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!

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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E.Y.’s American Restaurant / Hamburger Land (アメリカンレストラン イーワイズ) in Fukui City, Fukui

Every couple months I visit Fukui City, a few of my friends always want to visit E.Y.'s American Restaurant (ie. "Hamburger Land") in search of a good burger. They offer up a variety of burgers and toppings, fries, burger plates, and creamy shakes. Their decor, too, is distinctly American-diner-inspired, with red and white colors, American posters, and music playing in the background.

I'm sure many of my friends will disagree with me here, but unfortunately, I'm not a particular fan of their burgers. While I feel their price point is marginally justified given the freshness and overall quality, the flavor in the meat is sorely lacking. Without the right seasonings, at least even a shot of pepper and salt, the patties do not have the right kick a really good burger joint has. Maybe its also extra char on the grill or grease on the pans, but any burger restaurant I like (fast food exempted) have that little something extra in their beef that really sets it apart.

Even after several visits here, I still mostly feel the same way. With the right toppings like this pineapple, the flavor profile of the burger does get a bit better. Though if I were to be honest, I always have a good time when I come because the company makes it worthwhile.

However, that meat is still missing that special something… sigh.

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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!

Europa-ken Tsuruga Shop (敦賀ヨーロッパ軒 中央店) in Tsuruga, Fukui

I visited several times over the years and most recently at their main shop in Fukui City. Since Sauce Katsu is such a famous Fukui dish, we wanted to show a visiting friend the premier example of it at Europa-ken, this time in Tsuruga. I was recommended the ? mince breaded cutlet or the mix bowl this time. Of all the times I’ve been here, I’ve never had anything other than their regular breaded sauce pork cutlet, so I decided to try the sampler bowl that is the Mix Bowl, which has one slice of chicken, fish, and mince for 1100￥ ($10 USD).

I actually like this mixed bowl way better than their regular katsu bowl! Of note, the chicken was surprisingly juicy and the mince was surprisingly soft, with the light, saucy, crunchy breading complementing the softness of the meat. The fish cutlet was also good and gave a nice fishy contrast to the other meatier slices. The rice portion, as always, was plentiful and gave the bowl a decent value. I only wish they provided a side dish of their delicious sauce like when you order the katsu teishoku set since I like mine a little saucier.

While I still say that there may be other pork cutlets I like better elsewhere, their mix bowl by far has me really impressed and I would be more than happy to have it again next time!

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Ramen Niji (らーめん虹) in Mihama, Fukui

This is one of my favorite ramen restaurants in my area, Ramen Niji in Mihama, Fukui. The have a few variants of ramen, but their signature Niji Ramen has an extremely thick tonkotsu broth that is heavy on the richness of pork bone flavor. The thickness is more akin to a stew than a broth… definitely the kind of ramen that I love the most. I always opt for the Chashu Niji Ramen for 1000￥ ($9 USD) which adds a few plentiful slices of pork.

More than just the rich soup, they also grill their chashu to give it a deliciously savory taste that only serves to enhance the meaty umami flavors. While the thin noodles are not exactly my main preference, they have just the right firmness to complement the soup. You can also opt for a larger portion or add kaedama extra noodles for 150￥ more if you want more, but I think the heavy soup makes it feel quite satisfying as it is.

The only drawback for me is that they are nearly a forty-minute drive from my house. I have visited them many times over the years and I will definitely continue to go. I can’t recommend them highly enough!

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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!

Steak and Hamburg (ステーキ宮 ステーキ&ハンバーグレストラン) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Steak Miya (aka Steak & Hamburg) is a chain of meat restaurants all over Japan. I never stopped by the Tsuruga, Fukui, shop before, despite passing by hundreds of times. So finally some friends and I decided to check it out to see how it compares to other meat restaurants like Ikinari! Steak or other regular family restaurants like Coco’s or Tomato & Onion.

