Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch

One snowy day in February in Kyoto, I felt like warming up with some ramen and headed to Kyoto Ramen Alley. It was around 8 PM, a time when crowds are usually expected, but perhaps due to the snow, the number of customers that day seemed quite sparse. Even popular spots like Mangetsu Wonton Noodles and Nakamura Shoten, conveniently located near the elevator, had noticeable empty seats inside…

Amidst this, I was stopped by a staff member at Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch, which had a short line forming outside. I bought a meal ticket and joined the queue. Ramen Koganeya was a first for me, but what kind of place was it…?

Enjoy a different soup flavor than the main store in Akashi… Ramen Kogane-ya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch is a place like this…

Looking up Ramen Koganeya online, it seems the main store is in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. The owner apparently trained at a Kurume ramen shop in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and bases their soup-making on the same “call-back” method used by Taiho Ramen. However, reading further on the shop’s website, it states that the Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch uses a dedicated pressure cooker to make their pork bone soup, differing from the main store. So, whether fortunate or unfortunate, this branch offers pork bone ramen with a distinct flavor from the Akashi main store.

After waiting about 15 minutes, I entered the shop. My eyes immediately fell on the compact dining area, packed tightly with counter seats as the main seating. A quick visual count revealed 13 counter seats and 2 tables for 4 people, totaling 21 seats. Although this shop uses a different method to make its soup than Kurume ramen, the interior was filled with an even stronger pork bone aroma than the neighboring Hakata Ikkousha Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch. Another surprising thing was that, though it might have just been coincidental at that time, all the staff both inside and outside the kitchen were young women. I’d always imagined young women might dislike this kind of pork bone smell, but perhaps that was just my own preconceived notion.

Three kinds of chashu? That’s pretty luxurious… How was the Aged Tonkotsu Triple Chashu Ramen with Marinated Egg I tried at Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch?

So, let me introduce the Aged Tonkotsu Triple Chashu Ramen with Marinated Egg (price: ¥1,280 including tax) I ordered that day at Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch. Since they took my order right after I bought the ticket, the ramen arrived at my table almost immediately after I sat down…

It’s a smaller bowl, but the three types of chashu, the single flavored egg, and the roasted nori topping look quite luxurious inside. Oh yes, when purchasing the meal ticket, you can choose the noodle firmness from five levels: Regular → Firm → Extra Firm → Very Firm → Hard. This time, I ordered “Firm.”

Now then, let’s dive right into the soup… As you can see, the soup is quite oily. Though oily, it’s not the frothy layer of fat you find in the soups at Hakata Isso or Hakata Daruma Sohonten; it’s more like actual fat floating on the surface. I guess this shows the difference in how the soup is made. It has a light thickness, and the pork bone umami is incredibly rich. Along with that, the pungent pork bone aroma hits your nose all at once.

The noodles paired with this are straight, thin noodles about the same thickness as standard Hakata tonkotsu ramen. The rich tonkotsu soup clings firmly to the noodles, filling the mouth with the rich tonkotsu flavor with every slurp. The “firm” noodle texture I requested this time hit my personal preference spot on. I enjoyed the crisp bite with a slight powdery texture. The pork bone aroma that lingers after swallowing is also flawless.

But you know… this seemingly luxurious array of toppings felt a bit… off this time. Three types of chashu pork (barbecued pork belly, rare pork loin, and cartilage pork) totaling five slices, plus a boiled egg. Each was soaked in broth to the point where it went beyond “delicious” and reached “salty.” The flavor felt stronger than the rich pork bone broth itself, making me wonder how they managed to soak in that much soy sauce flavor. In the end, I ate them by putting these toppings in my mouth and then neutralizing the flavor with the rich tonkotsu broth.

So, I finished the “Aged Tonkotsu Triple Chashu Noodles with Marinated Egg” at Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch with a slightly disappointing feeling and left the shop. It felt like Hakata or Kurume-style tonkotsu ramen topped with luxurious additions, but I ended up thinking maybe keeping the toppings simple and focusing on extra noodles would be tastier… Still, looking at the shop’s menu images, they’re all lavishly decorated with chashu and boiled eggs. Next time I eat ramen here, I’ll be torn in a different way about what to order…

Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch Other Menu Examples (Prices include tax)

• Ultra Chashu Noodles　¥1780
• Aged Black Pork Bone Special　¥1580
• Spicy Scallion Ramen with Spicy Edges　¥1580
• Double Chashu & Double Tamago Ramen: ¥1,450
• Extra-Large Chashu Noodle Bowl: ¥1,430
• Zaru Ramen with Meat: ¥900
• Chinese Soba: ¥870

Limited to 50 people per day! Follow them on Instagram for unlimited free extra noodles! Access to Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch is a 4-minute walk from JR Kyoto Station, the nearest station.

At Ramen Koganeya Kyoto Ramen Alley Branch, they offer a service where you get unlimited free extra noodles just by following them on Instagram…

This “Unlimited Extra Noodles” service seems to be available for the first 50 people every day. Since it’s offered daily, I don’t think the competition for those 50 spots is that fierce… In fact, when I visited around 8 PM that night, there still seemed to be openings. Anyway, getting free extra noodles as many times as you want is basically a godsend for young folks who burn through cash like crazy and whose wallets are always feeling the pinch. If you get the chance, definitely give it a try.

Now, here are the shop details…

P.S. If you’re looking for delicious ramen in Kyoto, please also check out this article…