The traditional Japanese ramen noodles are not only cooked at home stove. Especially in Japan, there are countless restaurants and small noodle stores that specialize in ramen. These are called ramen-ya in Japan.
There are far more than 10,000 ramen-yas in Japan. These also present themselves in the most diverse designs. It can be the simple cookshop around the corner, the stand-up snack bar in the financial district of a metropolis, the fast food restaurant of a ramen chain in the shopping malls, or even the elegant restaurant in the style of a gourmet temple.
Many of these Japanese ramen-yas have now spread throughout Asia as franchise restaurants. However, ramen restaurants are becoming increasingly popular in the West as well, and these Japanese restaurants with their traditional flair and typical noodle dishes are popping up more and more in many major cities.
Ramen-ya mainly serves ramen dishes. These are very multifaceted. From Shoyu Ramen via Miso Ramen and Shio Ramen to Tonkotsu Ramen the noodles with the different soups are offered here. The menu includes ramen with fish, meat and seafood, but vegetarian ra men and vegan ramen noodle soups are also becoming more common.
Some ramen stores have ready-made dishes on the menu, while other restaurants allow diners to create their own ramen soups from individual components.
In addition to the soups, dry ramen dishes are usually offered, and gyozas, which are popular in Japan, are usually available as well. Gyozas are the Japanese equivalent of Swabian Maultaschen. These are sold boiled or fried in soup, but also dry with dipping sauce.
The most famous ramen yas in the world
Ajisen Ramen is a ramen store which belongs to a franchise chain. In Japan, there are more than 700 locations of this chain, and representatives of Ajisen Ramen can also be found in Canada, Cambodia and Australia.
Ramen chains have also established themselves in America. Among the best known are Boxer Ramen, which has its main location in Portland, Oregon. The first ramen-yas of this chain opened back in 2013. In the wake of Corona, however, some have had to close, and the future of ramen stores in America is uncertain.
Ichiran, a ramen-ya from Fukoka, has been in existence since 1960 and has grown to become a large and important ramen chain in Japan. In the meantime, Ichiran is also represented in the USA, especially in New York City.
But no matter which major Asian city you go to, there are always plenty of ramen-yas around. In Bangkok, for example, Bankara Ramen is located in the exclusive shopping temple Siam Paragon. But in every mall in Thailand’s capital there are at least 2 larger or smaller ramen restaurants.
Whether in Vienna, Berlin, Düsseldorf or Bern, these aromatic noodle dishes are eaten with great pleasure everywhere these days. Japanese noodles have gone from being a poor man’s food to a real trend food and are conquering the world.
