The 10 Best Ramen Shops You Must Eat in Nara, Tokyo

What do you remember, when it comes to the local gourmet in Nara? Is it Kaki-no-ha sushi, Nara pickles or even Kuzumochi? They are all refined foods which only an ancient city can offer, aren’t they? But guess what? Nowadays, the thick ramen in Nara has been very famous! Since a long time ago, Nara has been famous for the local stamina ramen, but the restaurants for the thick tonkotsu (pork bone flavour) ramen and the fashionable Tsukemen (dipping noodles) have been increasing these days and the ramen lovers have been focusing on Nara. I’m introducing the 10 individual ramen restaurants.

1. Speaking of the ramen in the Nara prefecture, this is it! [Saika Ramen Honten]

The [Saika Ramen Honten] was established in the Tenri-city in the Nara prefecture as a Yatai (stall) ramen and it is a stamina ramen shop-restaurant which has been enjoyed by people in the Kansai area, saying “Ramen in Nara is nothing but Saika”. In the soy sauce taste soup with garlic, there are plenty of Chinese cabbages, Chinese chives, carrots and fried pork-meat which goes very well with the medium-cut noodles. The vegetables are filling and the chili-oil pungent soup looks to be very invigorating.

You can enjoy a different taste by choosing a raw egg or leek as a topping. The Saika Ramen shop-restaurants which provide the soul ramen in Tenri have been dotted around in the Nara prefecture. Please visit one of them when you come to Nara.

2. You could be addictive to the heavy taste ramen! The thick ramen in Nara [Muteppou Gamushara]

The Muteppou has its restaurant abroad, advertising the thick tonkotsu (pork bone) soup. The Muteppou Gamushara is in Nara which is close to its original place. The soup which is cooked using plenty of tonkotsu produced in Japan and water has the characteristic smell of tonkotsu in spite of its thickness, so you can’t have heartburn. There are 2 different types of soup, such as the pure tonkotsu which is 100% tonkotsu and the seafood-tonkotsu which is the mixed one with seafood soup. If you are not very keen about a thick taste, please choose the mixed one.

As they will ask you about the degree of the thickness of the noodle, soup and the amount of chopped leek, you can customise your favourite ramen. Please try the thick tonkotsu ramen which has been attracting many ramen lovers nationwide.

3. Looks like a corn-potage! The original thick ramen [Mario-ryu]

The [Mario-ryu] is said to be an originator of the thick-noodle boom in Nara. The thickness of the soup is numbered from 0 to 25. The thickest soup is just like a jelly in which a chopstick can stand.
However, once you eat it, you don’t feel the smell and the thick but mild soup which is just like a potage soup makes you become addictive.

They also have sufficient amounts of creative ramen and it is exciting to have various types of ramen which change from day to day. As they offer the soy-sauce taste ramen or the curry and rice as well, you don’t have to worry about going there with a person who doesn’t like the thick ramen. Please visit the [Mario-ryu] which is called the holy place of the thick ramen.

4. The thick and refined taste! The popular restaurant in the Nara prefecture [Ramen-ya Mitsuba]

The [Ramen-ya Mitsuba] is a restaurant which was opened by the current owner who had been trained at the super famous restaurant in Kyoto, [Ore-no-ramen Appareya]. The chicken and tonkotsu (pork bone) soup is beaten up as a finish is to a soup in which the tonkotsu is added to the chicken white cloud soup and it is very mellow. This thick, but refreshing good quality soup has 2 different kinds of flavour such as a salty one and a soy-sauce one. The noodles are straight, medium-thick and have a bouncy texture.

The chashu (roasted pork) is rare with a tender and melty texture. The skilled preparation is particular about everything including a menma (boiled & dried bamboo-shoot) or an egg and is outstanding. It is popular with women, as it is thick but goes down very well. I’d like you to taste this refined thick soup when you visit the Nara prefecture.

5. The chashu (roasted pork) is superb! The melting texture in the mouth! [Men-ya Amanojaku Honten]

In Tomio which is a very competitive place for the popular ramen, [Amanojaku] always has an endless queue. The soup has been prepared in the plain salt flavour and the tonkotsu (pork bone) has salt, soy-sauce and miso flavours. The tonkotsu taste has the characteristic of thick white cloud texture and the plain salt one has the clear refreshing flavour of the seafood with the fragrance of the yuzu (small citrus fruit).

