New store alert! A new ramen shop has opened in the former Soka Butcher Shop location. On scorching hot days, the atmosphere inside is just as hot with the energetic manager. The top menu item is the soy sauce ramen. The soup, noodles, bamboo shoots, and chashu are all top-notch quality. This place is now a popular spot, a rising star! (Apparently, they branched off from a well-established Shanghai restaurant) It seems to be popular day and night! ☺

Menya Kotaro 2023.08.20 Today, what I can do is to support at least the food and beverage industry while being very careful. Let's all work together to make it happen! I went to visit a restaurant that I've been checking out after seeing a post from my respected and revered "Captain Haru" on my day off. Finally, my first visit to "Menya Kotaro"! Location: Along Yayoi Street in Obihiro, across from Daifukutei. The exterior is a one-story building with white walls. Inside, it is cozy with 4 counter seats, 1 table for 2, and 4 tables for 4. It's 10:50 am. There are already about 10 people lining up before opening. It quickly gets full, and some people had to leave. It might be more relaxed in the evening when it's less crowded. Today, the meat fried rice is also not available. Ordered: - Gokumiso Ramen 880 yen (tax included) - Fried Rice 750 yen (tax included) The toppings include thick slices of chashu, meat miso, menma, finely chopped green onions, bean sprouts, onions, and grated ginger. The noodles are my favorite Nishiyama Seimen's medium-thick curly noodles. The soup is a double soup of pork bone and chicken broth, with a slightly strong pork bone flavor that is mild and delicious with ginger as an accent. The thick menma is well-cooked and tender, making it delicious. The fried rice is slightly moist and simple, with a unique texture and tender chashu that is cooked to perfection, making it delicious. Considering that they have just opened and that the chef is cooking for a large number of customers alone, it seems quite challenging. The pot is on fire and working at full capacity, so please do your best without overdoing it. The counter can get hot on the face when the pot is on fire, and the restaurant gets a little smoky from the fire. I will come back to eat ramen again. Thank you for the meal. Menya Kotaro - Business hours: 11:00-15:00 (Last order 14:30), 17:00-20:00 (Last order 19:30) - Closed on Tuesdays (and the day after public holidays)

I visited a new ramen shop at their opening time. I was able to sit right away, but it quickly became full of customers. I ordered the negi miso ramen with an additional slice of chashu (+150 yen). It arrived in about 10 minutes, piping hot! The chashu topping was small and had a slight odor. The soup was not too salty, just right. An energetic older lady was running the place. Maybe she used to work at a certain ramen chain??

Visited on a weekend afternoon. The restaurant was full and we were the second group waiting inside. The place had just opened this month, so the operation seemed a bit inexperienced with tables not being cleared promptly. However, the effort put in by the owner and staff was evident, and it didn't feel uncomfortable. I ordered the recommended Miso Ramen and Hormone Ramen, considering the fact that the owner is from Shanghai. From the counter seats, I could see the chefs at work, which kept me entertained while waiting. The chefs seemed to be preparing 3-4 servings at a time. The ramen and fried rice were both cooked in the same wok, and I found it interesting to watch the process. The ramen was served hot, despite the soup being prepared in advance. The Hormone Ramen had a mild spiciness and a light flavor, different from the bold flavors usually found in Shanghai cuisine. The hormone was well-seasoned and tender. The Char Siu was warmed up properly before serving, which was a nice touch. The fried rice was fluffy and eggy, with a gentle flavor. Overall, I was impressed by the balanced and flavorful dishes served by hardworking individuals. I hope they continue to strive and establish themselves as a beloved restaurant in the community.

I went to Menya Kotarou, a new ramen shop! It was a hot day, so I decided to have ramen. This summer has been really hot every day, so it can't be helped (laughs). The restaurant was full, with quite a few seats available. I waited for about 15 minutes at the waiting area before being seated. It took about 20 minutes after being seated for the ramen to arrive. The staff were polite, thanking me for my patience each time they interacted with me. Maybe it took a bit too long because they only had two staff members working. If they were a bit faster, it would make a difference. I ordered the soy sauce ramen for 850 yen. They also had miso, salt, and negi ramen, as well as moyashi ramen. The ramen arrived and I started eating. It tasted almost exactly like that famous ramen shop. Are they from the same background as Sumire? However, there was no information about that, so they must be different. The soup was a bit on the richer side with plenty of oil. It was served hot and had a good umami flavor and richness, making it quite delicious. Nonetheless, I felt like it was missing something, so I might try their spicy miso ramen next time. Thank you for the meal.

The restaurant "Kotaro Ramen" is located in a former pork shop along Yahiro Street, with parking available for about 9 cars in front of the adjacent vacant house and 3 cars next to the restaurant. When you enter, you'll see familiar staff members behind the counter. The recommended dish is the "Extreme Miso Ramen" for 880 yen. Unfortunately, they were out of chashu when I tried to order the meat fried rice, so I ended up getting the fried rice with soup for 750 yen. The soup is made by simmering chicken bones, pork bones, and vegetables for 10 hours, resulting in a rich and traditional miso flavor. The noodles are from Nishiyama Seimen and the toppings include pork belly chashu, ground meat, thick menma, bean sprouts, sautéed vegetables, green onions, and white sesame seeds. The fried rice was a classic style with egg and chopped chashu, moist and flavorful. The restaurant seems to have a connection with a well-known establishment as a person from a popular restaurant chain was helping out for 3 days. The menu also includes Hormone Ramen and An Sauce Yakisoba, which both look delicious. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

I was surprised by how delicious the hormone ramen, Gokumiso, and Karame miso were! It's the first time I've found a restaurant this good right after opening.