Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan｜Menyarei

Yes, it is worth waiting in line for the best ramen of your life! The meat was the most tender and flavorful chunk of meat I have had in any dish and the broth on the spicy miso was wonderful. We also got the small side of rice and pork that was a great addition to the meal! The staff was also super helpful. The chef, unprompted, came and showed us a picture of each dish to help translate.

Menya Rei is a refreshingly original flavor profile in the heart of Chitose. It does get busy, especially since it got a Michelin Guide mention a couple of years back and is worth the wait. Soup is quite a strong dashi base with meaty notes after. All their variations are good. The shoyu (soy) topped with grated onion would be my pick for something unique, but all are done well and with slight variations in toppings. The chashu pork is really good and a nice slice or two should be on top of each bowl. You can order extra, but perhaps wait and see if what comes in your bowl is enough so you don’t have leftovers. The “makanai-don” cubed sauced pork on rice was a really nice side dish if you’re feeling peckish. Especially since they do slightly different stuff than standard ramen shops, I recommend Rei to people often.

Best ramen in Chitose! The meat in the ramen is hands down the most tender melt in your mouth piece of meat I have had in a long time. It is also 2-3 times bigger than the meat other ramen places serve. Bamboo shoots were also very fresh, 5x the size of what I excepted. Yumm