Is Ide Shoten (井出商店) the best ramen shop in Wakayama? Many believe so. They've been serving tasty ramen since 1958.
Best Ramen in Wakayama? - Certainly Most Famous
Ide Shoten is a huge part of Wakayama City's and Wakayama Prefecture's ramen scene. It's first on the list for many visitors to the area.
Let's break it down. In Wakayama, there are two main styles of chuukasoba (ramen is called chuukasoba in Wakayama).
Ide Shoten is responsible for creating one of these styles. In it, the soup is more tonktosu (pork bones) than shoyu (soy sauce). More specifically, they cook pork trotters for hours and hours on high heat. This ensures richness and thickness.
On top of this, the final soup (to serve) is only ready after they combine three soups that are cooked separately. In other words, the smooth-tasting soup is also carefully refined.
It's as delicious as it sounds. Furthermore, the shoyu (soy sauce) isn't exactly absent. It serves as a tangy vessel for the soup.
Additionally, there's something visually pleasing about the ramen in Wakayama. In the naruto (fish cake), the pink isn't always just an accent - it's often the main color! At Ide Shote the naruto looks particularly pretty up against the earthy-colored soup.
Fatty chashu pork slices and and spring onions complete the toppings.
Lastly, the noodles are on the thin and drier side. They're made by local noodle maker Fukusue Seimenjo.
A Side of Sushi?
Ide Shoten doesn't just sling chuukasoba / ramen. Hayazushi is on the menu too. Think of hayazushi as pressed sushi usually made from mackerel. It's a fun side kick to the ramen. Carbs and more carbs!
If you order an egg topping, it's served separately from the ramen. As per the photo, they season it quite deeply in soy sauce. All the brown colors in Wakayama ramen give me 70s vibes.
Want to find out more about Wakayama ramen? Check out our Kyoto Ramen Guide, which includes Wakayama ramen shops like Ide Shoten as well!
Ide Shoten Prowess
Given its celebrated ramen standing, Ide Shoten can get crowded. Sometimes there's a long line of people outside...there are only so many seats inside.
But that's all part of the charm. It's like they haven't changed anything since they opened in 1958 (as a food cart). In conclusion, Ide Shoten is one the best ramen shops in Wakayama. Japanese locals and visitors may even think it's THE BEST.