Men Sakaba Hakoya — Restaurant in Kyoto

Stumbled upon this place after getting into Kyoto late one night. We had come from a stressful bullet train ride (that I admit I fumbled) and needed a quick bite. We originally were heading to a restaurant further up the road to which we never actually found, but decided to throw in the towel and enter the first place we saw.

Luckily, it was Shunji’s spot. We walked in and were surprised to see an intimate and modest dining setting, in a bar setup with only 6-ish seats. We were quickly seated, and we ordered the beef ramen. After tasting the flavorful, nourishing broth after our long day, my travel partner and I soon realized the character and kindness of the space we found ourselves in. Not only was the bowl of ramen deliciously enriching/fulfilling, but Shunji’s hospitality and focus to his craft was absolutely unmatched.

A couple days later, after extending our stay in Kyoto an extra day for some rest time in our trip, we had the grand idea to revisit Shunji’s ramen for dinner. And just like that, we were back in the seats of this ramen bar in Kyoto. This time, because we were less tired, we were able to chat a bit with Shunji about our travels, his love for Kyoto’s restaurants and cuisine, and he even showed us what our names were in Kanji. The meal was also as phenomenal as when we were starving. Hands down my favorite ramen, and something I’ll probably think about for some time.

I highly highly recommend this ramen spot. Just keep in mind the limited seating, for yourself, but also out of respect for others (especially locals who seem to frequent this place). Shunji is absolutly goated with the...

Holy !@#$. So there I was…Leaving Pontocho street in Kyoto and whatever clock in the morning and I knew I was going to need a ramen Hail Mary to keep me functional the next day. Luckily the Ramen Gods smiled down on me and directed me to this oasis. It is a one man show and this man is a master of his craft. Super simple menu (in English with pictures BTW). In Japan where most ramens typically revolve around Tonkatsu, Miso, or Shio/Shoyu versions this hidden gem seems to specialize in a beef broth ramen and man…let me tell you…it is liquid umami. Super flavorful and savory but doesn’t leave you with that heavy fatty mouth feel that tonkatsu can do sometimes. I absolutely crushed my beef ramen bowl and as I was about to ask for the check it dawned on me. I’m in Japan. In Kyoto. It’s whatever o’ clock in the morning. Stop and smell the roses. And order ANOTHER bowl. Me 2. Ramen 0. As I paid the bill and was leaving the owner commented on how he liked my outfit (ALL black, of course) and gifted me of all things a BLACK rubber ducky. You had at me ramen, but you got me at the ducky. When I EVER find myself in Kyoto, which is highly likely, I will 100% come back here...

I love this little ramen bar. It's translated to Hakoya Ramen Bar, I think. We arrived 10min early and waited outside. The owner and operator opened it right on time and let us in. We were the only customers at this time.

I thought about having the herring ramen, but their specialty is beef ramen, so we went with two bowls of that. Guess what? It was incredibly good! The meat had a sweetness to it, but not overly sweet. Nice amount of fat, exactly right.

You can get extra toppings, but we weren't hungry enough for that. However, we WERE hungry enough for 100g (3.5oz) of wagyu beef. You get to choose your cut from a plate, and he perfectly sears it in front of you on a small grill.

The owner speaks the tiniest of English, but somehow, we were able to communicate about our trip and love for Japan. He also understood how much we enjoyed his food. He also gave recommendations on how to try the food before adding spicy seasonings, but also which spices to...