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YOKOKURA STOREHOUSE in Tochigi Prefecture

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YOKOKURA STOREHOUSE

Yokokura Storehouse was on most ramen nerd’s radar right off the bat. The fourth shop from the UNITED NOODLE group focuses on konbusui tsukemen. Noodles are served in a light liquid made from konbu seaweed and served alongside a rich soy sauce dipping broth. The presentation is on point. This style is as popular as ever, with a few top shops around the country serving it. Shops that are proud of their noodles can really show them off, as most veteran slurpers will eat a few bites without dipping, savoring the noodles and almost flavorless konbusui.

The shop isn’t so centrally located. You’ll have to take the bullet train up to Oyama Station and then maybe a bus or two to the shop. I wouldn’t know, as I rented a car the day before and my GPS did all the work.

Ramen and tsukemen. Shoyu and shio. That, and 11 possible limited bowls. The sheer number of ramen hunter stickers is usually a good sign.

Noodles are made in-house. The countryside location means space isn’t quite at a premium. The shop is large, the backroom kitchen space massive, and the parking lot filled with cars from around Japan.

Very nice tsukemen. The konbusui is light with a touch of umami. When this style first hit the scene it tended to be slimy and viscous, but now shops are making it more of a dashi. Drinkable and light. The meat is smoky, a good match with the strong soup.

Expect to wait anywhere from zero minutes to over an hour. Yokokura Storehouse can get busy. Though the location isn’t in the heart of Tokyo, most people out here have no problem driving themselves an hour or two for a good bowl of ramen.

The noodle factory space supplies other shops in the area. These high-end noodle machines can churn out hundreds of servings an hour. They also cost as much as an Italian sportscar. I’m talking Lamborghini, not Fiat.

Personally, I think coffee and ramen go together like mud on my Loro Piana slippers, but a full-on third-wave coffee shop at a countryside ramen joint probably shouldn’t be missed. I still had a few hours of driving to return back to the car rental shop, and the caffeine was perhaps a good idea. Choose from espresso drinks like lattes, pour-overs, or even the trendy coffee tonic. One iced coffee to go!

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