I finally decided to visit this place that I had been curious about while passing by a few times. It was a little after 6:00 in the evening, and the restaurant had a decent amount of empty tables with a few customers already seated. I decided to order the curry ramen from the menu. Most of the other customers seemed to be ordering the miso ramen, or the regular ramen. After a short wait, a bowl of ramen was served. The bowl had a unique design, filled with plenty of bean sprouts and green onions, making it hard to tell at first glance that it was curry ramen. The soup had a thick consistency, almost like a curry roux. It didn't have a strong spicy flavor, but you could faintly taste the pork. The noodles were firm and had a good texture, mixing well with the soup. The thinly sliced chashu had a good amount of fat. The other toppings included plenty of green onions and bean sprouts. As I continued eating, the soup gradually became less thick, but it remained warm and delicious until the end. I was satisfied with the meal and would like to try the regular ramen next time I visit this place.

Originator of the soy sauce ramen with tonkotsu (pork bone) broth "Asahi (Akira) style". Often confused with Kyoto Black and other variations, the original is located near Kyoto Station on Takakura Shio-koji street, at "Kyoto Takabashi Honke Daiichi Asahi". The company that used to operate as "Tokusei Ramen Daiichi Asahi" went bankrupt in 1997, and many of the remaining stores continue to operate independently under the same name. This shop, loved by Ryukoku University students and others for a long time, is run by a mother and daughter duo who efficiently handle orders and cooking, creating a pleasant atmosphere. I chose the "Special Ramen (extra bean sprouts)" and the Daiichi Asahi's "Char Siu (photos 4,5)" which personally ranks in my top 3 for char siu. The broth uses Kyoto's Gokou soy sauce for a well-balanced flavor that doesn't overpower the tonkotsu base. The noodles, from Kyoto's Konishi Seimen, have a firm texture due to low water content. The char siu, while not as tender as the one from the Terada shop in southern Kyoto, has a satisfying chewiness that goes well with rice. Lately, I often hear news of long-standing popular shops closing down, but visiting these beloved establishments teaches me a lot. Thank you for the meal. #ThankYou *Menu items and prices in the photos may differ from current ones. #BelovedShops #KyotoGourmet #KyotoDinner #KyotoLunch #KyotoRamen #KyotoSightseeing #KansaiRamen #LetsGoToKyoto #RamenLovers #DaiichiAsahi #RamenLover #VisitKyoto #FoodPhotography #KyotoRamenClub #KyotoInstagram #KyotoStyle #SupportKyoto #KyotoRamenTour #DeliciousKyoto #KyotoFoodCrawl #KyotoGourmetTour #RamenInstagrammer #RamenClub #NoodleLover #RamenTour #KyotoFood #KyotoFoodTrip

Kyoto Ramen Comparison 26: Special Ramen from Daiichi Asahi We went to Daiichi Asahi located next to Ryukoku University Fukakusa Campus with my family of three. We shared the following dishes: - Special Ramen (Large) for 800 yen - Special Ramen (Large) with Fried Rice for 1060 yen We started with the fried rice, which my daughter enjoyed. Despite its rich appearance, it was relatively light and delicious with a nice texture. The special ramen, typical of Kyoto ramen, had a tonkotsu soy sauce base with plenty of green onions and bean sprouts. The sliced chashu was also delicious. It's also nice to add Yanninjan halfway through for a change in flavor. It's slightly different from the original Takabashi taste, but still delicious. List of Kyoto's traditional ramen comparison: 1. Ramen Fujii 2. Shinpuku Saikan 3. Chin'yuu 4. Daiki 5. Hosokawa 6. Special Ramen Daichu 7. Tentei 8. Higashihigashi 9. Manpuku 10. Shigechan Ramen 11. Banraiya 12. Tenkaippin 13. Kaminobashi Daiei 14. Mastani Kitashirakawa Honten 15. Mister Ramen 16. Shinrai 17. Oyaji 18. Ramen Kassai 19. Daiichi Asahi Makishima 20. Kin no Buta 21. Mister Ramen 22. Shinpuku Saikan 23. Ramen Mizuki 24. Mastani Ramen Alley 25. Shofuku 26. Daiichi Asahi Ryukoku University Side Branch

Today, I visited here. "Daiichi Asahi," one of the representative Kyoto ramen shops. The underground shop is filled with a sense of populism, with the kitchen in the back left, a high counter with 10 seats surrounding it, and 6 table seats in the center to the right. It seems to be run by a family of four, catering to customers of all ages. The menu includes "Special, Iron Man, Miso, Curry" ramen, as well as a student discount ramen due to the nearby university. There are also options for toppings, curry rice, fried rice, gyoza, and drinks. I ordered the "Fried Rice Set" with the option to change the size of the fried rice for a 50 yen discount. After a while, the ramen arrived. The soup, based on pork broth, had fine back fat floating on the surface, with a sharp soy sauce flavor overlapping, creating a rich taste that is typical of Kyoto's long-established flavor. The noodles were from "Kondo Seimen," thin and straight, with a soft texture that complemented the soup well. The toppings included a few slices of chashu, bamboo shoots, thick bean sprouts, and green onions. The chashu had a good balance of lean and fatty meat, tender and juicy. The fried rice had a slightly black appearance, moist and seasoned well, with pickled ginger adding a nice touch, enhancing the overall flavor. While the trendy refined and chemical-free ramen is undoubtedly delicious, it's hard to let go of the traditional style like this one. The service was good. Thank you for the meal. Additional notes: Not wheelchair accessible, Japanese-style seating in the back, no parking available.

