“No Ramen, No Life!”

Menbakaichidai 

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Are you a thrill-seeker, lover of ramen and have a thing for your food being lit into flames? Then Menbaka should be added to your bucket list of must-eat places in Kyoto.

Menbaka (Fire Ramen) was first established in 1984 serving various types of ramen. Shortly after opening, the chef discovered that the flavors of his ramen broth were enhanced after he burned kujo negi (Kyoto scallions) and oil together.. and that is when…. Fire Ramen was born.

Menbaka is conveniently located just beyond Kyoto’s Nijo Castle and offers menus in several languages including English, Chinese & Korean. Trust me, a lot of places in Kyoto do not have menus in English nor do they speak English so this is super beneficial!

Of course when you are dealing with fire, there are rules that should be strictly followed:

• Do not touch the bowl
• Do not run away/leave your seat – stay seated no matter what!
• Do not scream
• Don’t take pictures when oil is being poured
• Place your hands behind your back whilst your fire ramen is served
• No sharing – one bowl per person
• Keep your apron on while eating
• Children under 43 inches can’t order fire ramen (safety reasons)

Since holding a phone would obviously end badly for you and your phone, there is no photos during the pouring of the fire. However, the chefs created these hanging selfie sticks where you can hand them your phone and they will record a video for you. Please note these pictures were taken by a Japanese photographer named Coo who got approval from the chefs beforehand!

I would definitely say that checking out this restaurant was one of the highlights during my time in Kyoto! Definitely add it to your bucket list!