Best Ramen Restaurants in Kumamoto

Dec 24, 2022

Best Ramen Restaurants in Kumamoto

Kumamoto is a culinary center in Japan, but a top dish from the city has to be its ramen. Kumamoto-style ramen consists of pork broth, medium-size noodles, and toppings of Kikurage mushrooms, green onions, and pork (called chashu). You can also find Tamana ramen in Kumamoto, made of pork bone broth, medium to fine noodles, and roasted garlic. Various restaurants serve great ramen in Kumamoto, but a few stand out as the best.

1. Ramen Akagumi

Near Kumamoto Castle and City Hall is Ramen Akagumi. It’s the perfect place to take lunch during a sightseeing visit to Kumamoto. The menu is available in English, making it easy to pick the dish you want. Some great things about this restaurant are that the portions are big enough for a filling meal, and you can choose how spicy you want your ramen. Be warned that level two is already intense, and level three is only for those who are very used to spicy food.

Location: 7-29 Kamitori-cho, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.

2. Kokutei

One of the best-known places for ramen in Kumamoto is Kokutei. The restaurant is close to Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting’s main facilities and JR Kumamoto Station. It’s best to arrive early in the day because the restaurant can sell out of ramen before the official closing time. The ramen here has a strong garlic aroma, and it’s popular to add bean sprouts and egg yolks — make sure you mix the egg into the ramen before eating. You can also purchase packets of Kokutei ramen at Kumamoto Airport to take back to family and friends.

Location: 2-1-23 Nihongi, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

3. Tengaiten

The best ramen dishes are not always the most aesthetically pleasing. For instance, the dishes at Tengaiten look simple, but they’re definitely delicious. Although the restaurant is small, diners only stay a short time, meaning you usually won’t need to wait long before you can sit down. Tengaiten is another restaurant with a menu in English — plus, you can accompany your meal with a draft beer. The restaurant opens later than many other places making it an excellent choice for dinner in the evening to late at night.

Location: 2-15 Anseimachi 1F, Kumamoto
Hours: Monday to Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

4. Niboraya

Another restaurant in the heart of Kumamoto is Niboraya. It has more unusual flavors, with its seafood ramen enhanced with yuzu (a citrus fruit). The noodles are larger than at most other restaurants in Kumamoto, and dishes come with toppings of pork, bamboo shoots, and egg.

Location: 2-2 Shinshigai, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Although ramen dishes often look similar, you’ll find that each restaurant puts its own spin on the dish. If you’ll be in Kumamoto for some time, it’s worth checking out at least a few restaurants to experience Kumamoto and Tamana ramen fully.

woinary from Kumamoto ramen shop Ganso Kumamoto-ken Kuro Ramen Kiyomasa in Kitasaiwai, Nishi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons