Kyoto’s rising ramen star, Ichigyu – its beef rice features tender meat and earns praise for its excellent service

Text and photos byKavanah

It’s my hobby to keep an eye on the rankings of Kyoto ramen shops on Tabelog. Since mid-2013, the name of an unfamiliar yet memorable ramen shop caught my attention — this is the shop I’m introducing today, “Ichigyu.” Located near Kyoto’s bustling Shijo-Kawaramachi area, Ichigyu is a very young ramen shop that opened on July 3, 2013. Despite being new, it has received high praise, and as of May 19, 2014, it ranks third, just behind the perpetually god-like top two, “Ore no Ramen” and “Afuri.” What’s the charm of young Ichigyu? Let’s… con…tinue… read…ing…

Ichigyu is located on Teramachi Street near Shijo-Kawaramachi, making it quite convenient for transportation. It takes about eight minutes to walk from the intersection at Kawaramachi. The shop’s exterior is rather new (well, it’s a newly opened shop after all), and it looks more like a Western-style restaurant than a ramen shop.

On the day of my visit, around noon on a weekday at 12 PM, I was able to enter without waiting in line. Later, reading reviews on Tabelog, I found that many people had to wait in line before being seated. No wonder — because Ichigyu has very few seats, with only about ten in total, so I felt really lucky not to have to wait that day.

The menu is displayed right at the entrance, with prices clearly visible.

The eye-catching lunch set includes options like Shina Soba, Tsukemen, and Wagyu Soba. Each type of noodle can be paired with either a richer dark soy sauce or a lighter white soy sauce. Each noodle dish can also be combined with different side dishes, such as tamago rice or Wagyu beef.<、蒲烧叉烧饭等等。这样的午间套餐只要850Q?鹛????档摹

Taking the opportunity to write this food review, I also looked up what the differences are between “Ramen” and “Soba,” and why there are terms like “Shina Soba” and “Chuka Soba.” According to the explanation here, “Ramen” and “Soba” are actually the same thing, but due to regional preferences for naming, some places call it “Chinese Soba” or “Chuka Soba.” “Shina Soba” and “Chuka Soba” both actually refer to noodles that originated in China.

There are various add-on options, whether it’s extra char siu, seaweed, or noodle portions.

The Shina Soba and the premium Wagyu rice set costs 850 yen. The “Koshihikari” and “Ajiyoshi” options are not included, but the “Ajiyoshi” should refer to high-quality rice.

The Shina Soba itself comes with a soy sauce-based broth, thin noodles, char siu, bamboo shoots, seaweed, and half a soft-boiled egg.

The broth of the Shina Soba is soy sauce-based. Even though I chose the darker, richer soy sauce, to me — someone who enjoys strong flavors — it still tasted a bit light. The noodles were average, but the char siu was soft and tender, which was quite good. The soft-boiled egg was delicious whether eaten on its own or cracked open to let the yolk mix into the noodles. The fragrant seaweed was excellent — it’s recommended to eat it right away before its aroma and crispness fade.

The highlight of Ichigyu Soba is the added touch of yuzu. Adding yuzu midway gives the whole bowl a refreshing and zesty flavor.

The premium Wagyu rice — when my friend saw the photo, they immediately said: it looks like it’s glowing with deliciousness. This bowl of beef rice... is so tasty. It’s said that Ichigyu uses A3 to A4 grade Matsusaka beef, which is tender and flavorful, quite different from regular beef.<完全不同!好吃啊!

Summary: I can really relate to one review on Tabelog that described the experience as “incomplete combustion.” Ichigyu’s broth, noodles, and ingredients are all very carefully prepared, and you can tell the effort the shop puts in. But for me, it felt a bit light, as if something was missing. On the other hand, that delicious “premium Wagyu rice” won me over even more. Because the Matsusaka beef is just so good, I think if I go again next time, I’ll probably order the Wagyu Soba. Also, the shop’s green juice (vegetable juice) seems to be quite famous and is a must-try item. Visitors should definitely give it a try. Lastly, the service attitude — as people online say, the staff is really wonderful (almost every review mentions this)! Truly commendable!!!

【Ichigyu】
Business hours: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Closed on Mondays
Access: Get off at Kyoto City Bus stop “Shijo-Kawaramachi” and walk eight minutes
Address: 1F, Ebisuterrace, 528 Kamisujiyomachi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Kavanah @ Kyoto, free stay.