The ramen broth is refreshing and can be enhanced with yuzu peel for added flavor. The wagyu char siu rice is especially delicious, with an enticing aroma, and the siu mai has a rich texture. The overall ramen is acceptable, but it is a bit on the softer side.
The restaurant is located near the Karasuma shopping district and Nishiki Market, is very popular, and you need to line up early to get a ticket. The atmosphere is lively.
The staff first provide the menu and you can choose to wait or return later; the service is well-arranged and offers convenient options.
【Foodholic Nako @ Kyoto, Japan】
"Ramen Shop Butaichi" is a famous ramen restaurant located in Kyoto, quite near the bustling Karasuma shopping district and Nishiki Market, making it possible to plan a visit on the same day.
We did some research beforehand and discovered that we wanted to come eat here, but we didn’t expect it to be so popular. The first time we came was during the dinner rush, and we were pleased to see there was no line at the entrance, only to find out that all the numbered tickets for that day had already been distributed.
The restaurant opens at 11 AM for lunch, but they start handing out tickets at 10 AM, so there were already people lined up before 10. We arrived the second time at 9:50 and were lucky enough to be among the last few customers to enter with the first batch when they opened!
The staff first gives customers a menu to order from, and diners can choose to wait on-site until 11 AM, or take a stroll nearby and return 20 minutes earlier (if you choose to leave, the staff will give you a small paper ticket, but you'll only have 15 minutes left to return, so we just browsed around the nearby supermarket).
White Soy Sauce Ramen ¥1400
The ramen broth is divided into black soy sauce and white soy sauce; I chose the white soy sauce, which is very refreshing. I recommend adding yuzu peel halfway through for extra flavor. The slices of pork are very thin and tender, quite delicious~~ A slight regret is that the noodles were cooked a bit too soft.
Wagyu Chashu Rice ¥900
This dish is super delicious! The seared wagyu beef melts in your mouth with an explosion of flavor. I wish there were more slices; if you can eat beef, you must order this dish!
Homemade Shumai ¥550
There are two pieces in total, and the shumai are quite large, filled generously. There's a nice crisp texture, but I’m not sure what it is. I highly recommend dipping it in yellow mustard for an added flavor boost.
Overall, the ramen was quite tasty, especially the broth, but what truly amazed me was the wagyu chashu rice. I might hesitate to line up again for the ramen, but I can definitely do it for the chashu rice!