天下一品 総本店
Hours: 11am to 1am, every day
Budget: Around 1,000 yen per person
Smoking: No
Challenge Level: Easy
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Tenkaippin is a famous chain of ramen restaurants that originated in Kyoto, famous for their thick and rich broth, made from chicken bones and vegetables. It has a creamy texture and a deep flavor that coats every strand of noodles and is probably the most comforting ramen soup you will ever slurp.
I happen to live quite close to their first branch, Tenkaippin Sohonten, near Ichijoji Station, so on a grey spring afternoon I decided to visit.
Getting There
From Ichijoji Station, cross the train tracks and go east for 5 blocks, until you reach a large avenue, then turn right, going south for another 5 blocks, going past a pachinko parlor, McDonalds and 7-11 along the way. You should get there in about 10 minutes. Use Google Maps and you should have no trouble reaching the store.
How to Order
The inside of the shop is cozy and welcoming, with friendly staff and a simple menu. They have both counter seats and tables for larger groups, which is a rarity in ramen shops. Keeping the family restaurant atmosphere, they don’t have the typical vending machine for tickets; a server will take your order like in a usual restaurant, but don’t worry, the menu is full of pictures and quite easy to understand.
The most popular choices will usually be at the top of the menu, so if in doubt, you can always go for those. I wasn’t offered an English menu, but the choices are simple enough that just pointing will do the job. Moreover, most employees are young university students and it’s Kyoto after all, so they will know enough English to smooth out any trouble.
The Food
I ordered the kotteri ramen karaage teishoku, a set meal with a bowl of ramen, fried chicken and white rice for only 1200yen.
The kotteri ramen is their most popular dish, a super dense, rich soup, with thin and firm noodles, perfect for slurping. Mine came with a slice of tender chashu, sweet menma and a lot of refreshing, fresh green onions. The fried chicken was garlic flavored, crispy and juicy, and the rice the perfect way to rest the palate after drinking up the addicting, savory broth.
If you are a ramen lover, Tenkaippin Honten is must-try in Kyoto. It’s the originator of one of the most beloved styles, with a line outside pretty much any day of the week and any time of the day. They are open from open from 11am to 1am, so if you don’t want to wait too long, go on a weekday in the afternoon.
