Divine Soyu Ramen

So how does one choose among famous ramen restaurants (with considerable heritage) placed side-by-side? Well, since all of their interiors had similar seating capacity, we chose the one with the most seats placed outside for the queue, and with the fewest types of ramen offered on the menu.

Located on the 10th storey of the Kyoto train station, orders were placed & paid for at vending machine-style setups at the entrance. We ordered miso and soyu ramen, and it was the latter that really shined.

The casual dining, bright interiors and youthful atmosphere creates an unlikely ambience for a gourmand's epiphany. Because that's what the soyu ramen meant to us. It totally threw out our past definitions of that dish, or any definitions that our imagination could ever conjure! The fragrance and deliciousness was addictive, complete with a tasty soft-centred egg done perfectly. The noodle itself had a distinctive character, evidently a reflection of the artisanal hands behind its creation. It was pure delight, pure umami!