Chukasoba Sato / 中華そばさとう - Ōfuna

Chukasoba Sato is a relatively new addition to the long list of ramen shops in the South of Kanagawa. Only a short train ride from the beaches to the South of Tokyo, it is a great ramen spot to hit when on the way to the beach or on the way back. Even if you aren’t interested in the beach side of life, it’s a good ramen shop if you’re into more classic bowls of ramen. These are still sometimes called by their now kind of old fashioned name “chukasoba”, which translates into “Chinese noodles”. The main store of Chukasoba Sato is very close to Haneda airport, so a potential target for the busy traveler.

Chukasoba is a less defined term than let’s say shoyu ramen or shio ramen, as it can be used for literally any kind of ramen. Usually though it is used for more old school types of ramen.

In this case, name and style of ramen kind of fit together, as the ramen bowl made at Chukasoba Sato also is more on the classic and nostalgic side. The base of the broth is chicken, which is accentuated by fine niboshi notes. I believe there’s also some pork in the broth, but couldn’t find evidence for it beyond my taste buds. The shop was quite busy when I left, so I didn’t have a chance to ask the owner some questions.

The noodles are extremely thin with 1mm, probably some of the thinnest fresh noodles I had so far. Topping wise, I got some extra chashu and menma, which looked intriguing. My intuition proved to be correct, as both were excellent. The chashu was definitely on the soft side of things, almost difficult to pick up, as it started to fall apart as soon as touched. The menma were marinated in a very dark and powerful marinade, plus they had a very nice crunch to them. Exactly my jam. Some additional negi on the side provide a good crunch and freshness breather from time to time.

One other thing to mention is their great curry. As some other shops, they are offering curry made with their shop’s broth as a base, which gives the curry a very rich and deep flavor. If you’re really hungry, it’s a great way to increase the volume of your meal.

Overall a very solid bowl of ramen that is easily accessible via Ofuna station. You’re not making a mistake if you include this shop into your beach trip plans!

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