and converse with him a bit. Luckily, it was worth the wait! The smooth, salty, slightly creamy chicken broth complemented the good portion of thin, firm noodles. It was flavorful without being overwhelming.

The soft egg and other ingredients were also quite delicious. My only minor complaint was that the chashu was a bit greasier than I expected.

You can also add an extra noodle portion for 150¥ if you’re still hungry. They also seem to have some rice bowls on the menu… I will definitely be back!

Daiichiasahi (第一旭 西舞鶴店) in Maizuru, Kyoto

Daiichiasahi is a nationwide chain of ramen shops from Kyoto. I was in the northern Kyoto region of Maizuru to visit a friend and to eat ramen, so I stopped by here on the way back.

As expected from a huge chain, they offer a wide range of ramen to suit many tastes, but they know what they are doing here. I ordered the Taro, regular size, for 830￥ ($7.50 USD) and added the Manpuku (full stomach) Set for 480￥ more.

Most items on the menu were soy sauce-based, but the Taro was different because it also has tare sauce on their chashu. While at first I thought it was a bit of a gimmick, once I bit in, I could tell they definitely simmered in the sauce as every bite had it soaked through.

The broth was medium, but still had enough pork fat for flavor… the whole portion and taste was quite good.

The added side set definitely made my stomach full with fried rice, salad, fried chicken, and extra tare chashu slices… which I gladly welcomed after tasting it in the ramen. The fried rice and karaage chicken had just the right amount of crispiness.

In addition, the staff apologized that I had to wait for my other piece of karaage, so they gave me an extra piece. That is great service!

After paying, they handed me one of those fabled “half-price” ramen coupons that apparently are quite frequently used. Even without it, I would’ve come back. But for half price??? It is most surely guaranteed!

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Chicken Ramen Yarou (らーめん チキン野郎) in Hikone, Shiga

How do you make a favorite ramen restaurant even better? Take some friends!

It’s been a long while since I visited Chicken Ramen Yarou in Hikone, Shiga. Too long. The last time I came was during their anniversary nearly two years ago, but I thought I should show my friends some great chicken ramen since we were passing through. And for me to revisit what I had considered one of the best I’ve had in Japan. I ordered their Deluxe Kotteri Chicken ramen for 1050￥ ($10 USD), which includes chashu, several slices of chicken, nori pieces, and an egg. The more standard version is only 750￥. My friends opted for the lighter Deluxe Assari Ramen for 1100￥ ($10.50).

The ramen was just as delicious as I remembered… the creamy, savory broth had just the right amount of salty chicken flavor with a satisfyingly rich thickness. My friends commented that it tasted like gravy and the combination of soft chicken slices and gravy reminded them of home… I definitely agree! It is nostalgic in all the right ways. The chashu was also quite good, rare and sliced thin. The noodles were medium thick and soft, perfect for me but perhaps too soft for others. My only real complaint was the egg which was a bit hard-boiled for me.

This was also my first time to try the Assari broth, which had a lighter taste profile. It was still very flavorful, but the savoriness was more soy sauce than chicken or pork flavor and it had a bit more oiliness in the aftertaste than the thicker broth. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it a lot.

If you’re looking for amazing thick broth ramen, I highly recommend Chicken Ramen Yarou! The chicken flavor is uniquely delicious and well-worth a trip through Shiga to check out.

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Hachiban Ramen (8番らーめん 小浜店) in Obama City, Fukui

To my dear Hacchan,

It’s been a long time, Hachiban. How are your chain of shops in western Japan doing? Are you still expanding in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, too? I’ve always liked how you named yourself after the Route 8 connecting the Hokuriku area… it’s very appropriately fitting. I mean this as no insult, but you’re so much like the McDonald’s of Fukui ramen; somehow I see you everywhere I visit.

You were the first ramen shop I visited when I came to Obama City, Fukui, so many years ago. My former neighbor brought me here and I tried your signature vegetable ramen with salt broth. I couldn’t believe how cheap it was… 590￥ ($5.50 USD), if I recall. You piled those 5 kinds of veggies so high, but… I wasn’t impressed. The flavor was so light and plain, I haven’t been back in six years.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I really appreciated those crunchy veggies. I thought you had some nice noodles. And your naruto with the 8-ban logo in it is always so cute, seriously. A lot of other people like you since you always seem so busy. You just weren’t for me.

