Kyoto Shio Gensui

“Come to think of it, there aren’t many ramen shops in Kyoto that specialize in shio ramen, are there…?” That thought suddenly crossed my mind, so I decided to do a quick Google search—and sure enough, there were hardly any restaurants that came up for the keyword “shio ramen.” That being the case, even though it’s a chain, Shio Gensui—which had three locations in Kyoto as of April 2026—is a truly rare gem in the city’s ramen scene. I went to Kyoto Shio Gensui in Nishikyogoku—one of those three locations—because I’d been curious about their shio tsukemen for a while…

Visiting by car or motorcycle is recommended… Here’s what Kyoto Shio Gensui is like…

First, here’s one downside of Kyoto Shio Gensui: the restaurant is located in a spot that’s quite inconvenient to reach by public transportation. While it’s roughly the same distance from both the nearest JR Nishioji Station and Hankyu Nishikyogoku Station, it easily takes 15 minutes to walk from either station to the restaurant. There are buses, but they run infrequently in this area… So, if possible, I recommend visiting by car or motorcycle.

Given the nature of the restaurant, the premises—including the parking lot—are quite spacious. I roughly counted 19 parking spaces, and inside the restaurant, there were a total of 37 seats, including 5 counter seats. I visited around 4:00 PM that day—a rather odd time—but the place was quite bustling with students coming home from school and families with young children. Apparently, lines form quite often on weekends and weekday evenings, so even though the location is a bit inconvenient, you really shouldn’t underestimate this renowned Shio Gensui…

It’s salty yet surprisingly rich… How did Kyoto Shio Gensui’s large-portion Shio Tsukemen actually taste?

This time at Kyoto Shio Gensui, I ordered the Shio Tsukemen (1,080 yen including tax), which I’d never tried before but had been curious about for a while. I paid an extra 160 yen (including tax) to upgrade to a large portion of noodles, bringing the total to 1,260 yen including tax…

About 10 minutes after placing my order, the Shio Tsukemen was brought to my table. They say this contains 360g of noodles, but seeing it right in front of me, it feels even more substantial than the number suggests.

First, following the style of other tsukemen, I tried slurping the noodles as they were… They strike me as on the thinner side for tsukemen noodles—probably about the same thickness as standard ramen noodles. However, since they’ve been thoroughly rinsed in cold water, the noodles have incredible chewiness. I had somehow assumed “Shio Tsukemen” would be a bit more refined, so I was taken aback right away.

As for the dipping broth, it’s the familiar flavor with a hint of yuzu, made from a blend of meat and seafood stocks. While it’s intentionally made to be on the richer side, typical of tsukemen, it also had a distinctly rich, meaty fat content. Maybe it was just a fluke this time, but there was a significant amount of pork fat floating in the dipping sauce, making the flavor so rich that it almost overpowered the refreshing yuzu notes.

As a result, dipping the noodles into this sauce created a surprisingly wild flavor I hadn’t anticipated. It was a rich, heavy-bodied salt-based broth, paired with firm, chewy noodles. It felt like I’d discovered a whole new world of salt ramen. Personally, I didn’t get hooked on it, but I found myself slurping away, thinking, “This kind of rich, creamy salt flavor is actually pretty good…”

Normally, this shio tsukemen comes with a soup broth to finish it off, but my stomach felt a bit heavy that day, so I passed on it, finished just the noodles, and left the shop. Since most tsukemen tend to be the “Mataoma-style,” I personally welcome this different take on the dish. Well, the fact that it’s quite rich despite being salt-based might be a point of contention… but either way, if you’re in the mood for a unique style of tsukemen, I think the Shio Gensui Group’s salt tsukemen is worth a try.

Other menu items at Kyoto Shio Gensui (prices include tax)

• Natural Salt Ramen: 920 yen
• Green Onion Soy Sauce Ramen: 1,190 yen
• Green Onion Salt Ramen: 1,190 yen
• Miso Ramen: 1,080 yen
• Rich Soy Sauce Ramen: 1,060 yen
• Plum Salt Ramen: 1,060 yen
• Soy Sauce Ramen: 920 yen

A wide selection of takeout bento boxes… Kyoto Shio Gensui is a 19-minute walk from the nearest station, Nishikyogoku Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

At Kyoto Shio Gensui, they also offer takeout…

It’s not just their signature fried rice made with Sōdaishō sauce or ramen side dishes—they actually sell regular bento boxes too. And their selection of takeout bento boxes is quite extensive. Plus, if you follow the restaurant on Instagram, it looks like you get a permanent 50-yen discount on each bento. With an offer like that, you’ll definitely want to come back just to buy a bento…

Now, here are the restaurant details…

P.S. If you’re looking for delicious ramen in Kyoto, be sure to check out this article as well…