Ramen Touhichi

"Ramen Touhichi" is an esteemed restaurant located in a station-front building in Yamabana, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, just a minute's walk (97m) from Shugakuin Station on the Eizan Electric Railway. It is a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient for consecutive years and a regular selection in Tabelog's Top 100 Restaurants. Opened in March 2015 in Kita-ku, Kyoto City, it relocated to its current address in April 2022. The owner, who transitioned from architectural design and trained at Tokyo's famous "Shakariki," is known for his logical "design" approach to ramen. Its signature dish is "Tori Shoyu Ramen" (chicken soy sauce ramen). This dish features a clear (Chintan) soup made solely from chicken and water, combined with a sharp soy sauce tare (seasoning) made from Suehiro soy sauce from the Harima region. It seeks a perfect balance between the richness of chicken oil (chiyu) and a light, refreshing aftertaste. Achieving deep umami without artificial additives (mukachō), it is praised as an evolved style that brought "Tokyo's Neo-Shoyu" to Kyoto. The noodles are homemade, medium-thin, and straight. They are made from a blend of Hokkaido wheat, stone-milled wheat, and "Bihunsai" whole wheat flour, offering a chewy texture and delightful wheat aroma. The menu features six mainstays: Tori Shoyu Ramen, Special Tori Shoyu Ramen (1,700 yen), Tori Shoyu Tsukesoba (konbu-sui tsukemen, or kelp water dipping noodles), Niboshi Ramen (dried sardine ramen), Tori Paitan Ramen (creamy chicken broth ramen), Chiyu Mazesoba (chicken oil mixed noodles), and Ton Mazesoba (pork mixed noodles). Additionally, there are weekly rotating limited-time specials such as Ibuki Gin-tsuki Iriko Ramen (Ibuki silver-coated dried sardine ramen), Jidori Tonkotsu Gyokai Tsukesoba (local chicken & pork bone seafood dipping noodles), and Cold Tori Shoyu Ramen. Many regulars visit twice a month. Toppings include three kinds of chashu (braised pork: pork belly in soy moromi, smoked pork loin, and chicken breast), Kurobuta wontons, a soft-boiled ajitama (seasoned egg), menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), and nori (seaweed), each showcasing meticulous craftsmanship. For tsukesoba (dipping noodles), "eating instructions" are displayed in the shop: first enjoy the konbu-sui (kelp water) soaked noodles with salt and wasabi, then with the soy dipping sauce, and finally, finish with a wari-soup (soup for diluting dipping sauce). Popular side dishes include Aburi Butaniku-meshi (grilled pork rice bowl) and Jidori Nikomi-don (local chicken stew rice bowl). With many visitors traveling specifically for their limited-time menus, it stands as a representative ramen shop of Kyoto.