Ramen Shibahama

With noodles freshly made each morning in a dedicated room onsite, soup that is left to ferment overnight in a continually refilled pot, and chashu that is cut right before it's placed into the bowl in order to ensure that every bit of flavor is preserved, Ramen Shibahama offers top class, crowd pleasing ramen prepared with carefully selected ingredients and no artificial seasoning. No expense is spared in making sure that customers enjoy every bite, and the restaurant dedicates itself wholeheartedly to the spirit of "omotenashi", or traditional Japanese hospitality, in order to ensure that guests will come back again and again.

Opened in 2014 by its owner, who learned his trade working at a steak restaurant, Ramen Shibahama is based around the concept of "treating yourself to a morning feast". In line with this concept, the restaurant opens at seven in the morning, an unusual way of doing business for a ramen house.

The restaurant bustles with local customers looking to indulge themselves from the moment it opens in the morning, and at times the queue extends outside of the door. And the reason for this popularity is entirely down to the flavors on offer. From its shoyu and shio ramen to its tantanmen, each of the restaurant's meticulously crafted ramen dishes impress, but our number one recommendation is the so called "Utamaru". This dish combines kake soba and a hamburg donburi, and offers impressive value for money.

Believe it or not, the hamburg steak in this dish uses A4 grade Japanese black wagyu beef. This beef is ground onsite, and the hamburg steak, which is seasoned with nothing but French Guérande salt and coarsely ground pepper before being finished with the restaurant's own kabayaki sauce, is a work of art. Despite its use of luxury ingredients, the price is more than fair. This is doubtless another reason for its popularity.

"Komugi Zanmai", which is served from 10 and is Japan's first ramen kaiseki (traditional set meal), is also worthy of a recommendation. This is a complete meal served in three courses, consisting of "mazesoba", which brings together three distinct types of noodles, "tsukemen" (dipping ramen), and "ramen" (where customers are given the choice of soy sauce, salt, or miso ramen). Offering the chance to try all of the many different flavors that noodle dishes have to offer, the restaurant attracts many visitors who come especially looking to eat this unique set meal.

Ramen Shibahama's dishes bring together flavors that you won't find elsewhere. So take the chance to visit, and enjoy a "morning feast" that will sate your body and your soul.