中華そば処琴平荘

Konpiraso is one of the toughest ramen shops for a ramen hunter to crush a bowl at. It was also one of the best bowls I had in 2020. Deep shoyu ramen flavored with dried squid. Homemade noodles. Was it worth the multiple days it took to get here? Read on dear friends.

Too long, don’t want to read? Yes, this bowl was awesome. It’s a major pain to get to but I think the journey is special.

Konpiraso opens only during the colder half of the year. Check their website for the exact date, but October 1st seems to be the consistent date. In 2020 they ended their yearly run on April 8th. Please, please, please don’t come here thinking they are open when they are not. You’ve been warned.

Even though they open at 11:00 am, I had read about insane lines. Over 100 people waiting is something not uncommon. That would mean many hours of lining up. Best to arrive early, very early. I showed up just after eight in the morning, the time they start handing out numbers. Lucky number four. Of course, this means I’ll end up waiting three hours until they start serving ramen, a point that isn’t lost on me.

Please get one ticket per person. It’s unclear if everyone should physically take their own number, or if you can grab some for your friends. Either way I was slurping solo.

I did notice, however, that they have enough waiting seats inside to accommodate many dozens of people, so maybe waiting wouldn’t be that bad. Regardless, I had my order in before the countdown clock had reached ramen time.

Local flying fish broth and chicken stock make up the base of the Chinese-style chukasoba at Konpiraso. The real impact comes from their homemade soy sauce. It’s infused with dried squid for an umami punch. There is also some shottsuru from Oga in Akita Prefecture. This fermented fish sauce is made from local hatahata fish, called Japanese sandfish in English. Big flavors!

Noodles are made in-house.

A wonderfully refreshing bowl that, for me, was worth the journey. Some friends of mine went a few weeks later and felt the opposite. Waking up at the crack of dawn to catch a train to some random coastal town isn’t many foodies’ idea of a good time.

Japanese ramen critics, on the other hand, love Konpiraso. You’ll find dozens of autograph plaques from celebrities. Ramen celebrities like Hash Royal crushes around 800 bowls of ramen a year and is probably the most well-traveled ramen hunter I know.

I also found a photo of Shirasu and Morimoto-san from 2014. Nice!

Plenty of awards and accolades.

The master, Mr. Kakegami (掛神さん) used to run a ryokan Japanese inn but found that he didn’t have many customers during the winter months. What if he could make ramen? He journeyed around Japan eating bowl after bowl and recreating the flavors on his own. At first, due in part to the less-than-ideal location, the shop wasn’t that big of a hit. But as word spread and Kakegami-san improved the recipe, the shop became what it is today. He was able to close the inn and focus on running the ramen business. It’s been going for over 20 years now!

Yes, I waited for just under three hours. I really should have driven my motorcycle here, as I could have spent the downtime blasting along the oceanside road. It’s beautiful up here.

Instead, I just kicked it. Local fishermen were happy to chat about their catch. A lot of flying fish.

It’s best to spend the night in nearby Tsuruoka (鶴岡市). Even if you stay in Yamagata City, trains are few and far between to Sanze (三瀬駅), the closest station to the ramen shop. Stay in Tsuruoka, catch the 7:41 am train, and start waiting. Trains run about every hour, in case you sleep in.

Konpiraso is one of only a handful of “legend” shops in Ramen Walker, in case you were wondering.

If you can drive, you’ll have no problem getting here. You could even drive up from Niigata City in the morning. There’s a good chance of traffic, though. Many small coastal roads like this are crammed with trucks.

The only local I saw in town was this cat perched proudly in his personal persimmon tree.

Meow!

Still reading? Did you know that I released a ramen cookbook? It’s available wherever fine cookbooks are sold, aka Amazon. Can’t wait to see what recipes you come up with!

Click here!

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Ramen Shop Reviews from Japan and Abroad

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中華そば処 琴平荘 (Konpiraso in Yamagata Prefecture)

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麺辰 (Mentatsu in Yamagata)

龍上海 赤湯本店 (Ryu Shanghai in Akayu, Yamagata)

Best 50 Ramen Shops According to Tabelog

中華そば処琴平荘 (Konpiraso in Yamagata Prefecture)

龍上海赤湯本店 (Ryu Shanghai in Akayu, Yamagata)