CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN
With many noodle restaurants very close by, namely Ramen Kagetsu Arashi, Marugame and Taiwan Ramen House Ho-Ja to name a few, do we need another noodle restaurant? Sure we do! Out of nowhere pops a brand new restaurant, Tenkaippin Ramen ((天下一品 – originally from Kyoto) on route 58 in Chatan, right next to KFC.
Apparently, there are 2 other branches on Okinawa. One in Urasoe and the other one located in Naha City. I have never been to either location so I had no idea what Kyoto ramen tasted like. Turns out, their signature bowl, Kotteri-style ramen has a rather thick broth. More like a gravy to me. The menu states chicken base, collagen rich which is supposed to be good for skin and hair. I tried and liked it. It tastes like the broth was thickened with beaten egg, if it makes any sense. They have garlic chilli paste at the table, but I forgot to add some! It was topped with a thin slice of pork, bamboo shoots and a generous amount of spring onions.
They also have Assari-style (normal shoyu soup for a lighter taste) ramen as well. They have different kinds of fried rice, fried chicken, gyoza and even French fries. I read that the way to eat Kotteri-style ramen is to finish everything in the bowl, and leave the soup for last. Then, you mix in the white rice into the soup and eat it like porridge. I ordered my set with deep fried shrimp (they were tiny) with mayo and sauce over fried rice (for 100 yen extra) instead of white rice. If you prefer miso or tantanmen base soup, it’s an additional 80 – 100 yen).
The prices and portions were average with the basic Kotteri ramen for 650 yen. Topping is about 100-150 yen each (egg, spring onion, pork, corn, etc). They have several combinations for set menu (you can choose your ramen with one or two side dishes) for something around 800-1000 yen. For lunch between 1100 – 1500 (weekdays only), there is 100 yen discount.
The restaurant is not very big. There are 12 counter stools, and 5 tables that seat about 6 people each. You can see the guys working very fast in the open kitchen and every so often, they will call out something in Japanese spontaneously which I don’t understand.
Hours: 11:00 am – 02:00 am. Last order 01:50 am.
Payment: we paid in yen. I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention if they accept dollars or credit card.
Directions: From Foster, take 58 towards Kadena. After you pass Obbligato restaurant, you’ll see Tenkaippin Ramen. If you are coming from Kadena, you will make the U-turn at the traffic lights where ENEOS will be on your right. Parking is right in front of the restaurant.
