What you need to know About Tenri Ramen

Have you ever heard of Tenri Ramen?

Maybe you know ramen(Japanese noodle), but Tenri Ramen is one that is rooted in Tenri City in Nara Prefecture.

If you like ramen, we recommend to try Tenri Ramen too!

What you need to know About Tenri Ramen

1. Basic Information

Tenri ramen is a “local ramen” of Tenri City, Nara Prefecture.

The ramen is characterized by its vegetable filling, mainly Chinese cabbage.

Most ramen stores in Nara Prefecture offer ramen called “Stamina Ramen” or “Stamen”.

Some set meal restaurants also offer it.

The originator of this type of ramen can be called “Saika,” which has its headquarters in Tenri City. The following year, the name “Tenri Stamina Ramen” was registered, making it impossible for other restaurants to use the name.

2. Characteristics of Tenri Ramen

Saika Ramen

Also known as “Ganso Tenri Ramen” (original Tenri ramen).

It is a spicy soy sauce-based ramen with a high garlic content.

Ingredients are: heating raayu and lard in a wok, stir-frying white onion, garlic, pork belly, a large amount of Chinese cabbage, chives, and carrots, adding broth made from pork bones and chicken bones, and adding special soy sauce sauce and hot soy sauce.

Pour this broth over boiled noodles.

Tenri Stamina Ramen

Stamina Ramen is served at the chain restaurant Tenri Stamina Ramen.

The soup is made from tonkotsu (pork bone) simmered for 24 hours, giving it a creamier impression than Saika Ramen.

The ingredients used are the same as those used in Saika Ramen, but some say that the Chinese cabbage is more robust and less dry than in Saika Ramen.

Instant Ramen

On July 27, 2009, instant ramen “Nara Tenri Ramen” was released by Sugakiya Shokuhin Co. The product is labeled as “Nara Tenri Shoyu Ramen,” the fourth in the National Noodle Tour Series.

It is a non-fried cup ramen with chicken and pork bone-based soup with red pepper, garlic, and Chinese cabbage.

3. Trend of Tenri Ramen

Ramen in Nara Prefecture may not be as well known nationwide as in neighboring Kyoto, Wakayama, and Osaka.

In recent years, however, a number of unique ramen stores have emerged one after another, and popular stores that are highly regarded even by ramen enthusiasts have been born.

However, apart from these newcomers, there is a local ramen called “Tenri ramen” that has deep roots in the local area. A representative example is Saika Ramen, which has 15 outlets (as of December 2016) mainly in Nara Prefecture.

Since the opening of its first stall in Tenri City in 1969, it has been loved by the people of Nara Prefecture as the originator of the spicy, hot, and spicy stamina type of ramen filled with Chinese cabbage.

4. Where to Eat

The best place to try it is at the yatai store, which opens in the evening in the parking lot of the Price Cut Tenri Kita supermarket in Bessho-cho, Tenri City.

The ramen makes you feel warm from the inside, so the yatai is the best place to go when it is cold in midwinter, and I also recommend it when it is hot in midsummer, as it will make your stomach feel refreshed.

Here, as in most stores, the system is “first take a seat and then order.

It is a little different from the typical restaurant system where you order after sitting down and pay at the cash register after finishing your meal.

The rules are “order first, then sit down,” “pay in exchange for the ramen that comes out,” and “no cold drinks.

You can bring your own tea, etc.

The menu at Saika Ramen Yatai Branch is simple, with the only ramen available being the Saika Ramen.

It is available in small (1 ball), large (2 balls), and extra-large (3 balls) sizes, and toppings such as chashu pork and egg are available.

It is soy sauce based, with a large amount of Chinese cabbage, chives, pork, and other ingredients.

There is a lot of garlic in the soup, which gives it a spicy flavor.

A thin layer of fat can be seen on the surface of the soup, but it is not at all thick.

The garlic flavor is very strong, and together with the spiciness, it warms the body from the core.

The noodles are thin and frizzy. The noodles are thin, frizzy, and intertwine beautifully with the unique soup, making it possible to eat as many noodles as you like!

The food stall is only open in the evening, but for other times of the day, we recommend the “Honten” in Iwamuro-cho, Tenri City.

It is open all year round until 3 a.m., and has a more extensive menu than the food stalls.

Both are like sacred places for fans, so be sure to make the rounds.

The “Stamina Ramen” offered by Tenri Stamina Ramen is based on pork bones, with back fat added at the end.

Stir-fried Chinese cabbage, chives, and pork belly are added here.

The noodles are thin and straight, and go well with the stimulating yet mellow soup!

The garlic flavor and spiciness are also present, but compared to Saika Ramen, it still feels mellow.

The flavor is easy for women and children to enjoy.

If you want more punch, you can add soy bean sauce and garlic, which are always available at the table. It will give the dish a more junky taste.

There is also a “yatai (food stall)” in Kawarajo-cho, Tenri City (in front of the Tenri Post Office), which is crowded with many customers every night.

It is worth a visit as well, as it has a flavor typical of the ramen originating from yatai stalls.

In Tenri City, the birthplace of Nara-style stamina ramen, there are several other restaurants that serve this type of ramen.

One of the most popular is “Sakae Shokudo,” a restaurant frequented by students of Tenri University.

The restaurant is popular for its inexpensive and hearty set menus, but it also offers very inexpensive stamina ramen noodles made with homemade noodles.

As is typical of stamina ramen, it is topped with Chinese cabbage and pork belly, but the spiciness is moderate.

The vegetables and broth are sweet and very mild.

It goes well with rice, so I would like to eat it boldly with rice!

It is the soul food of the citizens of Tenri, Nara Prefecture!

Stamina Ramen itself is eaten all over Japan, but Nara’s ramen is different and unique.

The taste is so addictive that once you get to know it, you will find yourself craving it on a regular basis.