Wakayama Ramen

Wakayama ramen is associated with the noodle shops of Wakayama City. Its familiar soup combines pork-bone broth and soy sauce, while common toppings include chashu pork, seasoned bamboo shoots, green onion and fish cake. Restaurants differ in their toppings, and some offer choices of noodle texture or firmness.^[1]

The city’s official guide traces the local ramen culture to food stalls around Shakomae Station in the mid-Showa period, which later became restaurants elsewhere in the city. Some shops place hayanarezushi and hard-boiled eggs on the tables. Diners report the items they have eaten when paying, rather than treating them as free accompaniments.^[1]