Maruboshi — Restaurant in Onomichi

We came here after traipsing the streets of Onomichi looking for a ramen restaurant we went to 7 years ago. I’m still not sure if this is the same one. However this restaurant was yum!

We got there early (5.30pm ?) so there were no lines and we easily got a table.

Of course we had to order the local speciality of Onomichi ramen and some gyoza. Onomichi ramen is something I have been craving for since my last visit and this didn’t disappoint.

Nice balance of flavours from the fish and back fat, not too salty.

Gyoza was tasty with a little bit of vege inside so not just a lump of meat. Cooked well unlike the gyoza I had at Onomichi Ramen in the covered shopping street which was practically burnt and dripping in oil - yuk - avoid.

Service was quick and efficient we had practically just sat down and our soups arrived not long after.

They have both counter seating and some tables.

It looked like we arrived at the right time as the place appears to be popular. A line was forming outside just as we left. So maybe if you don’t want to line up and don’t mind an early dinner, turn up before 6pm?

I recommend this place for good...

This was my second ramen stop during my trip to Onomichi. Not quite as good as the first, but it did have some highlights. The karaage here is the best I've ever had from a ramen shop - 3 big pieces of perfectly fried chicken with a large lemon wedge and bowl of pepper to dip it in.

As for the ramen, the noodles were cooked perfectly. The soup was decent. The most disappointing part was the chashu. High quality chashu in ramen is something I get genuinely excited about. There was nothing exciting about the chashu here. It was thin and bland, an afterthought.

If you come here, expect a wait. Even on a Monday, the line was out the door and wrapped around the parking lot. Customers don't spend a lot of time eating, though, so the line moves at a...

Servings are huge. Think twice before going for oomori. The karaage is out of this world - even better and worth eating than the ramen.

2024 Edit: Came back to the shop after 6 years. The ramen is still good (the salt will hit the spot after a day of cycling/walking) and the karaage is as delicious as ever. Like everything else in the post-corona world, price had increased. But they remain very affordable and is validated by the hordes of office workers stopping...