2017.03.30
Arata Ishiko

Five Select Local Ramen Restaurants in Hiroshima

Hiroshima is a city with great ramen that originated menus such as "Hiroshima ramen" and "shirunashi tantanmen" (soupless dan dan noodles). Here are five select restaurants in Hiroshima where you can have local ramen.

Index

1. Kunimatsu
2. Shanghai Sohonten
3. King-ken Otemachi Main Restaurant
4. Musashibo Jizo-dori Main Restaurant
5. Bakudanya Hiroshima Shinkansen-guchi Branch

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1. Kunimatsu

This is one of the restaurants that created the trend of "if in Hiroshima, soupless dan dan noodles". Soupless dan dan noodles are a type of ramen with noodles, negi scallions, ground meat, etc. placed on top of a spicy rayu chili oil based sauce and eaten mixed together. This restaurant's most popular menu item is this Shirunashi Tantanmen (580 JPY). The sauce that is a sublime mixture of the spiciness of the rayu chili oil, the sweetness of the dan dan (a meat sauce made by frying ground pork, finely chopped bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, etc. together with miso), and the zestiness of sansho Japanese peppers mixes well with the chewy homemade noodles, creating a fabulous flavor that one could have every day. Enjoy this spicy and tasty dish that is sure to make you sweat.

ぐるなび

1. Kunimatsu

1F Shimizu Bldg., 8-10 Hatchobori, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima

2. Shanghai Sohonten

Hiroshima ramen is characterized by a pork bone and soy sauce based soup that is rich but surprisingly light. The Chuka Soba (650 JPY) at this restaurant is a quintessential Hiroshima ramen. The combination of the substantial noodles that are on the thick side, the slightly sweet and rich soup with no unpleasant odor, and the homemade chashu pork is said to be sublime! As a bonus, all of its ramen dishes are quite voluminous.

Naocchi/Wikimedia Commons

2. Shanghai Sohonten

4-14 Hachobori, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima

3. King-ken Otemachi Main Restaurant

This is a restaurant in a business district that serves just Shirunashi Tantanmen (580 JPY incl. tax)). The soupless dan dan noodles that the restaurant owner created based on research in Szechuan Province in China, where dan dan noodles originate, is a fabulous combination of medium-thin straight noodles, sansho Japanese peppers ground differently according to the season, and a mild sauce. Clients can choose the spiciness on a scale of 0 to 4, so everyone from children to spice lovers can enjoy it. It is also nice they they have sansho Japanese peppers, red chili peppers, a soy sauce-based sauce, and vinegar on the table so you can adjust the taste to your preference. Be sure to order a half portion of rice (50 JPY (incl. tax)) at the end to mix with the remaining sauce!

ぐるなび

3. King-ken Otemachi Main Restaurant

1F Takemoto Bldg. 3-3-14 Otemachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima

Next page: 4. Musashibo Jizo-dori Main Restaurant

4. Musashibo Jizo-dori Main Restaurant

The two types of soupless dan dan noodles served here are made under the concept of "healthiness." So both have an abundance of chicken and vegetables in the sauce and are both healthy and flavorful. The Tantanmen (noko-goma) (600 JPY (incl. tax) made with tahini, a condiment made by processing ground sesame, is very mild. In contrast, you can enjoy the spiciness more with the Tantanmen (hojun-shoyu) (600 JPY (incl. tax)), made without the tahini. You can choose from five levels of spiciness, so no need to worry if you are sensitive to spices.

ぐるなび

4. Musashibo Jizo-dori Main Restaurant

1F Ta Bldg., 5-12 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima

5. Bakudanya Hiroshima Shinkansen-guchi Branch

This restaurant is right outside the Shinkansen bullet train exit of Hiroshima Station. The Hiroshima Tsukemen (700 JPY and up) of slippery cold noodles with boiled cabbage, cucumbers and negi scallions, eaten dipped in a spicy sauce made with a dashi stock of seafood such as small fish, is the most popular menu item here. It has an abundance of vegetables in it, so it is healthy and low-calorie! If you want to have warm tsukemen dipping noodles, the Karamiso Tsukesoba (720 JPY and up) is recommended.