メンマ / Menma / Kōyōken — Nagoya, Aichi

Nagoya style Yakuzen Ramen soup is made using a number of traditional Chinese ingredients and root vegetables, slow-cooked for many hours in a large stockpot. The soup ingredients include chicken and pork bones (90% to 10% ratio), dried fish, kombu, garlic chives, onions, carrots and garlic. The soup is said to have medicinal properties and is combined with a light shoyu tare. Medium-thick noodles by Taiyō Shokuhin are made with a wheat blend that is adjusted daily depending on the condition of the ingredients and the weather. The trademark house-made menma topping uses premium ‘machiku’ bamboo shoots sourced from China. The bamboo shoots are bought in bulk (one year’s supply at a time) and rehydrated in a pressure cooker while marinating, the entire process takes one week. Ginseng vinegar and homemade chili oil are recommended free condiments.

Yakuzen Ramen (also called Kōrai style ramen) is a regional Nagoya specialty, first created by the shop Kōrai Dojo which opened in 1959. There are now a number of ramenya in Nagoya that serve this style, most run by apprentices or relatives. Koyoken is the oldest still-operating establishment other than Kōrai Dojo to serve this style. Master Shigeru Tanaka-san has been running operations together with his wife since they first opened almost 50 years ago. As customers enter and leave, they greet and thank everyone together in unison. Ten seats. Open lunch only, 11am-2pm. Since October 3rd, 1976 (moved to the current location in 1986).