Kyomenya

Start with Megatonkotsu, then move up to the even richer Gigatonkotsu. At Kyomenya, the names alone make choosing your tonkotsu ramen a question of how intense you want it. Megatonkotsu uses the restaurant’s base pork-bone broth, simmered for 2 days. Gigatonkotsu takes that broth further, making it the most concentrated ramen on the menu. Megatonkotsu is a good starting point if you are new to rich ramen; choose Gigatonkotsu if you are after a particularly robust bowl.

Some diners have described Megatonkotsu’s thick, slightly grainy broth clinging well to the medium-thick, curly noodles. Others have noted that the pork-bone flavour is pronounced without an off-putting smell. The appeal, then, is not just the broth’s richness but how it comes together with the noodles. There is also Mega & Giga, which combines small servings of both bowls. It is a useful way to compare their different levels of richness if you cannot decide between them. Diners have also reported adjusting the noodle firmness and the amounts of green onion and backfat to suit their preferences.

For a change from pork-bone broth, try the biweekly Seafood Tonkotsu, which combines it with dashi made from ingredients including dried sardines and bonito flakes, or the biweekly Chicken-and-Vegetable Tonkotsu, which pairs it with a soup made from vegetables and chicken. Check whether either is available when you visit. There is also Sweet-and-Spicy Pork-Jowl Mazesoba, with chewy flat noodles and pork jowl simmered in a sweet-and-spicy sauce. One diner found it more memorable than a side dish might suggest. It offers an alternative to a bowl of broth, and could make the meal for anyone coming specifically for mazesoba.

Rice is another option if you want something to go with the rich broth. The menu notes that it is all-you-can-eat, and one diner said they enjoyed it with takana pickles through to the end of the meal. The restaurant also serves large, house-made fried chicken, made with half a chicken thigh.

Kyomenya is in Akanomiya-cho, Ichijoji. Its listed opening days are Monday, Saturday and Sunday, with lunch and evening service; it is closed from Tuesday to Friday. The restaurant is listed as cash-only, so check the opening days and payment arrangements before setting out.