3 Ramen Restaurants in Kyoto That Make My Heart Sing

I mentioned in a previous post that I had written Kyoto off relatively early in my travels – a mistake and miscalculation I fully acknowledge at present day. I was wrong about Kyoto. Please forgive me (me speaking to Kyoto the city). I think it was because I first arrived during the jam-packed Golden Week, in the midst of a rough work week, unable to find a stable workspace to post up, and deep in the throes of worry about falling out with my newly established routine (and life) in Osaka. 

But then I found you, Taiho Ramen (I sound like Joe from the Netflix series ‘You’). If you’ve already checked out my post on Taiho Ramen – Kiyamachi, then you know that this is my absolute favorite ramen I encountered in all of Japan (not just the Kansai region). However, there were two other ramen restaurants in Kyoto that caught my attention in my combined three-plus weeks here.

Here are three ramen spots in Kyoto (including Taiho) that made my heart sing and have me excited about my second stint in the Kansai region in 2024. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: To preface, all three ramen spots on this list are a stone’s throw away from Kawaramachi Street, the popular shopping district (and street) that runs parallel to the Kamo River (where I spent many late nights getting my miles in) and is a ten-minute walk to Gion (Kyoto’s geisha district).

Monsen – Kiyamachi

• Address: 370 Kamiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8024, Japan

Monsen is notorious for their chicken ramen – a creamy, collagen-based broth that reminded me of a Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen (sans pork). There was a lot of love and care that was put into the rendering of the chicken collagen down into a silky, medium-thick concoction. This is not an overpowering nor oily broth though and is built for customization (I recommend it). 

In a positive way, there is a slight aftertaste that lingers on the tongue – a natural byproduct of the collagen-base.

I opted for the chicken ramen with five fat slices of juicy char siu (chicken char siu) and green onions. These chunks of chicken were tender and sported a small strip of skin at the top which yielded a slight mouthfeel and sweetness. 

I wanted to give the taste buds a zap that night so loaded both my first and second batch of noodles up with pickled ginger and garlic. The pungent mixture of pickled ginger and garlic provided a perfect contrast to this milky, glossy base.

Another reason this reminded me of a more traditional Hakata-style tonkotsu is because of the thin, chewy, and elastic noodles (which are typically served with these creamier broths). Monsen’s noodles hold their own and absorb no more of the broth than is needed to get the job done, allowing the large char siu chicken chunks (and soft-boiled eggs) to pick up additional flavor.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “What in the hell are these?” I was right there with you and only ordered these because Monsen was out of karaage (I went near closing). A staff member pointed at something on the menu which I had no idea what it was but still gave my instinctive thumbs up. I’m glad I took that gamble. These are chicken skin dumplings. 

I saw someone in the Google reviews call these “a novelty” and “skippable.” But as someone who has eaten tens of thousands of dumplings in his life, these are the real deal. I would compare them more to a dumpling/egg roll hybrid, taking the best parts of each. 

Picture all the best crispy, rich parts of chicken skin (slightly resembling the outside of an egg roll), now stuff it with juicy seasoned chunks of white meat that you would find in a traditional steamed dumpling or wonton. This may be the fourth brother to those wiley Rice Krispies elves (Snap, Crackle, and Pop) – Snople. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you are traveling in the Kansai region and looking for an extensive guide on ramen in Osaka, you’ve come to the right spot. Make sure to read my gargantuan mega-article breaking down 21 of my favorite ramen restaurants in Osaka. I also include a short ‘ramen primer’ at the beginning which breaks down the four main types of ramen you’ll come across during your time in Japan.

Taiho Ramen

• Address: 149 Nishinokyo Hoshigaikecho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8416, Japan

I’ve already declared Taiho Ramen my favorite ramen shop in Japan ten times over (if you want an in-depth write-up, I definitely recommend checking out my post on it). So I’ll do it once more. This late-night shoyu ramen shop serving up mammoth bowls of char-siu-packed salty goodness has it all. I mean, look at it. It’s like a sunflower of char siu. What is there not to love about that?

Taiho’s dark shoyu base is strong. This is not for ramen enthusiasts looking just to whet their lips with a touch of salt. This is for those who are looking for the whole metaphorical ramen salt enchilada. You will be full if you finish the whole bowl. And that is coming from someone with the nickname ‘Big Body’. 

The fatty, smoky char siu corsages lining the rim of the bowl inject an extra level of savoriness, while the fermented, pungent bamboo chunks kick things up even further (also providing a nice textural contrast to a melt-in-your-mouth char-siu-driven liquid canvas. 

