Established in Showa 62, the original shop that created the Miyazaki Spicy Noodles in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture is called "Masumoto". The name comes from the idea of the president, Takayuki Nagasakabe, "If you write the characters of 'Masumoto' separately, it becomes the kanji for 'wood', katakana for 'ta', and kanji for 'wi'. By returning to the original, let's operate the shop with the motto 'I want to come back again'!" Due to the recent "spicy noodle boom", it has become popular not only in Miyazaki Prefecture but nationwide. With 14 stores in Miyazaki Prefecture, 5 directly operated stores in Fukuoka, and franchise stores expanding to Osaka and Gunma, there are about 40 stores in total. The black exterior with flames and a bright red logo design is a common feature of each store. The spicy noodles at "Masumoto" have a light soy sauce-based soup made from pork and chicken broth, an original noodle made from a mixture of soba flour and wheat flour rich in dietary fiber, a balanced combination of "mixed minced meat", "egg", "chives", "garlic", and "coarse ground red pepper". It is a spicy noodle dish that is not just spicy but also delicious. You can adjust the level of spiciness from mild (1x) to super spicy (25x), choose whether to have garlic or chives, and select the type of noodles from "soba noodles", "Chinese noodles (straight thin noodles)", "curly noodles (egg noodles)", or "udon noodles". You can also choose from different soup bases such as "original", "tomato", "curry", or "white (soymilk)". The clean and healthy noodles, along with the detailed ordering system that allows for customization, make the spicy noodles more accessible and attract repeat customers. The shop, "Spicy Noodle Shop Masumoto Hashimoto Store", opened as a directly operated store in August of the first year of Reiwa, located on the west side of the Hashimoto Nishi intersection of the outer ring road in Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City, diagonally opposite the discount store "Mr. Max Hashimoto Store". It has become a popular spot with a line of customers even during lunchtime on weekdays. A few years ago, when I was in a "spicy noodle" craze, I used to frequent the Miyazaki Spicy Noodle shop "Tsukasa" in Nishijin, which has since closed, as well as the "Masumoto Tenjin Minami Store" in Imaizumi, Chuo-ku. Lately, my colleagues have been talking a lot about "spicy noodles" and "Masumoto", and every time I pass by this "Spicy Noodle Shop Masumoto Hashimoto Store" in my car, I've been curious to try it out. Finally, on this occasion, while driving with three colleagues for work on a holiday, we decided to visit for lunch. When we arrived after 1 p.m., there was no line in front of the shop, and there were parking spaces available in the dedicated parking lot in front of the shop. Lucky! We parked our car and entered the shop. "Welcome! Please have your temperature checked," greeted by the energetic voice of a female staff member. We had our temperatures checked using a mobile thermosensor monitor at the entrance. Normal temperature confirmed! The female staff members, all dressed in black T-shirts with the shop's logo printed on the back and bright red aprons, cheerfully welcomed us, saying, "It's okay, please take a seat wherever you like!" The interior of the shop has counter seats near the entrance, a raised tatami seating area with three tables in the back, and six four-person table seats. Although there were seats available at the counter, the table seats were full. I chose to sit at the furthest table in the back. Orders are placed using a tablet device placed on the table. I ordered the "Original Spicy Noodles" with a spiciness level of "3x" and "extra red pepper on the side", with the option of "curly noodles (egg noodles)" and "garlic". It was a hot day for October.

Visited during lunchtime ^_^ The flavors were consistently delicious! The spiciness at 10 times level was just right, not too overwhelming. Also tried the newly released fried rice, which had a strong soup flavor and was delicious! Matsumoto is a place I crave occasionally. It was a tasty ramen with a good kick. Thank you for the meal (^ . ^)

It's been a while since I last came, but there are a lot of customers tonight. I ordered my usual level 8 spicy, but it was quite hot and I had to eat slowly. I had the experience of soup splashing on my clothes before, so I was happy to see disposable aprons available. It was safe, secure, and delicious. Next time, I might go for level 5 spicy.

Miyazaki Spicy Ramen from Motozo. It's spicy but has a delicious flavor. Even though I didn't ask for it, they offer extra noodles, typical of Kyushu. You can choose from Chinese noodles, curly noodles, or konjac noodles. The curly noodles weren't very curly. They have a promotion where you can get 2 slices of chashu for 100 yen. The spiciness is not unpleasant, so I would definitely come back again.

