Chuka Soba Goemon

The shop

Owner Masayuki Ishikawa grew up in Nishi-Hachioji and decided while still a student to open a Hachioji ramen shop in his hometown. A 2017 article put the shop in its 22nd year and called it a pioneer of the 'second generation' of Hachioji ramen. His son trained here and now runs Menshow Takuma near Keio-Hachioji.

The bowl

The soup combines pork stock (knuckle, back bones and spine) with katsuobushi, niboshi, saba-bushi and soda-bushi. It is seasoned with a fragrant dark soy sauce, and house-made lard floats on top. The onions are raw and cut to uneven sizes on purpose; the shop goes through about 12 kg a day. The noodles are an original medium-thin, straight, low-water noodle. Toppings are nori, menma and chashu made from Japanese pork shoulder loin.

How to order

Order 'chuka soba' and decide how much onion you want. The 2017 article described the standard bowl as one ladle of onion, 'tamanegi-mashi' as about four, and larger 'double' and 'triple' amounts on request. Extra onion costs a small charge. Chashu-men and gyoza are also on the menu.

Before you go

• Open Monday to Saturday, 11:00-17:00. Closed Sundays and public holidays. Service ends when the soup runs out.
• A 2018 visit report said queues form from the 11:00 opening and ease after 14:00.
• Cash only, according to Tabelog's shop details.
• The shop has no parking, and nearby coin parking is often full.