Takayama : Noodles at 鍛冶橋そば (Kajipashi Soba)

22nd December 2013.
Takayama, Japan.

While Hida beef and Hoba Miso may be famous in Takayama. I was surprised to find that Takayama is also known for its ramen. The Takayama style ramen however isn’t anything like the usual Japanese ramen we Singaporeans know, namely the Hakata, Sapporo and Tokyo style ramen. The Takayama style ramen is almost like Chinese noodles. The soup is made with dried bonito (katsuo) and soy sauce hence the dark colour of the soup. The noodles used are thin like Japanese buckwheat soba.

We tried this variant of the ramen at a ramen restaurant located at the junction just next to the Kajibashi Bridge. Despite having all the tell-tale signs of a tourist restaurant (English menus, pictures, loud “Japanese” music, pretty looking interiors), we went in. The ramen turned out to be only average. It was quite oily and salty. Furthermore, the soup tasted the same for beef noodles or normal ramen.

The only redemption from this restaurant is its beautifully done eggs with a molten yolk. A  bowl of "Takayama Noodles" cost 700 Yen.

Upon checking up the restaurant, it came as no surprise that the ramen stall only garnered a miserable 2.91/5 on Tabelog.com, Japan’s equivalent of Hungry Go Where or Openrice.

鍛冶橋そば

〒506-0011 岐阜県高山市本町3-62