たぬきチャ
This is the Yamashina Shintenjo branch of Rairai-tei. I visited during lunchtime on a holiday. The restaurant is located near the Yamashina IC on the Kyoto Expressway, near the Oishi Shrine intersection. It is housed in a building shared with Liquor Mountain, among others. The exterior of the restaurant is white, which may not seem very Rairai-tei-like at first glance. It might be easy to miss for first-time visitors. There is a parking lot in front of the restaurant. Inside, the restaurant has the basic layout of Rairai-tei, with counter seats and tatami seating. The service at the restaurant is friendly without being overly enthusiastic, making it a comfortable place to dine. The menu mainly features ramen in tonkotsu shoyu style, with options like rich, miso, salt, cold noodles, and spicy noodles. There is a high degree of customization available for toppings and sizes, which can affect the price. There are also a variety of side dishes and set menus. On this day, I ordered the Chashu Ramen for 770 yen. When ordering, they asked about preferences for noodle firmness and amount of back fat, and I requested everything to be normal. The ramen that arrived had a generous amount of chashu on top. The soup had plenty of back fat and a hint of spice floating on top, with toppings of green onions, bamboo shoots, and chashu. When tasting the soup, I could feel the richness of the chicken bone broth and the perfect balance of soy sauce flavor. The unexpected amount of back fat added a hint of sweetness, but the spice helped to balance the aftertaste. The noodles were thin and low-water straight noodles, cooked slightly soft, which I personally enjoyed. They clumped together a bit, making it a bit difficult to lift, but they paired well with the soup. The chashu slices were plentiful and well-balanced in terms of lean and fatty meat, making them a great addition to the noodles and soup. The large portion left me feeling satisfied. Overall, the balance of flavors was excellent, and Rairai-tei's ramen was indeed delicious. The service was friendly and created a cozy atmosphere. I hope they continue to do well in the future.