Super Rich Chicken Soup Ramen • Menya Tori no Keiji Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi 麺や鳥の鶏次 KYOTO 四条河原町店 ☎ +81757085620

Trying to recommend ramen in Japan is like recommending chicken rice places in Singapore - bad ones are harder to find than good ones.

There are so, so many good ramen places everywhere in Japan, I hesitate to write up and recommend any but this one in Kyoto I really like and would go back again.

But, I have to forewarn you that it is not for everyone as it is very rich and on the sweet savoury side.

It's the feel and flavour profile I like for ramen.

Menya Tori no Keiji was the recommendation of a Singaporean friend who works near the restaurant for two years.

Menya Tori no Keiji is a stone's throw east from Kyoto's tourist hotspot Nishiki Market.

Ten minutes walk, west from Yasaka Shrine.

Steps from historic Shijo Bridge.

The interior of Menya Tori no Keiji is typical of today's modern ramen places in Japan - open kitchen, counter seats, and separately, a few tables with chairs. Very clean, bright, comfortable though seats are limited, so need to queue during meal times such as lunch and dinner.

The huge drums of steamy hot, simmering chicken soup need constant attention and stirring, so everything is evenly boiled and nothing is burnt.

I like the look of the pink, thick charsiu slices, the yellow creamy soup and runny tamago.

The creamy soup was savoury salty but well balanced by sweetness from fresh chicken and charsiu.

Medium weight, medium gauge noodles. The default noodle doneness was soft tender, slightly softer than al dente which is my preferred. Need to specify to the staff, if we like more firmness.

Otherwise, the noodles were slurpingly delicious as the clingy, rich creamy sweet umami savoury soup enveloped the strands.

I like my charsiu relatively thick like this and soft tender, lean with some visceral fat. I can taste the meat's freshness, quality and natural sweetness. (I don't really like those tissue thin charsiu nor chewy chunks of pork in my ramen.)

The egg was optional - I needed it for more protein for my old body and it was nicely flavoured and runny.

If you are exploring the obligatory, older section of Kyoto and needed a moderately filling recharge, can try out Menya Tori no Keiji Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi 麺や鳥の鶏次 KYOTO 四条河原町店. If you like rich soup with depth of umami savoury flavours balanced with sweetness, I trust you would enjoy this too.