You know the Nest Inn Obama promotional program that Obama City is starting to sell? You know, those tickets you can buy at a discount to be used at a wide range of participating shops that are used to help spur the local economy? Yeah, those. You appeared on the list and I was wistfully remembering our brief time together.

So, I took the chance and went back. Maybe you changed, maybe I changed, I thought.

The moment I stepped in, I knew Corona had affected the seating, but somehow not your patrons. You were crowded as always, plenty of folks still vying for your attention. And there was little old me, noticing everything different about you. You spent some money on new fancy tablets and you studied up on your English and Chinese, I saw.

Your menu was familiar, though. The same vegetable ramen loved by all… but then you started showing off your limited seasonal menu and so I was tempted by your offerings… you always knew I liked spicy. That Vegetable Mala ramen looked like it was made just for me and it was only 790￥ ($7.35 USD) for a regular size. I wanted to be burned by you, a little. And you gave it to me.

Because I know you’re Japanese and you cater to the typical subtle tastes of Japanese cuisine, so I didn’t expect that numbing, mouth-watering Chinese spice flavor to be so prominent. Your thick noodles were as bouncy as before and your portion for the price… lovely.

I also had to have 6 pieces of your seasonal shrimp gyoza, too. At 300￥, how could I say no to gyoza? Or should I say dumplings? These are also Chinese-inspired, after all. I’m sorry to say while it was delicious, you missed the mark by a bit. I could barely taste the shrimp, but your texture was spot on with just a bit of softness and a hint of pan-grilled char.

I’ll admit, I take back those words I said about you back in the day. I didn’t know it hurt you so much that you felt you had to change.

You hit the right notes for me that day. Was it the rainy weather? Was I just too hungry?

It was just a fling, my dear.

I’m not sure I’ll come back so soon because while you have changed, I know it’s only just a little and just for a limited time. You are still the same, wonderful bowl of vegetable ramen.

I know you have other broth options, like tonkotsu and shoyu. You offer thin noodles and soba, too.Maybe I’ll come by and see you again… but I don’t think that we’re meant to be. You have other patrons who want you more than me. You deserve to be needed.

You want me to be really honest about us?

...it’s just that, as before, your broth lacked… something more. That spark. The depth of umami you know I really needed. You pushed the spice too hard and didn’t have something, anything, more to back it up.

For me that’s not enough.

I’m sorry to say it so bluntly. But we both know that you needed to hear it straight from me. I can be mean like that sometimes, you know.

I’ll be seeing you, maybe.

Sincerely,

Will

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Sing Sing (秦秦 高浜店) in Takahama, Fukui

Sing Sing was one of the first restaurants I posted about on my Instagram back in mid-2017. (Man, has it been that long...!?!) This place is actually a chain restaurant, though I have only been to the Takahama shop all the way down in South Fukui. I said back then this was one of the best ramen spots in all of Fukui when I had only visited a handful of ramen restaurants in my area and I haven’t been back in 2 years, so I recently went back to reaffirm or update my opinion of the shop. It’s extremely likely my experiences at two dozen or more ramen places in Fukui and more all around Japan would have changed my opinions on this place…

Surprisingly, my tastes were pretty spot on back then. This place continues to remain a top in my prefecture, though my feelings on the broth have changed a bit. They have a fairly large menu with the usual variety of ramen, such as miso, tonkotsu, shio… But my usual order is the Gokushiro Aburi Chashu Ramen, a strong, tonkotsu-based broth with deliciously grilled chashu for 1100￥ ($10 USD). As you can see, the highlights are definitely those thick slices of mouth-watering pork. You can hear the chef searing them in the back, the crackle of the meat making me even hungrier in anticipation. They are without a doubt as delicious as they look, soft and fatty, but with just the right crisp and savoriness.

The rest of the ramen is also quite good. The noodles are a good portion, but are a bit underdone for my taste. Also the egg is almost hard-boiled… while it was tasty with flavor, I prefer a softer, creamier consistency.

Of course, they have sides too…

You can also add in extra green onion and sweet pickled radish to taste. If you prefer a spicier noodle, a red version can be had for 60￥ more. A double portion of noodle is only 150￥ more for those really hungry.

I will say this ramen isn’t for everyone. Like all “strong” ramen, it is heavy to the taste, a bit greasy, and leaves you with a very full feeling. As expected, the flavors are also quite salty and umami, so if you’re looking for a light “gourmet” ramen, this isn’t it. (Then again, ramen is rarely gourmet or light!)

But for me, this hits the right spot. I highly recommend this rich, but deeply satisfying ramen.

