Yoshimuraya / 吉村家 - Yokohama
Yoshimuraya (吉村家) is the ramen shop where iekei style tonkotsu-shoyu ramen was invented. Opened in 1974 near Shinsugita station, the shop relocated close to Yokohama station in 1999 and since then has risen to living legend status.
Front of the new Yoshimuraya location, a few minutes of walking from Yokohama station.
In 2023, they moved to their second location, which is just a street down from the old location and much much bigger, including a second floor that shields you somewhat from the scowls of the ramen chefs at work.
The menu of Yoshimuraya is quite extensive, even though only one type of ramen is served.
The menu looks bigger than it actually is. They only serve one bowl of ramen here, which can then be modified in size and in terms of toppings. More chashu, ajitama seasoned eggs, more nori, cabbage and many more things are available. My recommendation is to go with the regular ramen (ラーメン), the orange chip at the top left, as well as a bowl of rice (ライス) on the side. That’s enough food for the average person out there and definitely enough if you are thinking about getting more than one bowl on that day.
The legendary iekei style tonkotsu-shoyu ramen at Yoshimuraya.
A thick, rich, deep tonkotsu broth is combined with a sharp and salty shoyu tare, chicken fat ladled on top of the bowl so it almost forms a fat layer on top of the soup. In other shops, it does indeed form its own layer.
Lean classic chashu is one of the trademarks of Yoshimuraya. You won’t miss pork belly.
Classic lean chashu is used instead of the pork belly which you might see at other shops. Blanched spinach is another topping that still is quite uniquely an iekei ramen topping. A healthy amount of nori sheets adorns the side of the bowl, waiting to be dipped into the soup and to be eaten either wrapped around some noodles or placed on top of the rice on the side.
Rice is a must have on the side of every iekei ramen bowl. Not free at Yoshimuraya!
Oh yes, this heavy meal has to be accompanied by a bowl of rice. It costs extra but is essentially mandatory. The last and important ingredient is a whole barrage of additional toppings and flavor changers on the counter, from pickled ginger to sesame to black pepper, lots of things to choose from. A must do, in my opinion, is a healthily heaped spoon of freshly grated garlic into the soup after a couple of sips. That makes this literally the best food in the world.
Yoshimuraya has spawned a list of renowned disciple shops which, some argue, might even have surpassed Yoshimuraya in some aspects. The ones I know of are:
Hajimeya (Toyama)
Suehiroya (Hakuraku)
Sugitaya (Shinsugita)
Sugitaya (Chiba)
Atsugiya (Atsugi)
Joetsuya (Joetsu)
Takamatsuya (Takamatsu)
Not only has Yoshimuraya literally created the iekei ramen category, it has also become the de facto regional ramen for Kanagawa prefecture. No other prefecture has as many iekei ramen shops as Kanagawa and you can find a ramen shop serving some variant of this tonkotsu-shoyu ramen style at literally every train station.
Yoshimuraya is a ramen shop that has to be on the itinerary of literally every ramen shop enthusiast, even if some think it was surpassed by other iekei shops, the historic value alone makes this a must-visit.
More information about Yoshimuraya (吉村家):