When I come back to Fukuoka, I always end up eating at Masumoto. I wonder why they don't have it in Tokyo - someone should open one there! I always order the tomato spicy noodles, and this time I topped it with cheese. For some reason, I got carried away and ordered level 3 spicy, and it was really hot... I think level 1 would be enough for those with a more sensitive palate (laughs). The chewy konjac noodles in garlic-infused tomato soup are consistently delicious. However, as someone who loves garlic, I find Masumoto's garlic too raw and can't always eat it... It's quite filling, so I recommend the ladies size for women or those with a small appetite! Also, a must-have at Masumoto is the melt-in-your-mouth cartilage! Dip the tender cartilage in ponzu and shichimi pepper to enjoy. I really love this dish and end up ordering two plates every time. I look forward to eating it again when I stop by the area. Thank you for the meal ♡

Holiday at 6pm. Mostly families or groups of people. Easy for families to visit, and the taste of the soup is consistently delicious. However, even when ordering just one dish, we had to wait a long time. When we called for it, they brought it with a nonchalant attitude as if they had known all along, which left us feeling uncomfortable.

I have been relying on Masamoto-san for about 25 years. For some reason, the garlic smell doesn't linger afterward. I'm not sure if it falls into the ramen category, but I think it's a perfect taste for those who like spicy peppers. Even if it's considered part of the ramen genre, I feel like it's one of the top shops.

I love noodles, but I think I would visit more often if the flavor was a little lighter. However, it was delicious! By the way, I have been coming here a lot and I decided on the level 8 spicy konnyaku noodles this time, and I even got a refill! I will definitely be back!

First visit to the original spicy noodle Masumoto Hashimoto store. Located across from a complex commercial facility where Mister Max Hashimoto store is the main tenant, there is a huge parking lot which used to be just a convenience store. They are open from 11:00 to 22:00 and operate year-round without holidays, which is convenient. Masumoto is a chain of spicy noodles originating from Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Although there are many similar stores due to franchise expansion, Masumoto's spicy noodles were originally created in 1987 by a small restaurant in Nobeoka and became popular, eventually becoming a specialized store. Masumoto is the originator of Miyazaki's spicy noodles, often enjoyed as a late-night meal in drinking districts. The store has expanded to suburban large stores after facing a management crisis and changing owners, attracting a wider range of customers. They now have outlets in Kanto and Kansai regions as well. The original store is operated by the founder's daughter, known as Spicy Noodle Shop Sayaka. Interestingly, the founder's wife, who is from Kanagawa, incorporated the taste of the local specialty New Tantanmen to create an inspired dish. While it may resemble minced meat, egg, garlic, and chili, the soup and noodles are different, making it a unique ramen inspired by New Tantanmen. At Masumoto (Hashimoto store), you can choose from various types of noodles such as konjac noodles, Chinese noodles, curly noodles, and udon noodles. There are also various soup flavors like original spicy noodles, tomato spicy noodles, white spicy noodles, miso spicy noodles, and curry spicy noodles, allowing for a wide variety of combinations. You can adjust the level of spiciness and garlic, and there are also various toppings available, so you can create your own favorite spicy noodles. They also offer a variety of side menu options, including children's lunch menus, making it a ramen restaurant that appeals to a wide range of customers, from families with children to izakaya-style customers. The interior of the restaurant is quite spacious, with counter seats, tatami rooms, and tables. Orders are placed through touch panels at each table, and payment is made at the register near the entrance. This time, I ordered the original spicy noodles with extra spiciness, topped with beef tripe and a warm egg, and chose konjac noodles with a set menu of tender cartilage. The appearance of the large spicy noodles with konjac noodles, beef tripe, and a warm egg was impressive! The soup had a refreshing taste with the umami of minced meat, garlic, leeks, and chili. The beef tripe topping was generously served and had a deliciously chewy texture. The texture of the konjac noodles that intertwined with it was also great. Although it is named konjac noodles, it has a strong texture like konjac, but it is named so because it has a strong texture made from wheat flour and buckwheat, not actual konjac. The beef tripe was so delicious that I quickly finished the noodles and ordered a replacement of Chinese noodles. The Chinese noodles were also delicious, but I added a warm egg and another replacement of konjac noodles. Personally, I think the konjac noodles are the best for this spicy noodle, but I also tried the replacement of udon noodles, which I had not eaten before. The udon noodles also had a firm texture, and I thought they were also good. Finally, I finished the soup with the ingredients sunk in it using a perforated spoon and enjoyed the whole meal. I also tried additional items like fried chicken, gyoza, and fried rice, and the fried chicken was tasty, the gyoza was juicy and chewy, but the fried rice was just average. It's nice that you can customize the noodles to your liking, with options ranging from non-spicy to spicy, allowing both those who don't like spicy food and those who love extra-spicy dishes to enjoy. If you haven't tried it yet, please do so. Thank you for the meal<m(_ _)m

It's near Hashimoto's Mister Max. There is parking available, making it easy to enter. I ordered the spicy noodles level 2, for 950 yen. I chose the konnyaku noodles. I used to be fine with the saltiness here before, but recently my body has become somewhat sensitive to salt, so I've been reducing my salt intake. I don't drink the soup, but the soup here has a strong flavor, so I just enjoy the noodles. Thank you for the meal.