What ties it all together for me are Taiho’s medium-thick, springy, al-dente noodles. They hold up with certitude in an otherwise dominant broth, never leading one to feel as if they are doomed to a dinner of salty monotony. I like a little snap (hence the al-dente) when I bite into my noodles, with a firmness that allows for optimal “slurpability” without spraying broth on my countertop ramen neighbor. Taiho strikes this perfect balance.

And in a city that closes on the earlier side, Taiho is a godsend for those late-night Betty Ford’ers (myself included) after a big night on the nama beerus (draft beers). What better to line the stomach after 13 Suntory Premiums than a salty, savory bowl of ramen? 

Taiho is buzzing post-8 PM so expect a line (even on Sunday nights). But that’s the beauty of Taiho – you feel as if you are part of the social and gastronomic fabric that fuels this dueling city (at an intersection between tradition and modern-day – still thankfully leaning heavily towards the former). 

Ichiryu Manbai – Kawaramachi

• Address: Japan, 〒604-8031 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Daikokucho, 71番地 ワールド会館 1階

Even though Taiho Ramen is my all-time favorite ramen in Japan, I probably spent equal time between Ichiry Manbai and Taiho two during my combined three weeks in Kyoto. There were several core reasons why Ichiryu Manbai became a regular spot for me late-night (other than it being open until the wee hours of the morning). 

The first is that you can find two of the four major types of ramen here: shoyu and shio. I’ve read that miso is an option (however, I didn’t test this myself) but I would take this with a grain of salt (“a grain of shio” – ZING). If you are like me though and a tsukemen fiend then you already know the answer as to what type of broth awaits you. 

Tsukemen (aka ramen dipping noodles). Tsukemen (aka dipping noodles) is my preferred style of eating ramen as it typically boasts a more pungent broth and a cold noodle (it’s strange that I’m not a bigger fan of soba). Ichiryu Manbai’s tsukemen ticks all the boxes for what makes an unforgettable dipping noodle for me. 

The single slice of char siu on the top sits ethereally, acting as a hype man for the main act – the noodles. These medium-thick flat surface noodles are as silky as they come and able to more than adequately pick up its accompanying broth and boast “quality entanglement” (one of my favorite comments I see reviewers use to describe well-laid noodles in the bowl or broth). I’m always just in awe at how beautifully they are folded over. 

The broth, a sharp chicken stock and shoyu base that kicks through the wall of your mouth like the Kool-Aid man (“No, you better fix that hole in the wall before my dad comes home and beats me with a toaster.”). This is one fragrant broth. However, with tsukemen, why even bother if it’s not pungent and tangy? I kid and I accept/validate tsukemen of all types, creeds, and flavors.

Above is a picture of the traditional ramen, a milder chicken-stocked based shoyu-broth using whole wheat noodles that is topped with char siu and Oyama chicken (a rich, low-fat chicken resulting from subsisting on a diet of plant-based foods) cooked at a low and slow temperature. 

The pork infuses a hint of sweetness (along with the Oyama tender Oyama chicken slices) which was appreciated after a week of hitting it hard with the above salty tsukemen. The texture of the noodles was similar to soba and slightly chewy which is essential for shoyu broths – as it wards off over-absorption and the transmutation of the dish into a singular salt packet.

If you’ve read my ode to Yoshinoya, then you know I can’t live without rice bowls. If you’ve also read my guide to 21 ramen shops in Osaka (or have just visited Japan), then you also know that ramen shops serve up dynamic, creative rice bowls by the hundreds. Ichiryu Manbai nails it (and you’ll notice almost all local customers with a bowl of this next to their ramen). 

For reference, it is called ‘TKG’ and is easy to spot on the ramen ordering machine when you enter the shop. The raw egg adds a richness to the salty soy sauce doused over the bed of rice (which is slightly charred and crunchy at parts) which is seasoned with some sort of salty, savory essence that I can’t put my finger on (please let me know in the comments!). This is an essential hangover-prevention (or mitigation) tool. 

You Won’t Go Hungry in Kyoto (or Japan)

Between Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, I was spoiled for food during my three months in Japan. On top of stress and uncertainty, Kyoto was also a spot of indulgence and spectacle. By the end of my third week there, I could honestly see myself staying longer term (something for me to consider when I return next year). And the above three ramen restaurants were a big reason behind that newfound comfortability. 

They were a symbol of routine (which can be unpredictable and cause me to eat at odd hours). They were a symbol of stability. Most importantly, they were a symbol of just absurdly delicious food that had me grinning ear to ear every single time.

If you have any favorite ramen spots in Kyoto that you recommend, please let me know in the comments or via email (info@palealetravel.com). I’d love to hear from you! Also, if you’d like a list of some of my other favorite restaurants in Kyoto, don’t hesitate to reach out (I went on an absolute yakiniku and yakitori warpath here as well).

Eat well everyone,

Big Body