Menya Inoichi

Opened in 2013, located on Teramachi Street, a 3-minute walk from Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, this is a renowned dashi (broth) ramen shop representing Kyoto. It has been awarded Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Kyoto/Osaka for 9 consecutive years (2016-2024) and is a regular recipient of the Tabelog Ramen WEST Hyakumeiten (Top 100 Shops). The interior features a pristine atmosphere reminiscent of a Kappo (Japanese fine dining) restaurant with white wood counters, offering an experience closer to a Japanese bowl dish than traditional ramen. The signature dishes are two types of "Dashi Soba" (broth noodles): white soy sauce and black soy sauce. These dishes use no animal fats, and the star is a dashi primarily made from top-grade "Honkarebushi" (dried bonito flakes) from Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, shaved to an ultra-thin 0.01mm, along with several other types of seafood flakes slowly concentrated at low temperatures. The white soy sauce version gently enhances the dashi's contour with a mellow flavor, while the black soy sauce version offers a crisp and aromatic soy sauce experience. The aroma of the dashi rising from the bowl is so refined it makes you straighten your back. The homemade thin noodles, a blend of two types of Hokkaido wheat and Kyoto-produced stone-ground whole wheat flour, have a smooth texture and firm elasticity that perfectly integrates with the dashi soup. The toppings include thinly sliced pork shoulder chashu cooked at low temperature, bamboo shoots (takenoko manma) instead of menma, nori (seaweed), green onions, shredded white onions, and the beautifully placed ultra-thin honkarebushi in the center. Yuzu peel is served on a separate plate. Various flavor changes can be enjoyed with tabletop condiments such as tororo kombu (shredded kelp), Asakura sansho (Japanese pepper), ichimi (red chili powder), o-gara shichimi (extra-spicy seven-spice blend), and white pepper. Especially, adding tororo kombu midway through creates a new dimension of flavor, adding thickness and depth to the dashi. Side dishes such as homemade shumai (2 pieces for 600 yen, made with Kyo no Miyako mochi pork + bamboo shoots + onions) and Red Jewel egg over rice with ultra-thin bonito flakes (500 yen, using eggs awarded by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) are also of high quality, allowing you to enjoy a full meal from ramen to dessert. Since no animal fats are used, it can also be animal-fat free. In addition to the main store, it is a popular brand with three other branches: "Inoichi Hanare" and a new store in Uji.