Gion Duck Noodles

On December 26, 2018, a restaurant called Gion Duck Noodles opened in Gion, Kyoto. Opened by a chef with a French background, this restaurant specializes in duck ramen, which is rare in Kyoto. It is the second brand of Menroku, a successful ramen restaurant in Hirakata City, Osaka.

What kind of ramen is available at such a ramen shop specializing in duck ramen? I decided to visit the restaurant one day during its opening hours to try it out for myself. I was excited to visit the restaurant and wondered if the owner’s ramen was French-like, which is his specialty, or if he would make ramen that had nothing to do with French cuisine…

Gion Duck Noodles is a very difficult place to find…

Gion Duck Noodles is located in a very narrow alley near Yasaka Shrine in Gion. The alley is very difficult to find, so Google Maps is a must, especially if you are visiting the restaurant for the first time. I didn’t notice the alley even while looking at Google Maps…

The store’s signage is posted on both the Shijo Dori and Tominagamachi Dori sides, so please walk slowly and look closely at the signs. My personal feeling is that it is easier to find the entrance to the alley on Tominagamachi Dori than on Shijo Dori.

When I entered the restaurant, I found a siphon on the counter, which is often seen in coffee shops. The siphon is usually used to brew coffee, but this restaurant uses it to make dashi (Japanese soup stock). What an interesting idea! Gion Duck Noodles is a cozy restaurant with only nine counter seats, but the atmosphere of the restaurant is like a hideaway bar, and there is almost nothing that resembles a regular ramen shop. The waitresses take their time to explain everything in detail, making it a very relaxing place to spend time as a ramen shop. However, this is a negative factor in terms of customer turnover, so it is better to expect a longer than usual wait time, especially when visiting during peak hours.

🦆🍜 (Duck Ramen): I actually tried Gion Duck Noodles’ signature dish…

Let me introduce you to the signature dish I ordered at Gion Duck Noodles: 🦆🍜 (Duck Ramen, medium size, 1250 yen + tax). Here’s a picture…

It came out in a bowl with the rim stretched outward, which is unusual for a ramen bowl. Sprinkled on the rim is powdered sansho (Japanese pepper), which has a very nice and refreshing aroma. And even after this bowl was brought to me, the waitress took the time to explain in detail where the barley and duck used for the noodles came from and how to eat them. It feels like I am in a fine French restaurant rather than a ramen shop.

Let’s sip from the clear soup… From the clear appearance, don’t you imagine a thin and very elegant taste? No, it is not. It is quite oily, rich, and salty. I was suddenly taken by surprise. But it still has a clear taste without any unnecessary cloying flavor, and there is no part of the duck that makes you feel peculiar. I think the gap between the appearance and the taste of the soup will leave a considerable impact on the memory of the dish.

The noodles, on the other hand, are straight, thin, and angular like buckwheat noodles. The noodles are made from German rye and have a blackish color derived from the rye. These thin noodles absorb the broth well, so when slurping down the noodle, tremendous flavor of the broth can be felt. The noodles also have a light nutty flavor when bitten into, unlike wheat noodles, and are very chewy, giving a pleasant popping sensation when the noodles are chewed through.

Now, let’s turn our attention to the main topping, duck chashu pork. This time, I chose the duck momo chashu pork, and it was a great one. The meat was moist and juicy…far beyond the level of duck chashu at a ramen restaurant. It can be eaten rare as soon as possible, or after the meat is heated through in the broth. Enjoy it in a variety of ways, and have no regrets even if the total price exceeds 2,000 yen after adding six pieces of duck meat.

Finally, to change the flavor, the powdered pepper sprinkled on the edge of the bowl is added to the bowl along with the soup. This will add the coolness of the sansho to the originally clear soup, and the depth of the soup’s flavor will be greatly enhanced. Following Mugi no Yoake in Nishikyogoku, I am happy to have discovered another Kyoto ramen shop that uses sansho in a good way. I hope that ramen with sansho will become a standard in Kyoto…

Gion Duck Noodle‘s 🦆🍜 (duck ramen) was amazingly good quality. In this world of inflation, and in Gion, I think it is almost a miracle that this dish can be had for only 1,250 yen plus tax. The fact that the location of the restaurant is difficult to find makes it seem like a hideout… It is good to enjoy it by yourself, but if you take your ramen-loving friends and acquaintances there, I am sure they will be delighted.

Other examples of Gion Duck Noodles menu items (prices do not include tax)

• 🦆🍜😋 (special duck ramen) M size: 1,850 yen
• 🦆🍒 (Duck dipping noodles with berry sauce) M size ¥1,400
• M size 🦆🍒😋 (special duck tsukemen with berry sauce) M size 2,050 yen
• 🦆🍊 (special duck tsukemen with mikan sauce) M size ¥1,600
• 🦆🍊😋 (special duck tsukemen with mikan sauce) M size ¥2,250
• 🦆🍚（rice with duck） M size ¥650
• 🦆🥩（Additional duck chashu pork） 3 pieces 600yen, 6 pieces 1000yen

There is an affiliated restaurant, Gion Duck Rice, nearby…Gion Duck Noodles is an 8-minute walk from the nearest station, Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Electric Railway Line.

Gion Duck Rice, an affiliate restaurant of Gion Duck Noodles, is also open in the immediate vicinity of Gion Duck Noodles. Gion Duck Rice is a restaurant specializing in duck Hitsumabushi, which is very rare in the world, and is very popular among food lovers who love new things. If you can eat a bowl of duck meat of the same quality as the duck chashu I had this time, it is definitely worth a visit. If you are ever in Gion, please try the Gion Duck Rice as well as the Gion Duck Noodles introduced this time.

Here are the details of the restaurant…

It takes 10 minutes on foot from Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

P.S. If you are looking for delicious ramen in Kyoto, please stop by this article below…