The noodles are straight and the chashu (roasted pork) which is roasted on the iron-pan after receiving the order is really delicious. The chashu has the tender texture as if it melts in the mouth and it encourages your good appetite. Please try the chashu noodle.

6. The local ramen in Tenri in the Nara prefecture! [Tenri Stamina Ramen]

Speaking of the local ramen which the Tenri-city is proud of, it is the [Tenri Stamina Ramen]. Its popular name is [Tensta]. The tonkotsu (pork bone) soup which contains the crispy fried Chinese cabbage, Chinese chives, carrot and pork-meat with the garlic and Chinese chili bean sauce flavour looks very appetising.

When it is compared to the Stamina Ramen at the [Saika], this is much thicker for younger people. In the town of Tenri, both shops set up their stalls, it could be interesting to have an eating comparison. Please visit there!

7. Plenty of collagen! Talking about the white cloud chicken soup in the Nara prefecture, [Men-ya NOROMA] is the one.

The white cloud chicken soup at the [NOROMA] is unusual in the Nara prefecture. The white cloud chicken soup has been boiled for 8 hours, using the chicken produced in Japan are carefully pre-treated and then quickly frozen. After straining it, taking 2 hours, it is placed in the fridge for one day. They spend time and effort on this soup. The soup is full of collagen which is good for the skin has a rich but refreshing refined flavour.

The noodles are home-made, using the wheat produced in Japan. The noodles for the chicken buckwheat noodles are the flat, medium thick ones and the ones for the chicken tsuke-men (dipping noodles) are the thickly cut ones. They are particular about the noodle itself as well. The rare chashu (roasted pork) in fashion is a beautiful pink and it goes very well with the naruto (steamed fish paste) topping. The desert, finishing the meal is the home-made almond jelly. If you have enough space in your stomach, please try it.

8. The rich bonito flavour! Speaking of the additive-free ramen, [Mendokoro toichi]

The [Mendokoro Toichi] is particular about being chemical seasoning-free and food additive-free. The soup mixed with the tonkotsu(pork bone) and the seafood has the rich texture in spite of the Japanese-styled strong Katsuo (bonito) flavour. There is a ramen and the dipping noodles. The home-made noodles are brine-free, medium thick-cut. They are smooth and crispy.

The chashu (roasted pork) is thickly cut, but is tender and filling. The Ajitama (soft boiled egg marinated in soy-sauce and mirin) has a very soft core and is delicious. The dipping noodles are a little too much at 200g per person, but its bouncy texture makes you eat up in the blink of an eye. The soup for the dipping noodles is the mixture of a sardine and kelp. You can enjoy the thick flavour. Enjoy it.

9. The thick dipping noodles which represent the Nara prefecture! [Tsukemen Mushin]

The ]Muteppou] is famous for the thick tonkotsu (pork bone) soup and the [Tsukemen Mushin] is offering the dipping noodles from the [Mutteppou]. The pure tonkotsu (pork bone) soup for dipping is extremely thick. The W-soup Tsukemen has an additional flavour of seafood. Both of them have the smell of the small citrus, so you don’t feel they are too thick and you feel the refreshment.

The noodles are thickly cut, bouncy and filling. The roasted chashu (roasted pork) as a topping is aromatic, thick and filling and guess what, I recommend it. The last ramen soup is topped up with the soup from the pork, chicken and fish. You may not be able to decide which one to choose. Please savour them, visiting there many times.

10. The ramen, using carefully selected natural ingredients [Men-ya Ittoku]

The ramens in Nara have a rich taste such as heavy, stamina and thick ones. But when you want to eat a refleshing one, [Men-ya Ittoku] is recommended. Their soup is chemical seasoning-free and it tastes just like a refined clear soup which has the mixture of chicken and seafood.

The chashu (roasted pork) is thinly cut rare and it has a refined texture. The chopped leek, the thinly cut seaweed, fish, Chinese chive and pepper are put in the soup. It tastes like a porridge of rice and vegetables. The [last, call it a meal, rice] is also popular. Please appreciate and enjoy the soup until the end.

Let’s have a delicious ramen in the Nara prefecture!

What was your impression about this article? The ramens in the closely competing food establishments to which the ramen lovers nationwide pay attention have a high standard. From the local ramen, stamina one to the one with thick soup or the refined one, the ramens in Nara have much variety, don’t they? Please take this opportunity to try the various types of ramen. I’m sure you will come across your favourite one!