Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch

Lately, some people eat udon noodles as “New Year’s Udon” instead of traditional New Year’s Eve soba noodles. But for the start of 2026, I headed to Kyoto Ramen Alley for some “New Year’s Ramen.” They were closed only on New Year’s Day itself, but thankfully reopened for business as usual starting January 2nd. As expected, though, the place was absolutely packed. Every shop had lines about twice as long as usual… Amidst that, I happened to spot a shop with a shorter line and decided almost reflexively to have my New Year ramen there. That shop was…

Toyama Black is so famous as a local ramen specialty… Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch is a place like this…

Menya Iroha, a popular shop from Toyama Prefecture, became incredibly famous for its Toyama Black as a local ramen specialty. It’s a shop with an incredible track record, having taken first place in sales five times at the “Tokyo Ramen Show,” one of Japan’s largest ramen events. A direct branch of this amazing shop has been operating in Kyoto Ramen Alley since 2009. Afterwards, I found myself wondering, “Why hadn’t I visited this place sooner?”

Now, why the line was so short at such an amazing shop remains a mystery, but luckily for me that day, I managed to get in after only a 2-3 minute wait. A quick visual count showed the shop has a total of 23 seats. The counter seats are arranged along the walls, leaving a spacious central area that avoids feeling cramped. Unlike other shops on the same floor like Hakata Ikkosha or Menya Kotetsu, I saw customers bringing in large suitcases. In that sense, it seems like a shop that’s easy to use for tourists who’ve just arrived in Kyoto or are about to head back home.

Honestly, I’ve never tasted anything like this before… How was the Toyama Black Meat Special I ordered at Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch?

So, let me introduce the Toyama Black Meat Special (price: ¥1,670 including tax) I ordered that day at Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch. About 5 minutes after ordering, the ramen arrived looking like this…

The soup peeking through the gaps in the chashu is truly pitch black. Now, this is just my first impression, but it looks blacker than the soup at Shinpukusaikan Main Store, famous for Kyoto’s black ramen. Well, with these kinds of things, the punchline is usually that when you actually taste the soup, it turns out “not salty at all.” So, what’s this Toyama Black like?

So, I promptly scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it in my mouth… and was surprised. Far from “not salty at all,” the saltiness is actually quite restrained. It has a rich, harmonious umami from a blend of animal and seafood stocks, with a subtle sweetness too. Plus, it comes topped with black pepper by default, adding a toasty aroma to the soup. While the umami is abundant, it feels completely uncloying – actually quite light and clean-tasting. It’s a soup flavor I’ve never experienced before, and I was so delighted I kept swirling my spoon around the bowl multiple times before even touching the noodles.

The secret to this soup’s flavor lies in their unique fish sauce, apparently made using a proprietary method. They also mentioned that this fish sauce is aged over many years, topped up daily like yakitori sauce. The use of “fish sauce” feels distinctly Toyama-like, giving it that local gourmet vibe that I personally loved.

The noodles, in contrast, are homemade medium-thick noodles with a square edge, reminiscent of soba. Their surface is smooth and slippery, making them easy to slurp, while their texture is characteristically firm and springy. Paired with the relatively light broth, the wheat flavor comes through strongly. They slide down smoothly, effortlessly settling into your stomach.

Now, the main topping upgrade was the chashu pork. It included a total of eight slices – four thick-cut shoulder loin slices and four thick-cut belly slices. Each slice was generously thick and incredibly meaty. The fat from the pork belly was meltingly tender, practically dissolving in your mouth. This extra chashu was a total hit. While it costs 690 yen more than the standard Toyama Black, given how amazing this chashu was, I didn’t feel it was a penny wasted.

I polished off this Toyama Black Meat Special at Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch in just a few minutes. After finishing, I thought, “Toyama Black is amazing!” Since they keep adding fish sauce daily to mature it, I wonder if the flavor gradually changes over time, like the Chinese noodles at the Daikan Main Store? I really hope Menya Iroha keeps operating in Kyoto Ramen Alley long enough for me to taste that evolution…

Other Menu Items at Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch (Prices include tax)

• Toyama Black Ramen: ¥980
• Wagyu Sirloin Yakiniku Rice Bowl: ¥2,780
• HALAL Chicken Ramen: ¥1,600
• Kyoto Uji Matcha Ramen: ¥1,350
• Kyoto Kujo Green Onion Black Ramen: ¥1,230
• White Shrimp Broth Salt Ramen: ¥1,230
• Spicy Tantanmen: ¥1,230

Free service coupons valid for your next visit are now available… Access to Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch is a 4-minute walk from JR Kyoto Station, the nearest station.

At Menya Iroha Kyoto Station Building Branch, free service coupons valid for your next visit are being distributed…

This coupon lets you choose one of these freebies: 3 free boiled dumplings, a free flavored egg, or a free extra-large noodle serving. Isn’t that a great deal? Oh man, I might just head back right away… If you haven’t tried Toyama Black yet, grab a chance to give it a try sometime. Oh, and don’t forget to install the Kyoto Ramen Alley smartphone app on your phone too—it’s eligible for the app that gives you ¥1,000 off after eating 8 bowls of ramen.

Now, here are the shop details…

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