Kyoto's long-established ramen shop, Kyoto Daiichi Asahi. In recent years, with the closure of the Tanabe, Kizu, and Okubo branches, as well as the relocation of the Joyo branch, it has become harder to visit. After many years, I happened to come across the Kyoto Daiichi Asahi sign. The shop is called Ryukoku University Yokoten. It may be difficult to find unless you have a specific reason to go there, apart from university-related people and locals. The location is near the Yugi Association's Tamadaki players, so there may be some demand from them. It is conveniently located near the Taketa Kubocho bus stop, between the Subway Mizukamibashi Station and the Keihan Fukakusa Station. I decided to try the Special Ramen (large) with firm noodles. The pork-based soy sauce flavor, retro soft noodles, char siu, bean sprouts, green onions, menma, and the nostalgic charm of Kyoto ramen. It also comes with pork fat on top. The noodles are medium-thick straight noodles, thinner than those at Shinpukusai-kan. If you have dental issues and find it difficult to chew, I recommend getting firm noodles. Depending on the branch, Kyoto Daiichi Asahi's noodles are still soft even when firm. I also ordered the Special Ramen (large) with taro topping on another occasion. The taro here is not the same as at Asao or Okamoto. It is thick-cut pork cooked in a sweet and savory sauce. As you progress through the soy sauce-flavored ramen, the sweet sauce from the taro mixes in for a subtle change in flavor. Since it's a topping, it adds a slight variation without overpowering the soy sauce broth. Compared to the luxurious flavor of the taro ramen at the Joyo branch in the past, you may find this a bit lacking. There are also other old menu items and a variety of ramen options available. This time, I enjoyed the delicious soy sauce-flavored Special Ramen.

I came to the Kyoto area for work and visited Ichiasahi for the first time in a while. The shop's broth is a little light on the pork fat. They offer a student discount, but unfortunately I'm not at an age where I can take advantage of it. I ordered ramen with extra bamboo shoots as a topping, which cost 800 yen. It's lighter in taste compared to the main Ichiasahi shop near Kyoto Station. The portion of bamboo shoots as a topping was also a bit small.

I visited the store around 4:30 pm and parked my car at a nearby coin parking lot. The interior of the store was spacious with a wide variety of menu options, and they also offer a student discount due to the nearby university. This time, I ordered the "Special Ramen" (680 yen) with extra green onions (50 yen). The bowl that was brought to me was filled with plenty of green onions on top, with slices of char siu, bean sprouts, and bamboo shoots hidden underneath. When I tried the soup, it had a gentle pork bone soy sauce flavor with a mild saltiness, different from the stronger saltiness of Akira-style ramen. The noodles were medium-thin straight noodles that complemented the soup well, and the green onions and bean sprouts added a delicious touch. The thinly sliced braised pork char siu soaked up the flavor of the soup and was very tasty. Although there is an additional charge for extra green onions, I think this is a very reasonably priced restaurant where you can enjoy delicious ramen.

Around 3 pm, I suddenly felt a bit hungry and passed by Asahi Ramen. I couldn't resist the temptation and decided to go in. Since dinner was near, I ordered a small ramen for 580 yen. It had a good amount of chashu, but the bowl was small and the noodles were few. It was perfect for a hangover, I guess? The Ryukoku University Yokotei branch serves normal ramen with extra lard and plenty of green onions. They are aiming for nationwide domination, and I didn't even know about them until now! Asahi Ramen is great! It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!

I work at Ryukoku University. For lunch, I went to the Asahi Ryukoku University Yokoten store. This restaurant always serves delicious and reliable food. Today, I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered the special ramen for 860 yen. As soon as I checked my work emails, the ramen arrived. It came with toppings like green onions, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and chicken chashu. The soup had a layer of back fat floating on top, giving it a slightly sweet taste that paired well with the thin, low-water noodles. Asahi ramen is always delicious. It was tasty again today. Thank you for the meal.

For lunch, I went to the Ryukoku University side shop. Today, I ordered the special large ramen. It arrived in about 5 minutes. The bowl was big with toppings of green onions, chashu, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts. The soup had floating pork fat and it paired well with the medium-thick straight noodles, giving a sweet taste. The large size seemed to be about 1.5 times the regular amount of noodles. I finished it quickly. Thank you for the meal.

