Tabelog ratingThis shop boils a Kyushu-style dotonkotsu, a full-on pork-bone soup, in a hagama, the traditional iron rice pot. It pairs the soup with Yokohama iekei-style medium-thick noodles and soy tare. The broth is gritty with bone marrow, creamy and pungent. The second signature is the chāhan (fried rice), which the owner's younger brother tosses in a wok at the counter. The shop has been named to Tabelog's regional Ramen 100 list every year from 2019 to 2025.
Most reviewers praise a soup that is intensely rich yet easy to drink. It comes topped with kikurage (wood-ear mushroom), quail egg and chopped leek. One Kumamoto native said it tasted like home. About a third of reviewers rank the chāhan, a simple mix of egg, leek and chashu, among the best they have had. The chāhan bomber, topped with chashu, is the heartier version. Staff will adjust the strength of the soup on request.
Regulars say the soup varies from visit to visit and has lost some punch since around 2024. They also report thinner, tougher chashu and a change of noodles. Some diners find the pork smell and the heaviness too much. There are a few reports of brusque staff and one of poor hygiene. Large portions can be light on noodles.
Prices are the same at lunch and dinner. Reviewers typically spent about ¥1,500–3,000 per person; the shop's listing gives an average of ¥2,000–2,999. In 2026 reviewers paid around ¥1,050 for ramen and ¥600 for chāhan. Chashu-men cost about ¥1,400 and negi chashu-men ¥1,650. Extra back fat was ¥100, half rice ¥150 and a canned beer ¥400. One reviewer noted that prices were higher than the menu shown online.
Value is fair rather than a bargain. Several reviewers find ¥1,050 steep for a basic bowl. Ramen with chāhan, at about ¥1,650, makes a satisfying meal for this standard.
- Access: 12 minutes' walk (966 m) from Yamato Station on the Odakyu and Sotetsu lines; reviewers say to allow 15–20 minutes.
- Booking: reservations are not accepted, so walk in and join the queue. Weekend lunch queues reach 10–20 people, sometimes an hour. Mid-afternoon and around 19:00 are usually quiet.
- Payment: cash only, paid at a ticket machine. Credit cards, electronic money and QR payments are not accepted.
- Seats: 17 (5 at the counter, 12 at tables). There are no private rooms.
- Children: welcome; child chairs are available.
- Smoking: non-smoking.
- Parking: 7 spaces: 2 in front of the shop, 2 in a lot 150 m towards the station after turning right at the first light, and 3 in a lot 70 m towards the station on the left.
- Take-out: available.
- Hours: the shop may close at short notice when the owner is unwell, so check its X (Twitter) account before you go.
- Expect a strong pork-bone smell inside and outside the shop.
