Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai

Kitakata Ramen, ranked alongside Fukuoka's Hakata Ramen and Hokkaido's Sapporo Ramen, is one of Japan's three most famous classes of ramen that hails from Fukushima's Kitakata city. It began in the early Showa period when a young man from China started selling ramen from a street cart in Kitakata. A distinctive feature of Kitakata Ramen is its "Hirateuchi jukusei takasui men" — noodles with a firm texture and unique curly shape made through a flat rolling and high-moisture aging process.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai carries on the flavors of one of the big three ramen houses of Kitakata, Ban Nai Shokudo. The founder, who trained at Ban Nai Shokudo, opened this venture as a way to spread the "Ban Nai taste" further through a system akin to franchising.

The soup is made by slowly simmering pork bones to extract only the essence of its flavor, resulting in a light yet rich, clear broth that you could eat every day without ever getting boring. The curly noodles pair perfectly with the broth, enhancing its depth of flavor.

Take-home sets include the same fresh noodles and soup used in the restaurant, as well as tender and juicy char siu, praised for its softness. With options for 2, 4, 6, or 10 servings, there's a wide selection to meet different preferences. This allows you to enjoy the authentic taste of Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai at home.