The first rule of fight club fire ramen is don’t touch the bowl. You wouldn’t think eating ramen requires rules, but one ramen restaurant in Kyoto, now famous and flocked to by a mass amount of foreign tourists has a whopping 10 rules to follow to enjoy it’s standout dish – fire ramen!
source:Instagram
Part deliciousness, part potential to singe your eyebrows (which is part of the appeal – trust me!) a visit to Menbakaichidai in Kyoto is definitely worth it to try their signature dish; especially if you are a connoisseur of quality ramen or you just love a good feed.
Making it crystal clear, Menbakaichidai is not a tourist trap at all. Yes it has a unique offering, and is crazy busy due to the one-of-a-kind experience, but that’s basically the first rule in marketing. Create something innovative and experience based and the people will come.
source:Instagram
If you’re heading to Japan to go on eating rampage, or you want to tick off all the best ramen restaurants across the country, take note. There is estimated to be over 51,000 ramen restaurants alone in Japan. My advice is to definitely try ramen from each region as they are all different (Fukuoka ramen rocks, Okinawa ramen is so indulgent – check out my recipe here), and whilst you’re in Kansai, make Menbakaichidai your go-to spot to tick off noodles in Kyoto.
I must admit, I initially visited Menbakaichidai in the hopes of spicy ramen, as I love chilli in almost everything, and was surprised to find that the signature ‘Fire Ramen’ is not spicy at all. The name literally comes from that fact that the itamae, or chef in Japanese, pours flaming oil onto the ramen. The ‘fire ramen’ that you will eat (and this article should convince you to fly to Japan just to eat this ramen) is actually called green onion ramen and is a shōyu (or soy sauce based) ramen made from pork, chicken and fish stock. If you cant eat pork, chicken or fish, Menbakaichidai is set up to cater to foreign tourists and can whip you up a fiery ramen made from vegetable soup stock – so it’s great for everyone!
source:Instagram
The sparks fly when the burning oil is poured onto the ramen covered in spring onions (aka green onions for and of you readers not from Australia ). The scorching oil slightly chars the onions and the chashu pork which adds a unique kind of smoky flavour to the noodle soup – and that’s all that’s in this simple yet delish dish Trust me, the taste alone is definitely worth the ¥1350 ($16.25 Aussie dollars), and if you’re a big eater like me, go for the Fire Ramen Set which will set you back ¥2150 ($25.85 AUD) and comes with gyoza, karaage (fried chicken), rice and a Fire Ramen pin to show you smashed that fiery bowl. Disclaimer – I think the pins are for kids over 110 centimetres, but if you’re friendly and happen to be an awesome guest, you might just snag one too.
source:Instagram
Now for the rules of Fire Ramen, and these rules are 100% legitimate, you’ll find out when you visit.
RULES
(in no particular order)
- Do not touch the bowl
- Do not scream
- Do not run away/leave your seat – stay seated no matter what!
- Don’t take pictures when oil is being poured
- Place your hands behind your back whilst your fire ramen is served
- Fire Ramen must be eaten at the counter
- If you don’t order Fire Ramen you will be seated separately
- No sharing – one bowl per person
- Keep your apron on whilst eating
- Children under 110 centimeters can’t order fire ramen (safety reasons)
When normal noodle soups don’t do it for you anymore, fire ramen is the only way to go. This experience is definitely a steal for the price, considering some other attractions/experiences in Japan that can come with a hefty price.
source:Instagram
Have you tried fire ramen before, or are you keen to give it a go? Leave a comment below or tag me (@theonehitwander) in your pic on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Where exactly is Menbakaichidai?
Save this for later…
Want to add this to your bucket list ? Pin it to Pinterest, der!
The post Are You Game Enough to try
Fire Ramen?! appeared first on The One Hit Wander.