The spicy noodle boom has been around for a while, but I finally tried it out. I ordered the level 5 spiciness for 950 yen, while my friend got the non-spicy (level 0) for 900 yen. (Level 0 isn't really spicy, haha) We also got a plate of dumplings for 400 yen. We both chose the "Chinese noodles" for our noodles, but when they arrived, it didn't look like what we expected for "Chinese noodles." We were thinking of the yellow curly noodles. Maybe we should have chosen the "curly noodles" instead. The level 5 spiciness looked really hot, but it wasn't as spicy as it looked. The level 0 was basically soy sauce ramen with a lot of garlic added. The chunks of garlic might be a hit or miss for some people. As for the dumplings, they weren't that great. For the quality, 400 yen seems a bit too much. The filling was a mystery, not sure if it was meat or vegetables. Overall, I'd say, "It's worth trying once."

I ordered a ramen that felt safe with just one spice level. It was delicious, but it reminded me of Santichi in Hachimanyama. I want to eat their garlic ramen again. Adding an egg to their miso spicy noodles seems like it would taste similar. I'll come back again. Thank you for the meal.

I went there after 11 o'clock. Even though it had just opened, there were quite a few people. It was my first time, so I ordered the original spicy noodles, level 2 spicy. My wife got the miso spicy. To be honest, it wasn't that great. The noodles were too soft and not to my liking. It's spicy, but where did the flavor go? My wife's miso was a bit better. The dumplings were too soft, like they were steamed. Weren't they supposed to be pan-fried? The rice tasted weird, like it had a chlorine smell. Even though the ordering was done through a touch panel, the service was not impressive. I won't be going back.

On a holiday, I drove around looking for a place to have lunch, and to my surprise, I stumbled upon "Karashimenya Masamoto" in Fukuoka City, Nishi-ku. It's a well-known Miyazaki local gourmet spot. I hadn't been there in a while, so I decided to visit. The suburban location had a spacious parking lot and the restaurant was sparkling clean. Upon entering, there was a temperature check and alcohol disinfection at the entrance. I was guided to the counter where I had to order using an iPad, which I personally find a bit bothersome. The noodle menu included options like "Spicy Noodles," "Tomato Spicy Noodles," "Curry Spicy Noodles," and "White Spicy Noodles," with choices for size and spiciness level. You could also choose between "Konjac Noodles," "Chinese Noodles," and "Curly Noodles." I ordered the "Spicy Noodles 5 Spicy Regular Size 850 yen" with "Konjac Noodles" and added a small portion of rice for 150 yen. I put on a paper apron and prepared for the soup splatter. The familiar rich soy sauce soup arrived, generously topped with scrambled eggs, leeks, and ground meat, along with a slotted ladle. The noodles were the usual Konjac noodles, made from buckwheat and wheat flour, giving a Korean noodle-like texture. The 5-spicy soup had a moderate level of spiciness, balanced out by the scrambled eggs, making it enjoyable even for those who are not fans of spicy food. It also came with 5 whole cloves of garlic, which surprisingly didn't have a strong garlic smell and added to the overall deliciousness. The side of rice complemented the spicy noodles well. I finished every last drop of the soup and every last bite of the meal. While there are now other restaurants offering Miyazaki spicy noodles, Masamoto is still the original and the best. Sometimes you just crave a bowl of spicy noodles, and Masamoto never disappoints. It was delicious! Thank you for the meal.

At night, I usually eat in Nakasu, but today I happened to be nearby and went to the Hashimoto branch for lunch. It was my first time eating there during lunchtime, and they had a digital menu to order from. The soup was quite salty, which might be just right after drinking. But it's healthy, so it's okay!

In May 2020? Huh? A "Spicy Noodle Masumoto" here! When did this happen? It has such addictive taste that makes you crave it regularly~ I remember having it in Nakasu at night before, but now they have stores everywhere, so you can enjoy it sober haha. It seems like this store is still new, with a beautiful store and touch panel ordering system~ Is it a direct management store? When I had it in Chikushino the other day, it seemed like the portion was bigger than I remembered, so today, this chubby guy ordered the "Spicy Noodles 20 Spicy (Ladies Size)" haha (950 yen). Hmm, isn't this size the default from the past? Wasn't this the normal amount to order in Nakasu? Maybe even a chubby guy like me is okay with this size haha. The noodles are of course konjac noodles~ I love these Korean noodles even though they are not konjac haha. I used to order 15 spicy, but this time I went for 20 spicy~ When I tried the soup, it was originally a light soy sauce base but turned bright red with Korean chili peppers, making it slightly crunchy haha. It had beaten eggs and crushed garlic in it~ Well, since we can't go to customers' places in these times, I don't care about it haha. Around 20 spicy, this is the borderline of deliciousness and spiciness, I guess? Anything more than this requires patience (sweat). This taste makes you want to eat it regularly~ In the menu, it used to be "Regular or Large"? Did they change Regular to Ladies size? Is Large now Regular? Men might find it hard to order Ladies size and end up ordering what used to be Large as Regular haha. There must be a secret to making a profit in successful stores, right? Well, the truth remains in the dark~ (laughs) ... I might end up losing a lot of weight with capsaicin haha.

