Suppon Ramen Ranbetsuro

Suppon Ramen Ranbettei, located in Kyoto's famous scenic spot, Sagano Arashiyama, is Japan's first specialty restaurant for suppon ramen (softshell turtle ramen). Operated directly by the long-established river fish wholesaler "Tanaka Shoten," it offers original menus perfected through trial and error by a head chef with experience in Japanese cuisine. The signature Suppon Unagi Ramen is a golden, transparent masterpiece, featuring pure suppon broth—made by simmering 3-year-old, over 1kg softshell turtles in well water for 40-50 minutes—combined with a kaeshi (seasoning sauce) of medicinal spices, chicken bones, and scallops. The soup boasts a unique elegant aroma and a sweet umami. Its luxurious preparation uses only one suppon per 10 liters of well water, reflecting delicate craftsmanship that extracts flavor just before any harshness or odor can develop. The noodles are custom-made for suppon soup by Kyoto's renowned noodle maker "Menya Teigoku," being thin, straight, and perfectly hydrated. They offer a snappy elasticity at first bite, gradually absorbing the soup for a delightful change in texture. Toppings include roll-shaped chashu made from first-class kabayaki eel (supplied even to Michelin-starred restaurants), rolled and seared; an onsen tamago (soft-boiled egg); green vegetables; maple leaf-shaped fu (wheat gluten); turtle-shaped pumpkin; kikurage (wood ear mushrooms); bubu-arare (small rice crackers); and butter, arranged delicately reminiscent of Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine. The bowl presents a sophisticated 'Moon and Suppon' tableau, with the pot serving as a pond, the onsen tamago as the moon, and the pumpkin representing the suppon. The ramen is served in a golden copper pot with excellent heat conductivity, kept consistently warm by a solid fuel burner. To conclude the meal, a golden suppon zosui (softshell turtle rice porridge) is offered. This gentle-flavored dish, with soup thickened by Yoshino kuzu (Yoshino arrowroot starch) and mixed with a small amount of rice, ginger, sansho (Japanese pepper), mitsuba (trefoil), arare (rice crackers), tenkasu (tempura scraps), and aonori (green laver), allows guests to savor the suppon's rich umami to the very last bite. This tranquil restaurant, where you can also enjoy conversation with the chef, offers a truly Kyoto-esque culinary experience that transcends the boundaries of ramen.