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Ramen Kokutei (ラーメンこく亭) in Obama, Fukui

Kokutei in Obama, Fukui, is my favorite local ramen spot, as it is fairly close to my house, cheap, and quite good. They offer the usual range of broths on their menu: soy sauce, salt, miso, or pork bone soup, coupled with their thin noodles.

You can also opt for the red versions, which just has a lot of red ichimi pepper on top for a hint of spiciness. (They may look vicious, but they are far from truly spicy.) You can customize it by adding as much negi green onion, dried garlic chips, and other condiments to suit your taste.

I usually opt for their Red Miso Chashu Ramen for 970￥ ($9 USD) and pile on the onions and garlic chips. My breath afterwards can probably ward off any vampire or knock someone dead… But when it’s so delicious going down, I don’t mind keeping people at a distance after the meal!

Most recently, I broke with my regular bowl and ordered their Gyokai Shoyu (Seafood Soy Sauce) Ramen for 900￥ which had a lighter but fishy and savory taste. I really enjoyed it much more than I was expecting to, but since I love heavier soups usually, I’ll stick with my usual.

For those extra hungry, you can order a kaedama extra side of noodles or a larger size for 100￥ more. Their karaage fried chicken is also deliciously crunchy and crispy. If you are going to stop by this restaurant, drop me a line!

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Mensho Kaguya (麺匠かぐや) in Tsuruga, Fukui (Revisited)

I actually visited Mensho Kaguya (麺匠かぐや) in Tsuruga, Fukui, a few months ago with my friends, but it was definitely well worth another stop.

With a large menu, they had plenty of options to try outside their monthly limited specials. This time I tried their Jukusei Miso Ramen which features aged miso for a deeper and stronger taste.

It was definitely rich and had a nice, smooth, savory miso flavor in the broth. The aburi chashu was a bit fatty, but the nice, grilled pork taste was fantastic.

The noodles were nice and thin with a medium-firm texture.

The ramen was 980¥ ($9 USD) and the excellent chashu rice was worth the extra 200¥.

Definitely worth another trip!

Shougetsu (めん魚房 松月) in Tsuruga, Fukui (Strawberry Ramen)

Last month I went to Shougetsu in Tsuruga, Fukui, and had their seasonal Nishin Ramen (herring), but starting in March they introduced their new Strawberry Ramen… this I had to try! With the exception of their famous Lemon Ramen and other Yuzu citrus ramen, I have never had any fruit-inspired concoctions...

Arriving shortly at our table was this beautifully attractive bowl. I was surprised to say the strawberry tartness actually works pretty well for a ramen dish! There was also a bit of strawberry sauce around the top of the soup which gave the whole broth a bit of a lighter feel. It was definitely a unique taste that I enjoyed!

Unfortunately, I think the thickness of the broth and onions drowned out much of the strawberry flavor… if the broth was a lighter shio soup base, I think it would’ve been just about perfect. For a very reasonable portion at 1000￥ ($9 USD), you too can enjoy this limited seasonal fruit ramen!

Ikkoku Sakigakedo (一刻魁堂) in Handa, Aichi

On the way to Aichi to pick up another car, Matsuda-san and I wanted something delicious so he recommended Ikkoku Sakigakedo, a rather large chain of ramen shops all over Honshu I had never heard of before.

They serve up a wide range of ramen options, but they are known for their strong soy sauce taste. I originally wanted to try that, but when I saw the title of Kotteri (rich / heavy) Tonkotsu, I knew I had to order that and a side of their chashu rice bowl.

I’ll admit the presentation is pretty fantastic. While it honestly wasn’t that many chashu slices, the little pile in the center on top of the moyashi bean sprouts really makes it look impressive… and it was! The highlights of the soft and tasty chashu and as-advertised thick tonkotsu soup were satisfyingly delicious. The noodles were a bit soft, just the way I like them, but not much to comment about in terms of texture or taste.

The side of rice, though, is worth noting. The bits of juicy chashu gave it a real satisfying umami taste that I highly recommend as a side.

Now that I know about this restaurant, I can definitely look forward to having some solid ramen next time I’m traveling around!

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The Most Deserted Ramen Bar in the World (世界一暇なラーメン屋) in Osaka

The Most Deserted Ramen Bar in the World is a huge lie. It is most definitely not deserted by any means of the imagination, perhaps unless you define it by relative location. This restaurant in Osaka is located on the second floor of an office tower, nearby other business towers with few other ramen shops directly nearby. But with the long lines forming in front of the shop, no, it is certainly not deserted.

