I don't know if this was the first place I had Tonkotsu Ramen 豚骨, but it is where I ate it most frequently. In addition to only serving one kind of broth, they also would serve it with a lot of extra spices, and the levels had really blunt names, at least that is what Mai told me. The extra spicey ramen was optional and I stuck with just the pork bone broth most of the time.
To get to this shop I had to bike a bit out of my way. What I would usually do is visit on the weekend, go to the e-Jungle internet cafe then after getting my fill of the internet I would bike here for a bowl of ramen and some draft beer. This place also lets you press fresh garlic into your ramen. Some places have seseame seeds you can add too, but I just like to add fresh garlic.
Another aspect that made this ramen shop was the atmosphere. It might not have been the best ramen, though I liked it a lot, but it had the best atmosphere. It had a weird collection of action figures on display at the door. The walls were covered in Reggae albums and Reggae music was constantly playing. And every and I do mean every time I ever went there 2001 A Space Odessy was on the TV.
I also had a good understanding with the chef. We never talked much, he was always too busy but he always recognized me when I came in. A true ramen chef mostly communicates in grunts and gestures. I think I was the only foreigner who frequented his shop. I was the only foreigner who frequented a lot of shops in Toyohashi. When I returned to Toyohashi in 2026, I didn't think this shop would still exist, the only person in town who seemed to remember me was a bartender. His bar had moved but was still open and this shop apparently survives too.
After over twenty years of this webpage being up and literally going back to Toyohashi, I finally learned that the name of this shop is Kuroda-ya 黒田屋. It might actually be famous after after all these years. I found a YouTube video and although I think the location is newer or just updated they did show the old sign which I captured in a screenshot. You can see how the soup is made which should match my description and memories. They discuss the various levels of hell (heat). It is a shame I did not go in 2026, I'll just have to hope they stay open long enough for me to visit next time. The sign has definitely worn, but I wonder if they are aware I've kept this webpage up for over twenty years with fond memories of eating here alone on weekends. I don't think if I had a bike in March 2026 I could have just biked there from memory, but now that I know the name, many more people will know the name of this ramen shop and in the video it seems busier than I remembered it.
The shop or the owner has an Instagram. He really likes reggae maybe more than ramen, so if I ever do visit again, I'll have to wear the Big Sugar shirt, which I did take to Japan in 2026.
When I lived in China, I actually ate a lot of Ramen, first in Beijing when I was a student there and later in Shanghai where I again taught English. Ramen became something of a comfort food, though I think it hasn't been the best for my waistline. I'm glad you can get better ramen outside of Japan now, but I still miss being a regular at this shop.
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