[2024] I want to eat at least once in Kyoto! Delicious eel...
Kyoto is known as one of the most competitive ramen areas in Japan. Kyoto is known as one of the most fierce ramen battlegrounds in Japan, and ramen lovers gather from all over the country to taste a wide variety of ramen, from long-established favorites to newer styles. We have selected popular ramen restaurants located in Kyoto Station, Kawaramachi, Ichijyoji, and other areas of Kyoto that you should not miss if you visit Kyoto. Let's go on a ramen tour in search of your ideal flavor. The numbers in front of the restaurant names are not in the order of recommendation or ranking.
Honke Daiichi-Asahi Honten" was established shortly after the end of World War II and has been welcoming people at the entrance to Kyoto. The lines that form early in the morning can be said to be a Kyoto specialty. The ramen is pork-based and soy sauce-flavored, and the soup is made by cooking it in a short period of time to extract only the flavor, which goes well with the medium-thick noodles made from a blend of several flours and aged to dryness. The noodles are made by Kondo Seimen, the soy sauce by Gokou Soy Sauce, and the kujo onions and mung bean sprouts are also from Kyoto. It is truly a bowl of condensed local delicacies.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/pork bone
▶︎ noodles/medium-thick straight noodles
Shinpuku Sankan started out as a Chinese noodle stall in 1938 and has since expanded nationwide. It is one of the most famous restaurants in the history of ramen in Kyoto. The main store is visited not only by locals but also by fans from all over the country, with lines forming from the time the store opens at 9:00 a.m. The distinctive feature of the ramen is the dark-colored Chinese noodle soup. The original soy sauce broth is simple but has a lingering taste that makes you want to eat it again and again. The fried rice, which has many fans, must be ordered together with the Chinese noodles.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/pork bone, chicken bones
▶︎ noodles/medium-thick straight noodles
This is the third branch of "Menya Takakura Nijo," which draws a long line every day. The restaurant is located in a traditional Kyoto townhouse and serves "Motsusoba" with freshly seared and savory motsu (small fish balls). The toppings, which are seared after the order is placed, add to the richness and flavor of the soup, which is made from a large amount of chicken stock and dried sardines. The fresh, plump motsu goes well with the cabbage and green onions. We also recommend adding a raw egg to make it sukiyaki style.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ Soup / Chicken stock, dried sardines, soy sauce
▶︎ noodles/medium-thick straight noodles
Menya Sanda is owned by the owner, who trained at the famous Ginjo Ramen Kubota for about seven years. The signature dish, tsukemen (dipping noodles in chicken white soup), features a soup made with only chicken and water to create a clean flavor. The chicken is carefully prepped and no unnecessary ingredients are added, resulting in a flavorless finish. Although the soup is thick and rich, there is no lingering odor or heaviness, and it has a reputation for a flavor that one never gets tired of.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/chicken
▶︎ noodles/straight thick noodles
Ra-men Tohichi is famous for its Seiyu Ramen made with Nama-age Soy Sauce, which is more aromatic and has a stronger flavor than ordinary soy sauce. The special sauce, which makes the most of the complex flavor of nama-age soy sauce, is combined with a broth made by simmering the bones of Tanba black chicken, Akita hinaichidori chicken, and other chickens over low heat for a long period of time. The beautifully clear appearance of the broth is not what one would expect from the concentrated flavor of the chicken. The noodles that go well with the soup are also homemade in pursuit of firmness and chewiness.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/chicken
▶︎ noodles/medium-thin straight noodles
Among the many ramen lovers who flock to Kyoto from all over the country, Takayasu is the originator of the cloudy soup that has been highly supported in Ichijoji, a particularly fierce battleground in the city. The soup, based on pork and chicken bones and cooked for a long time, is creamy but not greasy, and has many fans among men and women of all ages. Open until late at night, it is perfect for an after-work meal or to finish off a night of drinking.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/chicken bones, pork bones
▶︎ noodles/medium-thin straight noodles
This is the second branch of the popular ramen restaurant "Menya Kyokudori" in Ichijoji, Kyoto. The special feature of this ramen restaurant is the super thick, viscous, meaty, muddy chicken white soup with condensed chicken flavor. The soup is surprisingly thick and viscous, but the aftertaste is not persistent, so you can enjoy it all the way through to the end. The same flavors as the main restaurant are available, such as aka-tadashi with a large amount of chili peppers, kuro-tadashi with homemade chili oil, and a limited quantity of chicken tadashi ganro, but the chicken tadashi tsukemen, which is only available at the Enmachi branch and uses extra thick, sticky noodles, is also popular.
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/chicken
▶︎ noodles/medium-thick straight noodles
Tsukemen specialty restaurant boasts of its special noodles. The buckwheat-like brown noodles are made from stone-ground whole wheat flour produced in Nagano Prefecture. The thin, smooth noodles are a perfect match with the tsukemen (dipping sauce) made from the delicious flavors of chicken and seafood. Please refer to the recommended way of eating the noodles posted in the restaurant, and enjoy changing the taste by adding onion, sudachi or black shichimi (seven spice flavors).
RAMEN DATA
▶︎ Tare (Kaeshi) / Soy sauce
▶︎ soup/chicken broth, seafood
▶︎ noodles/medium-thin straight noodles
Thank you for reading this article. We would love to hear about your recommendations for ramen restaurants in Kyoto that you would like to eat even if you have to wait in line!
We sincerely look forward to your responses!
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