I was glad to get there before the shop opened because the line only got longer and longer afterwards. The shop has six different ramen options, but I chose the Kanko Dori for 900¥ ($8.20 USD) because it was the most unique item on the menu… “No soup citrus soy sauce,” it claims. And you can choose regular or large sizes for the same price. Sounds good to me!

For lunch time, you can also add a few things for a few hundred yen more. I added the Chashu Bowl for 200¥, given I was super hungry at the time having skipped breakfast.

This is definitely a more fashionable restaurant with an upscale modern decor and fancy bowls to match. The tall sides made me worry that I should’ve selected the larger portion of noodles because it looked tiny at the bottom of the cavernous sides. The whole presentation was lovely… but could the taste match?

Absolutely! These house-made noodles were stunningly delicious. The soupless, yet saucy, broth really coated the noodles so thoroughly, the flavor was packed in every bite. The first hit was surprisingly spicy, but it was followed with salty, umami flavors, ending in a light citrus taste. Definitely complex, rich, and flavorful… maybe one of the best I’ve had in a few months! The juicy chicken topping was also quite well-cooked, soft, and delicious.

However, two points brought the experience down. The soft, thinly-sliced chashu looked gorgeous, but they were a bit dry to the taste. The egg was also a bit overdone, though it was still tasty nonetheless.

The Chashu Bowl was probably the best-value add-on in a ramen shop I have ever had for the price. It was extremely meaty and rich with a ton of umami flavor, and it was larger than I expected. Well worth the lunch time occasion!

The back of the menu is quite interesting…

I am definitely leaving this ramen restaurant on my list of places I will come back to. The flavors, complexity, and value really made it an outstanding experience. Highly recommended, even if they lied.

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Shougetsu (めん魚房 松月) in Tsuruga, Fukui

It’s been awhile since I last visited Shougetsu in Tsuruga, Fukui. This Japanese restaurant has a large varied menu, but to me, the thing I always order is their Lemon Ramen, a light salt broth ramen with a few tart slices of lemon to really lighten the flavor.

This time, however, I opted for a change… their seasonally-limited Nishin Ramen for a very reasonable 830￥ ($7.50 USD). A piece of herring fish in my ramen? Could it really be worth ordering over the usual favorite? I was hesitant at first, but the friendly proprietor assured me that it was delicious.

And it was! The fish was preserved, so it was salty and sweet, reminding me much of a canned fish found in many Chinese dishes. The fish pared decently with the soup, which was lightly savory and creamy, but with a hint of spice. It was definitely an interesting combination I don’t think I have ever tried before at any other ramen shop.

The portion of noodles was quite good so the asking price was well worth it for something this uniquely savory and delicious! The only thing that I would like to see are some additional toppings or maybe even a few slices of their lemon to lighten up the whole taste.

Unfortunately, by the time you read this in March, the limited ramen will already be out of season. Maybe next year he’ll bring it back, but the next seasonal ramen coming up is an Ichigo (Strawberry) Ramen! Look forward to my review soon!

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Rairaitei (来来亭 敦賀店) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Previously on Instagram, I reviewed Rairaitei, a chain of ramen shops all around Japan. Having been there several times over the years, but not in a few years, I stopped by the Tsuruga, Fukui, shop with some friends. After the loads of delicious bowls of ramen I’ve consumed in the intervening years, how did it fare?

Honestly, Rairaitei still stands up as a solid ramen restaurant with cheap, but delicious bowls. This most recent time, I opted for a Kotteri (rich, heavy) Ramen for 780￥ ($7 USD) with Wonton dumpling toppings for 110￥ more. While I wasn’t blown away, it was still a great meal, offering good value at a good price.

As a bonus, here are a few photos I’ve taken over the years at some other shops around Japan.

I will definitely come again.

 

Ramen Yokozuna (ラーメン横綱 刈谷市) in Kariya, Aichi

Ramen Yokozuna is a chain of ramen shops hailing from Kyoto, now spreading primarily around the Chubu and Kansai (roughly central) areas of Japan. They are famous for having a wide variety of ramen and are always open late. I stopped by the Kariya, Aichi, location a few months ago with my friend to have a bite on the way home from picking up a car in Nagoya.

I ordered a Irodori Tonkotsu/Shoyu Ramen for 850￥ ($8 USD) and a side of Tarako Fish Egg and Mayo fried rice for 360￥. The broth was surprisingly rich and flavorful, with a nice pork taste. The noodles, chashu, and egg were also quite good, but otherwise not spectacular.

