Ramen Shin

The ramen restaurant introduced here is Ramen Shin, which opened in January 2015 and is now in its 10th year. The owner of the restaurant had been the manager of Saishoku Ramen Kinsei Sohonke Mufu for 7 years before going independent, and I have been looking forward to visiting the restaurant for a long time, convinced that “this place is absolutely delicious! I had been looking forward to visiting this restaurant for a long time.

However, I have not had a chance to visit this restaurant for about two years since I learned of its existence. This is because this restaurant is open only four days a week, and only during lunch time. So I waited a long time, but just the other day I had to go to Ibaraki early in the morning, so I took advantage of the opportunity and went to Ramen Shin. I am really looking forward to seeing what kind of curry ramen this restaurant makes…

A homey atmosphere run by a couple… Ramen Shin is this kind of restaurant…

I arrived at Ramen Shin at around 10:30 on a weekday. There was no line at the restaurant, probably because it was a weekday, and I easily got the pole position. The restaurant opened at 10:45 a.m., 15 minutes earlier than the regular opening time, but by this time there were no customers other than me. I was a little surprised because I had heard that it was a popular restaurant, but I guess I was lucky because I could make a smooth connection with my plans for the rest of the day.

The restaurant was cozy and had seating for 10 people, including four counter seats and three tables for two people. It seems to be a family business run by a couple, so this is probably about the right size for them. By the way, I really appreciated the attention to detail that the hostess paid to us during our stay. It felt very homey, and I felt very comfortable until I ate my ramen and left the restaurant.

Curry Chashu: How was the advanced version of Curry Ramen at Ramen Shin, which I had longed for over two years?

This time, I ordered Curry Chashu, an advanced version of Curry Ramen (price: 1,300 yen including tax). After about 5 minutes of waiting, the ramen arrived in front of me…

A red liquid is spooned over the toppings (chashu pork, chopped green onion, and kaiware). Is it raayu (Chinese chili oil)? I wonder what it would be like to add raayu to something that is originally spicy? Yes, I can’t convey it in the picture, but the aroma of spices wafting from the bowl is also pleasant. It was insanely appetizing.

Let’s start with the soup… The base is an orthodox spicy curry soup, lightly thickened, and the aroma of spices that comes back to your nose as it passes the throat is irresistible. The key to this soup is the raayu, which adds both spice and aroma to the soup, giving it a spicy and stimulating flavor. Perhaps this raayu is something special, but raayu goes well with curry. It was a new discovery for me as well.

The noodles were flat, straight, and thick, about the same thickness as Ramen Jiro’s extra-thick noodles. The surface was smooth and pleasant to the palate, but when chewed, the noodles were quite firm. They have enough presence to keep up with the spiciness of the soup. The soup is also thickened, so there is no question about the intertwining of the noodles and the soup.

And the 4+2 pieces of chashu pork are so thick and tender that there is no need to chew, and the flavor of the broth soaks into the inside of the pork. It is the only item in the spicy curry ramen that makes me feel like my heart is melting in my mouth. For an extra 300 yen plus for four more pieces of this chashu, it’s quite a bargain.

Finally, a small bowl of rice (price 100 yen including tax) is doused into the bowl to collect all the soup. Even with the small rice bowl, there was enough volume for a bowl of curry rice. After trying it, I can see why this curry ramen has become so popular. It’s a shame that their opening hours are so short, but if the timing is right, I hope to repeat my visit…

Examples of other Ramen Shin menu items (prices include tax)

• Japanese soy sauce ramen 1000 yen
• Shio Ramen 1000yen
• Curry Ramen 1000yen
• Tsuke Japanese soy sauce 1100yen
• Tsuke-Shio 1100 yen
• Tsuke-Shio Soy Sauce 1100yen
• Tsuke Curry 1100yen

The real specialty is Shiro Shoyu Ramen! Access to Ramen Shin is a 2-minute walk from the nearest station, Ibaraki Station on the JR Kyoto Line.

Ramen Shin‘s curry ramen is certainly excellent, but the real specialty is actually the “Shiro Shoyu Ramen” (priced at 1,000 yen including tax). This Shiro Shoyu Ramen was created when the owner was working at Kinsei Sohonke Mufu, and in fact, there are many repeat customers. I guess that’s why they say, “Come here and enjoy the taste that you inherited from a famous restaurant that is no longer around”. Next time I have a chance to visit the restaurant, I will try the Shiro Shoyu Ramen.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

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