We couldn’t check in to our Ryokan until 3pm so had a bit of time to wander around in the tiny town centre of Jozankei. We wanted beer and stumbled upon this little cafe, which was empty upon arrival. The elderly couple who received us were full of humour and used to dealing with lost tourists like us. They proudly told us that they were 86 and 87 years old and had been running their cafe for over 50 years together. We tried their gyoza and ramen, which were effortlessly brought together by grandpa at the stove. Grandma entertained us tirelessly and we were so charmed that we stayed for another round of Kirin. Grandma joined us for a beer in the second round. We left them some Singaporean currency as they collect foreign currency and showed us their extensive collection, which included notes from Norway, U.S, and Australia, though the majority of their notes were from China and Korea. By the time we left, the cafe was full. I recommend this cosy place, wishing them many more years of welcoming...
Read moreThe most charming and memorable ramen shop with absolutely delicious food that I’ve been to! Highly recommend this for all. We came as tourists to the onsen hotels here and found this cute spot in town. The grandma is the most adorable and energetic owner, and honestly feels like she came from a Studio Ghibli film. The food was incredible — some of the best and fresh made ramen, gyoza, and meat we’ve eaten so far. What a lovely, special gem of an experience; highly...
Read moreMediocre ramen and awfully rude service. When I came in, they said that the food would take a long time, so I tried to politely ask how long it would take… for the woman at the counter to scream at me for a whole minute to basically get out if I couldn’t wait. Going ballistic for such an innocent question is unacceptable. Food itself was meh, didn’t leave much of an impression. She “apologized” later, but the damage was done and my...
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