While I didn’t necessarily love the fried rice and the heavy Japanese mayonnaise topping, it was interesting enough I could order it again.

You can also add garlic, green onion, and other spices to taste. And for hungry eaters, there are also larger sizes for 100￥ more. For the value and convenience, I will definitely be stopping by one of their restaurants again!

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Mugiwaraya (麦わら屋) in Fukui City, Fukui

In my continuing quest to eat all the ramen Fukui has to offer, I stopped by Mugiwaraya, a ramen shop near Route 8 in the northeastern part of the city. Stopping on a weekday right before they opened, I was greeted by the owner and given a couple coupons; this is a great way to build customer rapport!

Their menu is extremely simple with only two main options, Shoyu Ramen or Tsukemen dipping-style Ramen. Sub-divided, there are also normal or large sizes and with or without a flavored egg. I opted for normal size ramen with egg for 900￥ ($8.30 USD) and a side of Chashu Rice for 450￥ ($4 USD) more.

The dark broth that arrived made it immediately apparent that the broth would be strong. The strong fish dashi taste was rich, very reminiscent of the tsukemen broth they also serve. The noodles were nice and slightly firm, which goes well with the flavorfully strong soup. The highlight, by far and away, was the absolutely mind-blowingly delicious chashu slice on top. It had just about the perfect amount of fattiness, softness, and with the grilled, crispy edges, the savory umami taste and texture was probably one of the best I’ve had in awhile.

Can I get more of that chashu, please? Holy wow. I might complain that with this much deliciousness, it’d be a crime not to include more.

The Chashu Rice was pricey, I admit, so I set my expectations for it a bit high. Nonetheless, since the aforementioned chashu was so good, chunks of it over some warm, fluffy rice really was a bit of heaven. It was perfectly soft, salty, and delicious.

This ramen restaurant definitely comes recommended if you love strong fish broth shoyu, amazing chashu, and darn good customer service.

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Tsukemen Honmaru (つけ麺本丸 柳津店) in Hongu, Gifu

Tsukemen Honmaru is a chain of ramen shops from Aichi Prefecture, serving up mainly tsukemen dipping-style noodles, as their name suggests. I stopped by their Hongu, Gifu, shop with my friend for a late dinner.

They have a few unique varieties, such as seafood, chicken and yuzu, spicy, and miso.

Of those four, I opted for their large Special Miso Tsukemen for 800￥ ($7.30 USD). For added value, normal and extra large sizes are also the same price.

The set that arrived on my table shortly thereafter was highly impressive, with the miso dipping broth still bubbling in the pot.

The portion size was more than adequate, the noodles soft and thick like good tsukemen should be. This was the first time I tried a miso-based tsukemen, as they all typically have a pork and fish (usually niboshi) base. I’ll say it was definitely a unique taste!

I don’t know how I managed to take such a blurry selfie…

I’m looking forward to coming back again and trying another of their varieties for the value alone!

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Chuka Soba Ryo (中華そばRyo) in Sabae, Fukui

Chuka Soba Ryo is a popular ramen restaurant in Sabae, Fukui known for their chicken-based ramen. Their main options all have some chicken in the broth as opposed to the more frequent pork used in other shops.

They offer shoyu soy-sauce, salt with niboshi (baby sardines), toripaitan (creamy chicken), and spicy maze mix soba. Of the four, I was recommended the salt or creamy variants by the waitstaff, so I opted for the Nibo Salt Chicken Soba for 780￥ ($7 USD), large-sized for 130￥ more, and a side of Chicken Chashu Rice Bowl for 350￥ more.

The light clear broth was quite lovely, imparting lots of fish and chicken flavors, while having a really clean and light finish. I’ve had soups before that end up oily due to the chicken and fish used, but this was not the case here. The noodles were also quite chewy and soft, portioned well at the large size. The chicken toppings were also delicious, with a perfect texture that had a great balance of softness and firmness.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the chicken bowl. While it was deliciously light and refreshing, it was not quite worth the extra yen unless you’re really hungry. I’d recommend just going with a larger side or extra helping of noodles.

Definitely a good restaurant if you’re looking for nice, unique bowls of chicken ramen that are becoming more popular, especially in the Kansai area of Japan.

