Kumamoto Ramen KOKUTEI Honten (Main Store) — Restaurant in Kumamoto

Went there acknowledging controversial reviews, finally I made first hand experience on the bowl. Ate ramen, fried rice and gyoza. Bowl looks pretty delicious. Gyozas taste good. Fried rice is satisfactory. Roast garlic oil on top of bowl is appealing and tastes good. However, almost all other components are only fair. No choice for harder/softer noodles, bean sprouts are a bit dated, char siu is average, most disappointing is the soup is too ‘diluted’ and a bit salty to overcome taste buds. I drank a whole bowl of soup when I ate 無敵家’s ramen, but I can’t do it here. Overall, a bit disappointing. Hope...

My first time to try Kumamoto ramen, it was awesome!

The flavor is Tonkotsu, but it’s not too strong and oily and not hard to finish all! The staff asked me if I wanted two egg yolks or a boiled egg as topping. I chose the first option because I heard it’s popular and unique. It was definitely nice, it made the taste a bit milder and I saw all other customers get the egg yolks! You can find how to eat it on the menus!

If you’re not sure where to have Kumamoto ramen around Kumamoto...

Like any other region in Kyushu, Kumamoto has its own version of the tonkotsu ramen. This restaurant is quite spacious, but you do still need to queue for at least 30 minutes. It is around 11 min walk from Kumamoto Station.

I ordered their classic tonkotsu ramen with chasiu pork and raw egg (¥1080). The broth was more peppery than other tonkotsu ramen. The pork was juicy, the raw egg can be mixed with the soup to make more creamy.

Definitely a must visit if you ever...