toshifumu
Scallop and Sansho Chinese soba with flavored egg (set with cooked rice) at "Mugi no Yoake" in Kyo-to, Shimogyo-ku, Nishi Shichijo Kakekoshi-cho. This was my first visit to this restaurant. For those living in Kyoto, the address might give you a rough idea of the location, but as a resident of Kobe, the address alone didn't help me much. Roughly speaking, it's about 1.2km east from Hankyu Nishikyogoku Station, or about 1.5km south from Saiin Station. It's still quite hot even though it's late autumn. I arrived there, sweating a bit.
There are menu boards outside the restaurant. The menu seems to feature dishes with Sansho pepper, which is typical of Kyoto. The owner of this place was the first president of the Doshisha University Ramen Research Club. The color of the curtain is Doshisha's school color, Royal Purple.
First, I purchased a meal ticket from the vending machine. For my first visit, I chose the set menu with scallop and flavored egg for 1250 yen. The limited quantity duck and Sansho Chinese soba was already sold out.
I waited a bit before being seated, looking at the menu's attention to detail. The space is small, but there is a small Kyoto-style rock garden. It feels calm and peaceful.
Soon, I was seated and the dish was served. The simple presentation exudes a sense of tranquility. The soup, made with white soy sauce and a mixture of chicken, pork, and seafood broth with added Sansho oil, is exquisite. The Sansho pepper might be a bit strong for some, but as a Sansho lover, I absolutely loved it. The soup, made without any artificial seasonings, gradually reveals its umami flavor.
The noodles are homemade using domestically produced wheat, mainly from "Setokirara" in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The thin, straight noodles have a delightful texture. The char siu is made from rare pork shoulder loin, thinly sliced to complement the soup perfectly. The menma is cut into squares and seasoned slightly stronger than usual, which is quite unique. The green onions are Kyoto's Kujyo green onions.
The additional flavored egg was incredibly creamy, with a gentle and delicious seasoning. The scallop and mushroom cooked rice, lightly seasoned, is a Kyoto-style dish.
After finishing the meal, I enjoyed the rice with soup poured over it, creating a delicious porridge-like dish. As expected, it was delicious with the Sansho flavor.
It was a satisfying and flavorful bowl of ramen that catered to adult tastes. I would love to try the beef soy sauce and Sansho Chinese soba on my next visit.