Chukasoba Masutani Kitashirakawa

A long-established restaurant founded in 1947 (Showa 22) located in Kitashirakawa, Kyoto, just a 1-minute walk from the Ginkakuji-michi bus stop. It is known as the originator of the 'seabura shoyu-kei' (back fat soy sauce style), a genre of Kyoto ramen also known as Kitashirakawa-kei, and its name is widely known through convenience store cup ramen and its spin-off branch in Nihonbashi. The signature dish is a bowl combining a chicken and pork bone broth with soy sauce tare and finely chopped back fat (chaccha). The soup is a subtly emulsified, rich soy sauce chintan (clear soup) that has gradually become cloudier over many years, and now offers a matured pork bone flavor and gelatinous thickness in the finish. The noodles are medium-fine straight, on the lower hydration side, and are typically served slightly soft, so many regulars order 'noodles firm (katame)' to their preference. Ingredients are a simple composition of chashu pork, crunchy menma, Kujo green onions, etc., and extra green onions (negi-mashi) can be added for free. On the table, you'll find pepper, black pepper, ichimi (chili powder), soy sauce, and vinegar, and in the latter half of the meal, it's common to change the flavor by adding table-side tare or vinegar to tighten the taste. The interior, with its old Showa-era atmosphere and comfortable space including tatami seating, is also one of the reasons it has been loved by both locals and tourists for many years.