The whole menu seems a bit pricey, but nonetheless, it’s the norm here in Japan. For example, here is 225g (8 oz) of hamburg steak and 75g (2.6 oz) of grilled steak that go for 1890￥ ($17 USD). Honestly, I was a bit worried because Ikinari is a bit cheaper than that…

But since they also offer a rather cool salad, soup, and drink bar (not alcohol), we thought we’d try it anyway. I ordered ? and the salad and soup bar for ?. The hamburg patty was pretty juicy and the steak was surprisingly succulent, soft, and delicious. Unfortunately, it was tiny. The soup and salad bar had a solid selection of options and everything was fresh. The killers were the sauce options… especially the gravy. We were all surprised at how legitimately tasty and rich it was!

I definitely had a nice meal with my friends there. If this was my only option in town, I’d come back, but unfortunately, there are other choices in Tsuruga that might be better worth the visit.

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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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Nobukou (のぶ幸) in Takahama, Fukui

If I were to choose the best Japanese food restaurant around Obama, I would, without reservation, declare Nobukou to be my favorite. This tiny, family-run restaurant on Route 27 in Takahama, Fukui, is so nondescript, you’d likely pass it several times before you’d notice anything was open for business; there are no large signs and the whole outer facade looks like a typical house. But if you didn’t stop by, you’d be missing a real treasure.

They offer a large menu of delicious Japanese dishes that have very generous portions, all at very reasonable prices. For those less hungry, they also serve more "regular" sizes and plenty of other dishes, so there is probably something you’d like if you enjoy Japanese food.

At the recommendation from my friend, I have been recently ordering their Katsunabe Teishoku set for 1100¥ ($10 USD) which includes a ridiculously large fried pork serving with mixed egg and onion topping, soaked in deliciously savory-sweet mirin and soy sauce.

The crispy breading, the soft-battered egg, and cooked onions create an amazingly rich dish that is simply delicious.

Come down to beautiful southern Fukui and check this place out… it’ll be worth a drive, no matter where you are. This place comes with my highest recommendation.

As a bonus, here are some pictures of their Tonkatsu Teishoku and their Karaage Fried Chicken Teishoku sets I posted on my Instagram a year and some ago. (My photo quality has significantly improved since then.)

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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.

 

Ichijodani Asakura Roadside Station (道の駅 一乗谷あさくら水の駅) in Abanakajimacho, Fukui

Just recently, I reviewed Europa-ken, the main store that is said to have popularized Sauce Katsudon in Fukui Prefecture. It was certainly amazing, savory, rich, and delicious, but is there another restaurant that could possibly challenge it for taste?

Surprisingly, here is one such restaurant in Abanakajimacho, Fukui, located at the Ichijodani Asakura Roadside Station (Michi-no-Eki). I was recommended it by a friend of mine who leaves nearby.

While it just maybe one small part of the building, it has nice views of the outside and amazing food inside!

I ordered their #3 Katsu Teishoku Set which comes with a small cold soba, sauce katsu, and rice for 1300￥ ($12 USD).

While the soba was merely good, the katsu was outstanding! It was lightly crispy and had a thick crunch, not to mention the thick pork tasted softer and juicier than Europa-ken’s. The sauce, too, was a bit sweeter, coupled with the slice of lime for a hint of tartness.

This was subjectively better for me than most other katsu places I’ve been to and I will definitely keep it bookmarked for when I pass through again!

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Iwamotoya (岩本屋 福井本店) in Fukui City, Fukui

Iwamotoya, a large Reinan chain of ramen shops, offers various limited monthly specials.

This time, I stopped by their Main Store to have their Hotate Soba (Scallop) for 980¥? ($9 USD). As always, regular, large, and extra large noodle portions are all the same price! Before I ordered the Hotate Soba, I asked the friendly shop guy what soup base it was… Salt? Soy sauce?  He was puzzled by my question because he said, “Hotate base.” Well, this I had to try! As with their other ramen, you can customize it a bit to your likingI asked for the strongest soup strength, heaviest oil, and softness noodle... 

And it did not disappoint. The broth had a nice, deep, and rich scallop and seafood flavor. It was creamy, rich, and savory… somewhat reminding me of a Seafood Cup Noodle, but in a good way! The three scallops from Hokkaido on top were small, but they were decently fresh, with a nice, soft and springy texture. The slice of slightly rare chashu, too, is always a treat, though I wished for a bigger piece. For the price, the extra-large portion of noodles was definitely a good value considering it was a no-cost change.

