Tabelog ratingOpen since 2017 and selected for Tabelog's "Tabelog 100" ramen list every year from 2018 to 2025, Chuka Soba Shigure Isezaki choujamachi honten (中華蕎麦 時雨 伊勢佐木長者町本店) serves tanrei-style shoyu ramen. The clear, light soup is built on Tamba heritage chicken, duck and dried fish, and reviewers often compare it to the clear soup course of a kaiseki meal. The bowl also carries a garnish rarely seen in ramen: yawata-maki, burdock, carrot or green beans rolled in meat. The small room feels closer to a quiet Japanese restaurant than a ramen shop.
Most guests praise the clean, layered shoyu chuka soba, which many finish to the last drop, and the house-made thin straight noodles, smooth with a firm bite. The large pork chashu, the yawata-maki and the dashi-tamago (a soft egg seasoned with stock) are widely liked. Others recommend the tantan soba (sesame and chilli) and the horohoro nanban tsuke-soba, dipping noodles with guinea fowl. Reviewers mention polite staff, a clean room and careful presentation.
The shio (salt) bowl is the most common disappointment and is often called bland. Some found the shoyu soup too salty or not hot enough. A few had soft or clumped noodles, a flat dipping broth or an overcooked egg. One long-time regular feels the tsuke-soba has declined since 2019, and an English-speaking visitor found the bowl unremarkable given the queue.
The listing's price band says under ¥1,000. Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid a little more, around ¥1,050 for chuka soba, ¥1,100 for horohoro nanban tsuke-soba and ¥1,200 for the limited iriko soba. Extras ran about ¥400 for the special topping set, ¥150 for dashi-tamago, ¥200 for Kujo leeks and ¥150 for a large portion. Bottled beer was ¥550. Expect to spend roughly ¥1,050–1,600 at lunch or dinner, since prices are the same at both.
Reviewers broadly consider it good value. For about ¥1,050 the basic bowl brings house-made noodles, three kinds of meat and a high level of craft.
- Getting there: 207 m from Isezaki-chojamachi Station (about 3 minutes on foot), 5 minutes' walk from JR Kannai Station, close to Yokohama Stadium.
- Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–14:00 and 18:00–21:00 (last food order 20:30), closed Sunday. The owner notes the hours changed recently, so check before visiting.
- Payment: cash only. Credit cards, electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted. The ticket machine takes ¥1,000 notes, and staff change larger notes. A service charge is added to the bill.
- Booking: no reservations, walk-in only. Buy your ticket inside first, then join the queue outside. Weekend lunch queues can reach about 30 minutes. Weekday early lunch, after 13:00 and evenings are often quiet.
- Seating: 13 seats (5 at the counter, 8 at two-seat tables). There are no private rooms and no private hire. Paper aprons are provided.
- Children: welcome. The shop is also comfortable for solo diners.
- Smoking: non-smoking, with no ashtrays outside.
- Parking: none.
- Perfume: avoid it. One guest was asked to leave for wearing perfume.
