Kunton Akutagawa Kyoto Head Shop

Men-ya Akutagawa, probably the most popular brand of Iekei Ramen in Kyoto, opened Kunton Akutagawa as its second brand in December 2021. As the name suggests, “smoked” is the keyword of this ramen restaurant, which offers a new type of tonkotsu ramen. I visited Kunton Akutagawa Kyoto Head Shop located in Teramachi shopping street to try their smoked ramen…

The largest restaurant in the Men-ya Akutagawa chain… Kunton Akutagawa Kyoto Head Shop is like this…

I visited Kunton Akutagawa on a weekday around 6:30pm. There was no line at the front of the restaurant, and I was able to enter easily without waiting in line. This restaurant actually has 62 seats on the first and second floors. This is the largest capacity in the Men-ya Akutagawa family. Therefore, there is no line at the restaurant, and one of the strengths of this restaurant is that there is no waiting time to get a bowl of ramen. This is the kind of restaurant that gives you a sense of relief that you will always be able to enjoy a delicious meal.

However, it does not mean that the restaurant is very spacious. The space of the restaurant is a so-called “eel bed,” a long and narrow structure stretching from the entrance to the back. Although there was not even a line, the restaurant was full of customers, and because of that, it seemed a little cramped compared to the number of seats. It might be difficult to use the restaurant if you have a large baggage, as it might disturb other customers.

Pork bone broth with a smoky smell… How was the all-on top ramen at the Kunton Akutagawa Kyoto Head Shop?

This time, I ordered their top menu item, all on top of ramen (priced at 1,300 yen (tax included)). The noodles can be customized to suit personal preferences in terms of hardness, soup thickness, and with or without garlic…

After about 5 minutes of waiting, the ramen arrived in front of me. The toppings include three slices of thick rare chashu pork, a boiled egg, and five pieces of grilled nori seaweed. The kikurage mushrooms in the ramen may have been influenced by Hakata tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. I have a feeling that it is influenced by Hakata tonkotsu ramen.

Let’s start with the soup… A slightly thickened, rich tonkotsu (pork bone) soup. The soup of the first Men-ya Akutagawa also contains chicken bones, but this soup is made from 100% pork bones and is completely different. The smokiness of the soup is quite addictive. Also, perhaps it was just a coincidence, but there was almost no fat floating in the soup this time, so the psychological hurdle to finish the whole soup was quite low.

The noodles for this, on the other hand, were straight and thin, breaking away from the mold of Iekei Ramen. Not as thin as the noodles used in Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen, the noodles are low in water content, allowing the full texture of the wheat to be felt. The slightly thickened broth is unquestionably enticing. After the noodles pass down the throat, the smoky smell comes backward, and I can’t describe it well, but it makes me feel something good.

Now, the main topping, chashu pork, is thick and smoky, a far cry from the chashu pork at the original Men-ya Akutagawa. As I bite into the moist and meaty pork, a pleasant aroma wafts up to my nose… I think this pork goes really well with beer. I felt like ordering more draft beer.

The combination of thick pork bone broth and smoked smell was fresh, and I enjoyed every last drop of soup to the fullest. I think the smell of smoked pork bones will probably stick in your memory somewhere, and make me want to eat it again…. If I may say so, the volume is a little small, but if you can eat this kind of ramen for only 1,300 yen, it is definitely a good deal. If you don’t mind eating tonkotsu ramen, please go to the restaurant and try it for yourself.

Examples of other menu items at Kunton Akutagawa Kyoto Head Shop (prices include tax)

• Ramen 900 yen
• Ajitama Ramen 1000yen
• Chashu Ramen 1200yen
• Seared Chashu-don: 400 yen
• Rice 100 yen

There is a branch in front of Doshisha University in Imadegawa… Kunton Akutagawa Kyoto Head Shop is a 5-minute walk from the nearest station, Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

Kunton Akutagawa has a branch in front of Doshisha University in Imadegawa (Imadegawa branch). It is located about 200 meters south of Shodai Men-ya Akutagawa, so it is really just a stone’s throw away from the original Akutagawa. With two stores in the same family in such close proximity, Doshisha students must be having an extraordinarily difficult time deciding which store to go to. Well, it may be nothing for a student to go to two ramen shops at the same time…

Here are the details of the noodle shop…

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