I am glad that my friend and I could enjoy a damn good bowl of ramen, especially during midday on a Saturday, as most ramen shops are closed around 3 to 5:30pm. Iwamotoya is always worth coming back to check out.

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Texas Hands (テキサスハンズ 敦賀店) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Texas Hands is a chain of pizza shops around the Hokuriku region of Japan, including Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyama.

Let’s take a second to look at their store logo…

They offer a range of typical pepperoni pizzas to outlandish toppings like crab, squid, corn, fish egg (tarako)… well, those are pretty normal here in Japan.

Regardless of what you choose, the pizzas and toppings here are delicious… for Japan. They are definitely smaller and more expensive than what you’d typically get stateside in America. Their Large sizes, around 2000￥ ($18 USD), are more akin to a Medium in the U.S. The sauce and cheese also have a lighter profile, more suited for Japanese tastes than the heavy, greasier stuff at many chain pizza restaurants I’m very familiar with.

Do they sell pineapple toppings for their pizza? Not that I know of, so we brought some in! And if you don’t like pineapple on pizza, well…

Regardless, I often visit the Tsuruga, Fukui, location with my friends whenever I’m craving a taste from home.

I’ll neither confirm nor deny my hand is in this photograph…

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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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Europa-ken Main Shop (ヨーロッパ軒 総本店) in Fukui City, Fukui

Sauce Katsudon is one of the most famous dishes in Fukui Prefecture. Essentially, it consists of fried, breaded pork cutlets, covered in a sweet, savory Worcestershire-like sauce, over a bed of rice. Simple, satisfying and delicious, what’s not to love?

Every shop in Fukui has a bit of a different take on the food, offering different breading consistencies, thicker or wider pork cutlets, and very different sauces. One can visit the numerous restaurants serving it across the prefecture for a different, unique taste every time.

Europa-ken claims to be the first restaurant to serve it in Fukui, opening in January 1924 on Katamachi Street in Fukui City, Fukui. The main shop is still located there, so I decided to check out the place that made Sauce Katsudon so famous

I actually visited Europa-ken’s many locations in Fukui several times, but this was my first visit to the main store. I was greeted warmly and I saw a very familiar menu. I only needed to say “Katsu…” before the lady confirmed my order as the ever-popular Katsudon Set (1150￥ / $10.60 USD).

The bowl had three slices of finely-breaded katsu and lovely, fluffy rice. While they were already soaked in flavor, for more of that rich sauce, you can dip the katsu in it or pour it over; there is no wrong way to enjoy it. Either way, the set was well worth the price for tasting the original Sauce Katsudon.

Now, would I say this is the best Sauce Katsudon in all of Fukui? While it certainly is a contender, there are other amazing shops all around. Look forward to more of my saucy reviews soon!

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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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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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Shiotetsu (塩てつ) in Echizen, Fukui

Shiotetsu is a small ramen shop along a busy street in Echizen, Fukui. Coming back from Fukui City at night, I was hungry for dinner and this seemed to fit the bill. Parking was limited up front until I saw the large parking lot behind. Seats inside the restaurant are reasonably plentiful with some group seating and a few counter spaces. Their menu consists of a few variations of primarily Shio Salt and Miso Ramen with a wide variety of sides like Gyoza, Rice, Fried Chicken, and the like.

I tried their most popular ramen, a Shio Dragon Ramen with Garlic Ramen noodles for only 670￥ ($6 USD) for a regular. As a huge fan of garlic in ramen, I was deeply intrigued so I ordered the larger size at only 795￥. What arrived shortly thereafter really impressed me with the sheer value of size for the price, the smell of savory umami and garlic hitting me.

I think a lot more ramen shops should do this! The noodles were a bit firm, but had a really unbelievable amount of garlic flavor imbedded within each strand. If you love garlic, you’ll be in heaven! The salt broth was good and light, but rather greasy so it was not particularly memorable. There was only a sliver of chashu, but it was good. Perhaps next time I’ll order a larger grilled portion.

Maybe their Dragon Ramen is so named because you are going to breathe some major garlic breath after eating it! But I loved it!

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