Unusually Exciting Ramen
Though Kyoto may be known for a thick, rich local variety of ramen, it’s also home to a small shop called Menbaka Ichidai that specializes in a style of ramen that is rarely found nowadays, generally known as negi ramen, or “green onion ramen.”
And yet, somehow, I feel like the name does not tell the full story.
This particular ramen shop has opted instead to rebrand it as “fire ramen,” perhaps because it is flavored with green onion-flavored oil that, just before serving, is heated and lit on fire, then poured into the bowls just before serving.
I don’t know if I would necessarily go back there a second time for this particular dish (it was pretty good, but fairly out of the way for me), but I’m certainly glad I at least visited once.
Native English speaker and Japanese-English translator who has lived in Japan since 2008. Still drinking a lot of oolong tea, but getting into light-roast coffees too. I try to be a reasonably good person.