I wandered into this shop without any particular purpose. They still have Iron Man Ramen (and even have posters for it), but what's unique is that they also serve curry rice. They also have curry ramen, so I wonder if the curry rice is a byproduct of the curry ramen, or vice versa. It was served in a dish with the "Daiichi Asahi Group" logo. Excellent! However, what does "otemoyan" written in green below mean? The curry had a noticeable spicy flavor from various spices, with hints of black pepper and red pepper. It seemed to be stewed carefully, with the meat melting into it. Although it resembled European-style spicy curry from a retort pack, it was available in small, medium, and large sizes, so it must be homemade. The rice was firm, but not of great quality. At 580 yen, it was cheap, and I got to see the precious dish, so I'm giving it a slightly higher rating.

I came here for a late lunch for the first time. I visited after 4 pm on a weekday, and the place was empty the whole time. I ordered the "Gyoza Set" from the set menu, and it arrived in about 8 minutes. The ramen looked like it was from Ichiran, with the distinctive feature of scattered lard. The soup was quite oily, but I actually liked the rich flavor. The combination of pork bone and soy sauce was delicious. The noodles were soft and absorbed the flavor of the soup well, which I enjoyed as a fan of soft noodles. The chashu had little fat but a good amount of meat, which was tasty. The gyoza in the set was crispy and had a nice aroma of garlic and chives. The portion of rice in the set was generous, which I appreciated as a rice lover. I finished everything and felt satisfied with the taste. This restaurant seems to have mixed reviews, but I personally enjoyed the taste of Ichiran here. I also noticed they offer curry rice in the set, which caught my interest. I might try the curry ramen and curry rice set next time. Thank you for the meal!

Today, I wanted to go to the main store but couldn't find the time, so I came to the Fushimi branch of Daiichi Asahi. It seems like the taste differs from each store, so I became even more interested in visiting the main store. Daiichi Asahi Ryukoku University Yokote Store, 33-3 Fukakusa Wakaya-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.

I visited the Asahi Ryugoku University Daigyo store for lunch. I ordered the curry set for 880 yen and added toppings of green onions and bean sprouts for a total of 1080 yen. When the dishes arrived, the ramen had plenty of green onions and bean sprouts. The noodles were thin, which I liked. The curry had just the right amount of spiciness for me. Both dishes were delicious and I finished them all. It was a great meal. Thank you.

This shop is also considered one of the long-established ramen shops in Fukakusa, which has seen quite a growth in recent years. I'm not sure which is older between "Kassai" and "Tenkaippin" (if you include the old location of "Tenkaippin" which has moved once, the positioning becomes ambiguous). I can't remember what this place used to be, but you have to go down about three steps to enter. This is quite a rare setup for a ramen shop. The signboard reads "Special Ramen" with "Nationwide Conquest" written above it. There is a slight sense of loneliness now that the original Asahi chain, which was a franchise, went bankrupt in 1997. There is a poster inside promoting the new menu item "Iron Man Ramen" - when was this put up?! A unique aspect of their menu is the curry rice and kushikatsu. The fried rice is reheated before serving. I ordered the fried chicken set. First, the rice and fried chicken arrived. The rice triggered the rule that "a restaurant that serves grated pickles with rice usually has bad rice." It was dry and had a slight odor. The fried chicken had a crispy coating made of potato starch, which was juicy and quite delicious. Now, onto the ramen. The soup level seems low compared to the bowl. However, since the original Asahi chain used to serve large portions, it's not a big concern as the ramen volume has been decreasing over time. By reducing the portion size, they seem to have kept the price change to a minimum. The noodles are medium-thin from Kondo Seimen. They are quite soft and a bit off-putting. As others have pointed out, the soup has a bit of lard in it. It has the familiar taste of the original Asahi's pork bone soy sauce flavor, but it lacks depth. However, as you continue to drink it, the aftertaste builds up nicely. The chashu is slightly small and thin, with a sloppy cut. They all seem like cut-off pieces. The flavor is a bit subtle, but as you chew, the taste of the meat comes through. There was a branch of Tentyu, a chain, that opened nearby but quickly closed down. Considering that, the fact that this place is still running is quite impressive, isn't it?

Ramen shop at Ryukoku University Yokohama. The shop itself is half underground!? It's a mysterious place. Mr. Asahi also stopped by the shop, and the taste or style feels different. The ramen here has a lot of bean sprouts and overall, it feels quite oily. It seems to be set up for students!?

I hesitate to write a bad review on Tabelog, but... Although it has the sign of "Daiichi Asahi," it is not related to the original Daiichi Asahi at Kyoto Station. However, they use Kondo noodles and serve a soy sauce tonkotsu ramen that is common with Takabashi and Fuji. The negi and chashu are also different from the typical Ichijoji style Kyoto ramen. In other words, the recipe is traditional and the taste is not bad. However, I ordered gyoza and it was clearly reheated or microwaved. It was of a very low quality, not even at a level you would get at home. Well, it's partly my fault for ordering it, but it was disappointing.

Special ramen and half fried rice set.