Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e

One day, just before noon, after I’d finished some errands in Ibaraki, I suddenly got an overwhelming craving for Jiro-inspired ramen. And when you think of Jiro-style ramen in Ibaraki, that one shop comes to mind… but its online reviews aren’t exactly glowing, right? People tend to comment more on the service than the taste. Given that it’s such a polarizing place, I hesitated a bit, but in the end, I couldn’t resist my craving for Jiro-inspired ramen, so I headed straight there. So, how did it actually turn out when I went there…

There were surprisingly many female customers… Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e is a ramen shop like this…

I arrived at Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e around 11:30 a.m. on a weekday. Even at that time, the dining area was already full, and there were two people waiting in the waiting area inside. I bought a meal ticket from the ticket machine right inside the entrance and joined the queue. On this day, I was seated after waiting just over 10 minutes.

Now, regarding the service—which was my biggest concern—based on the roughly 30 minutes I spent there, I didn’t notice any rude staff behavior. However, I did get the impression that the owner might be a rather meticulous person. Actually, it was a bit surprising, but during the time I was there, there were many young female customers—maybe about 30% of the total. Judging from that, it seems the service issues may have been “resolved” for the time being.

The noodles were cooked to a firmness that ranks among the best I’ve ever had, giving them a perfectly chewy texture… How did the regular ramen at Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e actually turn out?

So, let me introduce the regular ramen I ordered that day at Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e After waiting about 10 minutes from the moment I sat down, this is what the ramen looked like when it was brought to my table…

This time, I ordered it with extra vegetables and no garlic, but the portion size felt a bit on the modest side… Well, I usually go for the double pork option at Ramen-so Group restaurants, but for various reasons I opted for the regular ramen this time, so that might have had a big impact.

Anyway, let’s get down to tasting it… The soup looks like this—it’s a non-emulsified type, and for a Jiro-inspired ramen, the flavor was on the lighter side. The pork flavor is only slightly stronger than in a typical tonkotsu shoyu ramen, and the soy sauce base is just right. If you think of it as a standard ramen soup, it’s certainly not “bad,” but if you drank this soup blindfolded, I doubt you’d associate it with the Jiro-inspired style.

As for the noodles, they also felt a bit thinner than typical Jiro-inspired noodles. However, they were cooked to one of the firmest levels I’ve ever encountered, giving them an incredibly chewy texture. Since I love that chewy texture, it wasn’t a problem for me, but it might be a bit tough for those who don’t like their noodles cooked that way. Well, if you let them sit for a while, they’ll soak up the soup and soften, so you could always wait until then to start eating the noodles.

Now, for the much-anticipated “Pork” chashu—it was a chunk of meat that screamed “Jiro-inspired!” This pork was definitely a “win.” It looked rugged, but it had been simmered until incredibly tender; the meat fibers fell apart in my mouth, and the fat melted smoothly across my tongue. After eating this pork, I regretted not ordering the “Pork W” option.

So, I finished the standard bowl of Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e in just under 10 minutes and left the shop. I felt a slight mismatch between the somewhat light broth and the chewy noodles, but by the time I finished, my thoughts had shifted to, “Ah, I see—this style works too…” As for the service, which I’d been curious about, it certainly has a strong, distinctive style, but I didn’t find it unpleasant while I was there. That said, as I’ll mention later, it can be a bit rough, especially for first-timers. If you want a more pleasant dining experience, you could head back toward Osaka a bit and go to Ramen Kudo in Shojaku. Hmm… I’m not sure how to wrap up this article—it’s a bit of a mixed bag…

Other Menu Items  at Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e (Prices include tax)

• Ramen (Large) 1,200 yen
• Soup-less Ramen (Regular) 1,200 yen
• Pork Ramen (Regular) 1,400 yen
• Pork Ramen (Large) 1,400 yen
• Pork Soup-less Ramen (Regular) 1,400 yen
• Double Pork Ramen (Regular) 1,800 yen

Double Pork Soup-less Ramen (Regular) 1,800 yen

No matter how much noodles you order, leaving any leftovers is strictly prohibited! Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e is a 4-minute walk from the nearest station, Ibaraki-shi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

This is what Ramen-so Chikyu Kibo de Kangaero Mirai-e is like, and it has a rule that states, “No matter how much noodles you order, leaving any leftovers is strictly prohibited.” It feels a bit strict that they don’t allow leftovers even with the small ramen. While there is an option for a standard ramen portion of 150g, if you’re not confident you can finish it, you might want to skip making your Jiro-inspired ramen debut at this location. At their sister shop, Ramen-so Rekishi wo Kizame, portions are 300g, and they even allow leftovers if you order extra vegetables, so that location is probably a better choice, especially for first-timers. Now, here are the shop details…

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