Ube Ramen: Where to Eat & What It Costs (Yamaguchi)

Ube ramen is a local ramen enjoyed in Ube, an industrial city facing the Seto Inland Sea. It is based on a pork-bone (tonkotsu) broth simmered slowly for many hours, and because the broth is replenished as it is used, it takes on a brown, cloudy "chadaku" color. Rich yet moreish, its savoriness has long sustained the appetites of a working city.

Highlights

Unlike the white cloudiness of Hakata ramen, the rich brown-cloudy broth is unique to Ube. It is a bowl with a strong pork-bone aroma and medium-thick, soft noodles. Each shop has its own character in richness and aroma, so eating around to compare is one of its pleasures. It also pairs superbly with char siu and green onion.

Seasonal Enjoyment

A warming bowl is fine in winter, and even in summer a bowl slurped while breaking a sweat is exceptional. Many shops stay open late, making it handy to cap off travels. At shops open until late at night, it is enjoyed as a bowl to end the day.

Access and Basic Information

Ramen shops are scattered across the city, centered around JR Ube-Shinkawa Station. Starting with the long-established "Osakaya," it is said there are more than a dozen shops in the city serving Ube ramen, making it well suited to eating around.

A Little Advice

At shops offering kaedama (extra noodles), add them to the remaining broth to enjoy it to the very end. Because it has a strong pork-bone aroma, it is an irresistible bowl for those who love a rich style.

Practical Travel Notes

Ube ramen is a tonkotsu ramen in the lineage of Kurume ramen, and because the broth is simmered for many hours while being replenished, it is characterized by a rich "chadaku" brown-cloudy broth distinct from Hakata's white cloudiness, a strong pork-bone aroma, and medium-thick, soft noodles. Its roots are said to be "Osakaya," founded in Ube in 1949 by Ichiro Ikada, who trained in Kurume. There are more than a dozen shops in the city serving Ube ramen, so you can enjoy eating around to compare. A bowl is generally from a few hundred to just under a thousand yen, and many shops offer kaedama. Shops are scattered around JR Ube-Shinkawa Station, and because many stay open late, it is easy to drop by for a bowl to cap off your travels.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main area where it is served: Within Ube City. The official Yamaguchi Prefecture tourism website introduces it by saying, "Ube ramen, in which a rich, strongly aromatic tonkotsu broth clings to medium-thick noodles, can be eaten at about 15 restaurants in the city."
• Definition of the flavor: "A rich, cloudy brown broth, a powerful pork bone aroma, and soft medium-thick noodles" is said to be the definition of Ube ramen (Yamaguchi Video Encyclopedia).
• Lineage: Rather than the thin-noodled Hakata ramen school, it belongs to the lineage of Kurume, said to be the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen. Its origin is traced to the owner of "Osakaya" having trained in ramen making in Kurume.
• Points to note: Restaurants serving Ube ramen each have their own opening hours and closing days. Please check the latest information for each restaurant before visiting.

* Opening hours and prices vary from restaurant to restaurant.

(Sources: Official Yamaguchi Prefecture tourism website "Oidemase Yamaguchi e", feature on local specialties that the people of Yamaguchi love; and the same site's "Yamaguchi Video Encyclopedia: Ube Ramen")

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourism information for Yamaguchi Prefecture and information published by each restaurant. Prices, menus and seasonal offerings are subject to change, so please check each restaurant's official information for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: From around 700 yen a bowl
• Where to eat it: Tonkotsu ramen restaurants, mainly within Ube City
• Best time of day: Both lunch and dinner. Comparing bowls at different shops is fun too
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular restaurants get busy at lunchtime, so try going at off-peak times
• Combine it with: Ordering souvenir ramen by mail, Tokiwa Park, the sea at Ube, and Akiyoshidai