It rained on this day, on and off... Oh... I miss the sun in Itoshima. The TV is full of news about the new pneumonia, and locally, the flu is spreading rapidly... Ugh, let's stop talking about illnesses. I'm perfectly healthy! But on days like this when I feel a bit down, I need to boost my stamina! So, I headed to "Karashimanoya Masumoto Hashimoto Store." The long-awaited directly managed store! It opened in August last year, right? I planned to go there immediately, but almost half a year has passed. It's always so crowded there. On this day, around 2 p.m. on a weekday. It's raining lightly, so the parking lot is quite empty. Finally, I made it here. The exterior is very stylish and beautiful. The interior is even more modern. As expected from a directly managed store. I thought it would be a ticket system, but surprisingly, it was payment after ordering. The counter seats are arranged in several short rows. An interesting layout. There are quite a few female customers. I chose a seat towards the back in the middle. There was a tablet in front of the seat, and it seems you can order with it. I played with it for a while. Fun. (laughs) I knew about the original spicy noodles and tomato spicy noodles, but there were new options like white spicy noodles and curry spicy noodles. They all look delicious. But this is my first time here. I ordered the "Original Spicy Noodles (Regular Size)" (750 yen~). The tablet allows for detailed customization, which is nice. You can choose the type of noodles, whether to add garlic or leeks, etc. In the end, I chose Chinese noodles and added both garlic and leeks. The spiciness level was 2, which cost an additional 100 yen, making it 850 yen. I thought Masumoto always defaults to level 5 spiciness, but recently, level 2 is just right for me. I tried level 10 once and struggled, even level 5 was too spicy for me... so I settled on level 2. Don't call me a coward. I just like a bit of spiciness. And of course, rice is a must with spicy noodles. I also ordered the "Rice (Small)" (150 yen). Soon, the "Original Spicy Noodles Level 2" arrived. Oh, finally. It's been a while since I last visited Masumoto. Looks delicious. Let's dig in! First, the soup. It's spicy. (laughs) Even at level 2, it's quite spicy. It's delicious. The noodles are Chinese noodles, as usual. Masumoto's recommendation is probably the konjac noodles, but I prefer wheat noodles. I like the thin noodles. The spicy soup with straight noodles. It's a good match. And then, rice to cool down the spiciness in my mouth. So tasty. The garlic is delicious. There's quite a lot of it. But it's okay! I'll be working from home after this. With level 2 spiciness, I can drink the soup until the end. It seems that the other customers around me, mostly solo female diners, are ordering extremely spicy levels like 15 or 25... They are strong! I'm the only one with level 2. Embarrassing. (laughs) But I love spicy noodles. The total came to 1,000 yen. It's a bit expensive, but I might become a regular here. Thank you for the meal. When I left the restaurant, it started pouring rain. It was just for a moment, but I got completely soaked. But it's okay! I boosted my stamina with spicy noodles. Alright, time to work hard!

Yesterday, it was cold so I decided to have some spicy food, and went to Masumoto Hashimoto store. The interior of the store was quite spacious, and it was lunchtime so there were quite a few customers. I sat down and struggled with the touch panel to order extra spicy ramen with curly noodles. After a short wait, it arrived. It was delicious, but as I was eating, I couldn't help but think that the garlic was cut in half unlike in Nakasu where it's whole. There are some differences here and there, but if you can eat it anywhere, it might be okay. For me, Nakasu is still the best!

I visited Masumoto Hashimoto Store again, as my wife invited me, following our routine of going every 2-3 months. I tried the Curry Ramen Level 8 Spicy. Even though it wasn't curry-colored at Level 8 spiciness (lol), I was satisfied with the taste.

On March 7, 2021, I had the original spicy ramen in regular size with a spice level of 5, added konjac noodles, and topped it with cheese. It cost 1000 yen.

Masumoto is a restaurant that divides opinions. When fully topped, the garlic flavor is quite strong. It may be good for those who like spicy noodles.