Kanagawa

This ramen is so standard among Yokohama locals that they even serve it at elementary school lunches. You can also have it at small private Chinese restaurants. It’s difficult from the name to imagine what kind of ramen it is, but it is a soy sauce-flavored ramen with starchy sauce on top.

（Shijimi）

I first discovered this ramen, with bean sprouts and other vegetables in a starchy sauce, when I moved to Kanagawa. It is served so hot that it burns my tongue every time, but I still love it!

（Soramimi Penguin）

The “Sanma” word in the name often makes people misunderstand that it has something to do with the sanma pacific saury, but the ramen name actually comes from a different origin. It is said that this dish was invented to provide a warm and filling meal for dockworkers. It is a Chinese noodle dish topped with a soy sauce-based starchy sauce of crunchy vegetables, mainly bean sprouts. The Sanma-Men they serve at “Umigame Shokudo,” a restaurant near my home, is excellent. I recommend finishing the dish with a generous splash of vinegar at the end.

（Watanabe Kayo）

I was born and raised in Yokohama, Kanagawa. Sanma-men is Yokohama’s specialty! The thick starchy sauce with vegetables is superb! I recommend the “Ippinko” restaurant, which has several branches in Yokohama. Eat the first half of the dish, and enjoy the second half by changing the flavor with chili oil and vinegar!

（Chikabu）

Sanma-men is said to have originated from a prewar dish of meat noodles with starchy sauce that was served to chefs as inclusive meals and was born in a restaurant in Yokohama’s Chinatown after the war. This dish is a must for someone like me who grew up in Yokohama. It differs from Gomoku Ankake Ramen, which is made with shredded ingredients and wood ear mushrooms and served in a salt or soy sauce-flavored broth. It is a delicious dish that warms you up. I recommend the “Ryumai” restaurant in Yokohama; it is often crowded, and you have to wait in a long line, but they serve tasty dishes at an affordable price.

（Yukina）

My recommendations are the “Kanni-Ya,” “Yoshimura-Ya” (the ultimate of Iekei Ramen restaurants), and “Sugita-Ya.” I believe Iekei Ramen is the specialty of Kanagawa; be prepared to wait in long lines, but the satisfaction after having the dish is superb!

（Sukasuka）

“Yoshimura-Ya” is famous for its Iekei Ramen dishes, but other Iekei Ramen restaurants are also great. It originates in Yokohama, although there are restaurants even outside Kanagawa prefecture.

（maiko3）

There are various restaurants with different tastes, and it’s interesting to know that everyone has their own favorite. My favorite is “Shimizu-Ya” in Tsujido.

（Hotatsuru）

New Tantanmen from “Ganso New Tantanmen Hompo” is Kawasaki’s specialty! The harmony of chili peppers and beaten eggs is irresistible! It is a gem I can only eat right before my days off because it has a strong garlic flavor, but I have a sudden craving for it occasionally. This was the tantanmen that I’ve been familiar with since childhood, and I discovered after growing up that the standard tantanmen noodles don’t include beaten eggs.

（Kissui no Kawasakikko）

The New Tantanmen from “Ganso New Tantanmen Hompo” is the comfort food for Kawasaki locals! Since it is now also available as instant noodles, we can enjoy it in other areas of Japan. It is the “new” tantanmen, different from the standard tantanmen with lots of sesame and Sichuan pepper. It features a salty pork broth with minced meat, garlic, chili peppers, and, most importantly, beaten eggs. The soup is very spicy, but the eggs make it mild, helping you to finish the dish. The popular additional topping is extra garlic, but I personally recommend adding chives. After all, the combination of chives and eggs is always perfect.

（Yu）

Kanagawa is famous for its Kawasaki specialty, New Tantanmen! The noodles with a garlic flavor and spiciness with red chili pepper flakes are the best! It’s the kind of noodle that I irresistibly want to eat once in a while.

（takebird）

The Tanmen you can find in Hiratsuka and Shonan areas are not the standard salt ramen noodles with plenty of stir-fried vegetablesーit is a sour noodle dish with onions and wakame seaweed! It is quite a unique dish with the firm texture of the onions and wakame seaweed and the vinegar’s sourness, but its one-of-a-kind taste and how healthy it looks makes it the best!

（Tomoe）

The specialty of Hiratsuka, Kanagawa. In Hiratsuka, “Raoshan”’s Tanmen is what we call ramen. It has a delicious sour taste, which made me believe that all Tamen throughout Japan are sour-tasting. It is also delicious with chili oil, recommended as a flavor-changer by the lady staff at the restaurant. I recommend the Raoshan restaurant near the west exit of Hiratsuka Station.

（Iku）

They are Japanese soba noodles that are a bit dry and chunky. They are not the refined kind of buckwheat noodles but the unpretentious ones that fill your stomach and keep you going longer.

（Kukki）

It’s a noodle that originated in Yokohama. The Napolitan they serve at “Center Grill” comes in a silver plate and makes you hungry.

（Zubaida）