Tenkaippin Main Shop (sohonten) - Kyoto

We tried Tenkaippin's signature ramen, one with normal broth and one with extra-thick broth. The normal one was not bad, but not outstanding. Noodles are chewy but the chashu seemed run of the mill. The extra-thicc one was more interesting, halfway between a ramen broth and stew texture. It may be a little too rich, would recommend ordering the small portion.

We were taken here by friends who live in Kyoto and weren 't disappointed by a delicious ramen. My husband had the standard 'rich ' version of the soup, while I went for the medium level medium is definitely recommended! We also had their karaage chicken, which was great.

Tenka Ippin is a rather large chain of budget ramen restaurants all over Japan. They are particularly known for their thick broth soy sauce ramen, supposedly stewed for hours with chicken stock and vegetables to create their unique taste. They also have regular, light, or other varieties, depending on store location. You can also select broth thickness, noodle hardness, garlic, and amount of green onions. The company originated in northern Kyoto City in 1971, so their original location continues to this day as their main store. Though I was never impressed with Tenka Ippin, having visited once before at a separate store, I was recommended to try their head restaurant by several Japanese friends. They told me that this original location had the best flavor and was different than the other locations. Unfortunately, I still am not impressed. While Tenka Ippin is not bad at all, their thick broth is nonetheless unmemorable. It does have several layers of flavors in the broth, but is mostly overpowered by the strong, salty taste. I did appreciate being able to customize the ramen a bit to my liking. Additionally to their credit, the whole meal was a great lunch value set at 970￥ with a katsu rice bowl side. Even though it was small, the rice bowl was a nice complement. Their gyoza is also recommended, should you stop by. Overall, I wasn't disappointed, but I probably won't head back anytime soon with so many other great ramen options in Kyoto.

At first it tasted good. But kimchi beef one was not that good. Too oily and tastes like oil and oil again. It's said Kyoto's #1 ramen restaurant. But it's not that really good. However, i liked the atmosphere.

Two word : beef tendons. The best beef tendons that you will find in Kyoto! This being the main shop serves a nice ramen with beef tendons only available in this shop) and you should order a side dish of beef tendons cos you won't get enough of it. That's the only reason I keep coming back to this shop. It only doesn't get 5 stars as the ramen broth is inconsistent where you never know if it's going to be thick or thin.