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Menya Trip (麺屋 鶏っぷ) in Echizen, Fukui

My co-worker and I have both actually visited Trip in Echizen, Fukui, a few months prior to this most recent visit, but since it was so good and we were already nearby, we decided to go there again. This time, I opted for their monthly variant, called Butappu, which is a play on their store name and main ramen, Torippu. This ramen is a pork and shoyu-based ramen with some veggies on top and a thicker noodle for 830￥ ($8 USD).

The broth was a great deal thicker and heavier than their usual chicken-based soup, but it was almost too heavy with a strong, salty taste. However, the veggies on top did lighten up the bowl a bit to offset the heavier taste. I also liked their thick and soft noodles, which were quite a nice, satisfying portion.

As a bonus, here is a picture of my last meal last year here. This is more their typical fare, with the  chicken broth and thin noodles. When I come back again, it will be for one of these bowls and their deliciously rich chicken toppings.

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Delicious Noodle Tiger & Dragon (虎と龍 福井渕店) in Fukui City, Fukui

Even in the midst of summer, ramen for lunch always hits the spot for me. I visited Delicious Noodle Tiger & Dragon, a ramen shop in Fukui City serving up a few different variations of tonkotsu (pork bone) broth.

There are also mildly differing toppings that are Kumamoto or Hakata-inspired. Most of their options can be customized with thin or egg noodles, noodle hardness, and stronger or weaker soup flavor strength.

I ordered their Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen for 920￥ ($8.30 USD) with an egg topping for 100￥ more, opting for a stronger broth and soft-cooked egg noodles. The noodles were great, soft as expected, and at a reasonable portion for the price. The chashu was plentiful, if not a little fatty. The softness does complement the creamy, but not too heavy, tonkotsu soup, so it was likely a purposeful choice. Even though they messed up my egg for the day (the chef apologizing for this batch of overcooked eggs), it was still nonetheless surprisingly, deliciously savory.

I also appreciated the countertop had a few additions like spicy vegetable, Chinese-inspired spice, and the usual spicy hot oil and soy sauce. The spicy greens were really great to put on the ramen before the end to change the flavor profile.

It was overall quite delicious. Worth the stop for a good bowl of ramen!

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Ramen Sekai (らーめん世界福井敦賀店) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Ramen Sekai (“Ramen World”) is a chain of ramen restaurants around four local prefectures: Ishikawa, Toyama, Shiga, and, of course, Fukui. I usually stop by the Tsuruga, Fukui location. This is one of those ramen places when you don’t need something fancy and something delicious will do.

And delicious it is. With a reasonably large menu, they seem to really try to cover all the basic ramen bases.

Their main specialty seems to be their Kaga Miso Ramen, made from miso from Ishikawa Prefecture. Their miso has a bit of spice and is of the red miso variety, with hints of seaweed or fish in the broth. Their noodles are thick with a simple, clean taste and texture. The chashu is one of soup highlights, with a light, salty taste. Definitely a good value for the price.

I also recently tried their seasonal Yuzu Shio Ramen, which was quite cheap at 790￥ ($7.20 USD). It has a clean, light broth which allowed the thin slices of yuzu to really shine through. While it wasn’t the most revolutionary taste, simple and satisfying is always perfect for this season.

Their fried rice is also quite good with a savory, salty taste. If you crave more than just ramen, I highly recommend it.

Overall, this is a good place to stop when you need a quick bite without much fuss. The price is right, hours are long, and locations are pretty convenient.

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Bannai Shokudo (坂内食堂 本店) in Kitakata, Fukushima

Kitakata is a small city located in Fukushima, essentially renown worldwide as a city of ramen because it has the highest number of shops per capita. Granted, the capita is pretty small at 48,000, but it still says a lot about their local food, Kitakata Ramen. What sets Kiatakata-style apart from others is primarily their unique wavy, flat, thick noodles, which helps to draw in the lighter salt-based broth.

With room and time for only one ramen in my belly, I chose Bannai, one of the most famous Kitakata ramen shops with long lines even before the shop’s opening at 10am.

I waited about an hour in the summer heat to order from their simple menu, all focusing on the local specialty. I opted for their large Negi Chashu at 1200￥ ($11 USD).

The noodles were indeed the local style and were soft, wavy, and really scooped broth into my eager mouth. The medium-light broth was salty and had a bit of savory meaty taste which really distinguishes it from other simple shio soups. (It actually reminds me of some Chinese noodle soups in a way.) The chashu portion was good, each slice were super soft and thin, complementing the lighter profile broth. I could definitely see why this local establishment and town are so famous in Japan.

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