Mibu, Tochigi, Japan｜Ramenyaichibanteimibuten

Niboshi (dried sardines) stock shoyu ramen. Very rich, richer than tonkotsu ramen I am used to. It’s not fishy like you might imagine, rather, like fish sauce for Thai food. If you like Tonkotsu ramen and Thai food, try their niboshi shoyu ramen. Diced onion and softened bamboo shoots are great accent, too. Watch out… you could get hooked. Cash only. Their Tonkotsu ramen was just OK. Lots of seating and very clean toilet, especially for a ramen restaurant.

It's so-called chain ramen, but it wasn't like Korakuen or Rairaitei. Although there was a fried rice banner, it was not on the menu, and instead they had yakimeshi (grilled on an iron plate), which had a rather junky feel to it. The ramen didn't use too much Ajinomoto, which made my tongue numb, and it was delicious, not too thick or too thin. It didn't feel like a chain, and the employees were kind.

2022/09/24 I had the Deluxe Gomen. It seems to be an original menu item at the Mibu store, and I later looked it up and found that it wasn't on the grand menu. Deluxe gourmet noodles claim to contain 400g of vegetables, but the vegetables are almost 100% bean sprouts. Still, I was glad that the bean sprouts were cooked well and still had a crunchy feel. I had a choice of grated garlic topping or grated ginger topping, but since I love garlic, I chose garlic. It was delicious, so I was able to finish it all comfortably, but after I finished eating it, I felt that although it was a copy of the Jiro style, it didn't have the vulgarity of the real thing, and had a well-balanced finish as both food and ramen. It was a restaurant that left me with a sense of anticipation that I wanted to try other menu items.