After 10 Years Away, Ryuji Tries Every Yamaokaya Menu Item and Concludes "Start with Miso"

The video was filmed at a Yamaokaya location in Chiba Prefecture. Ryuji prefaces it by saying "There aren't any in Tokyo," and explains that the visit came while they were back in Chiba. It may have been about 10 years since they last ate at Yamaokaya. One of the companions had never been to Yamaokaya at all and said that, as a ramen lover, they were happy to finally come.

They ordered a regular shoyu ramen, a premium shio tonkotsu ramen and a special miso negi ramen, plus gyoza and bottled beer. Ryuji initially tried to order the special negi ramen, but partway through said "I want the special miso" and switched to the special miso negi ramen. Ryuji later reflected, "I got carried away and went with the special miso." According to a companion, the premium shio tonkotsu is abbreviated as "Pureshio," and some say it's the best. While waiting, the topic came up that Yamaokaya ramen is sold online with free shipping. At 500 yen per serving, the group felt it was pretty expensive.

Looking at a sign in the restaurant, the group learned that Yamaokaya started in Ibaraki. They were also surprised that there are many locations in Ibaraki. Someone suggested it might be most widespread in Chiba, but no clear conclusion was reached on that point.

Ryuji stresses that although Yamaokaya has "ya" (家) in its name, it's completely different from iekei ramen. Ryuji praised this location for having no smell at all, comparing it to the Yamaokaya along Route 16, which smells the strongest.

The first bowl they tried was the shio tonkotsu. It was well received, with comments like "mellow," "the soup is good" and "the noodles are good," but Ryuji pointed out, "I think it's really good, but it's not salty enough." One companion, on the other hand, replied "It's just right," so opinions were divided.

When they swapped bowls later on, someone remarked that the Pureshio had more back fat than expected. Some members felt it tasted a bit like seafood, but another said, "It doesn't bother me that much." Everyone agreed that you don't often see this kind of shio tonkotsu at other shops, and one person said, "It's really light." The companion who championed the shio tonkotsu also cited not being good with spicy food as a reason. Ryuji acknowledged that it's interesting since there's no other salt-based bowl like it, but held back, saying, "Whether it's a must, I don't know."

For Ryuji, Yamaokaya means shoyu, and before the visit they had even said, "At Yamaokaya it's always shoyu, but..." About the shoyu after so long, Ryuji said, "This is nostalgic." One member commented, "The shoyu had quite a seafood flavor."

The centerpiece of this episode was the special miso negi ramen. The staff served it saying, "We made it with a little extra oil," and while Ryuji said "It's oily," the first bite drew the reaction, "The miso is really good." Ryuji had never properly eaten the miso before, and voiced a change in preference: "The shoyu's good too, but once you eat the miso, the miso is good," and "I'm a miso guy." A companion followed up with, "The special miso is insane."

Saying "Yamaokaya isn't Yamaokaya without garlic," Ryuji added a large amount of garlic, along with the doubanjiang from the table. Ryuji joked about feeling sorry for the taxi driver they'd be riding with afterward because of the garlic. Of the finished bowl, Ryuji said, "The miso is perfected" and "It's an addictive flavor," and the group agreed that adding rice would probably go well with it.

Earlier that day, the group had also been to Sugitaya. The members said that visiting two ramen shops in a single day is something they've rarely done in their lives. Asked which was better, Ryuji answered, "It was hard." That said, Ryuji rated Yamaokaya's special miso as rivaling Sugitaya. A companion took this to mean that being on par with Sugitaya was high praise indeed.

Ryuji says that getting to eat Yamaokaya again after so long was "an overwhelming plus in life." There was also talk that it might lead to a recipe, and the group agreed that the special miso negi ramen would be the best candidate for recreating. This bowl had no chashu on it. Ryuji said that some people want chashu and some don't, and that they personally don't ask that much of it in ramen.

In the final verdict, most members backed the miso. Ryuji said, "It's probably overwhelmingly the miso," and summed up by saying that anyone heading to Yamaokaya should "try the miso first." The topic also came up that Chiba has many famous ramen shops, and that there are plenty of Yamaokaya locations along its national highways. After finishing, the group joked, "We're heading home with a blood sugar spike" and "Something this unhealthy is fine once in a while," and closed the video with the sentiment that Yamaokaya, after 10 years, was still delicious.