Kyoto | No Ramen, No Life
I came to Japan for two reasons: Ramen and Sushi. And... if you're anything like me when you hear of someone that cooks ramen using flames from the 7th layer of hell, then YES of course I'm going to be the first in line.
What to Expect
They don't take reservations. Instead, you arrive at the address and use a little touch pad to let them know how large your party is and it spits out a number for what place in line you are. Ramen bowls seem to be served at half the restaurant at a time - so the line moves in roughly groups of 6-7.
It's so welcoming the way Chef comes out to greet you and asks you where you're from - China, New York, Canada. Most of the clients here are international so don't worry if you don't speak Japanese, they cater to everyone. The whole experience, from door to stomach should take no more than 45 minutes. But in that 45 minutes, it's Chef's personal mission to make sure you have a good (and safe) time with him. Right before the hot oil goes over your unsuspecting bowls of ramen, he pulls out directions in all languages: don't run away, don't sit up, don't touch your bowl right after, lean back & have fun.
Be prepared to take ALL of the pictures. In the cooking area, there are phone camera set ups to document your ramen experience. See this little video below that he made with my phone.
Flavor
I ordered the egg extra - as any good Asian would, right? And this bowl did not disappoint. You can taste the fire. So if you're a person that likes things a little more on the well done side, or that smokey charcoal taste - this ramen is going to be right up your alley. The noodles, as everywhere else in Japan, is cooked perfectly: firm and with substance. It's easy for them to sit on your spoon and slurp right up.
For those die hard tonkotsu fans, there's condiments to help achieving that traditional, salty and savory flavor to overcome that charcoal type taste. I'm a personal fan of a black spicy sesame tonkotsu ramen so I added the vinegar and Chile oils. Regardless, I tasted that ramen for hours afterward (from tiny little burps throughout the day), and I was never disappointed. Overall - would I say it's the best ramen I've ever had? Not really, but it's just my flavor profile. Other reviews would disagree with me because they love that fire taste. Totally worth the experience regardless!!
11:30am-11:00pm
Hours
This place gets so busy during rush hours like lunch or dinner. I went around 12:00 (noon) and only had to wait for them to finish the show right before me before walking in - so maybe a wait time of 5 minutes. Other good times seem to be 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM and after 9:00 PM. You'll get the most attention and interaction with his crew when you go off peak.
Good Time to Go
Every person has to order one bowl of fire ramen.
This makes sense, there are only so many seats inside and just because you aren't hungry, doesn't mean they should sacrifice that space when someone is outside in need of ramen.
Kids can sit behind you, but probably not at the table.
Again, this makes sense. They don't want to be liable for third degree burns because a small child was hungry and grabbed the bowl right after the fire was poured.
Vegan & Vegetarian, Need Not Apply.
They are very clear that this restaurant is not for everyone, so I would surround yourself with company that doesn't have many dietary restrictions. Pro Tip for Japan: this rule is probably the same for most rest of Japan unless otherwise stated. It's common for them to be very strict on their preparations. I'm sure they're happy to point you in the direction of a dish that fits your needs, but probably not going to get much luck for changing their dishes to accommodate you.
Cash Only
Did you expect anything less? lol