One of the differences between a restaurant chain and an independently owned restaurant is that the latter tolerates ¡ª even encourages ¡ª eccentricity.
Kobushi, a popular ramen joint near Kyoto¡¯s municipal market can dress as it pleases, which might explain why there is a working Honda motorbike parked in front of the cash register, where another table could easily accommodate more customers. The male staff also have a thing for wearing hats ¡ª the more ridiculous the better.
None of this adds or subtracts from what Kobushi does best: ²õ³ó¨²â³Ü (soy sauce) ramen. The bike and the hats are part of the restaurants personality. Kobushi has won a heap of awards and in the evening there¡¯s often queues.
The two house specialities, Koi and Awa, are made from fish bones and soy sauce stock. My preference leans toward Awa, which uses a lighter blend of soy sauce, is slightly less briny and has a clearer broth than Koi.
Besides the al dente noodles, there¡¯s a lot going on in this gourmet bowl of ramen. First there are the vegetables: thinly sliced red onions, scallions, spinach ¡ª an uncommon but worthy addition ¡ª and menma (fermented bamboo shoots). Then the meat: chashu (roasted pork loin) served with a slice of chicken breast, again another uncommon addition. While the chicken doesn¡¯t have the same umami value as the pork, much like the Honda, it¡¯s not out of place.
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