Ramen

Glowing lanterns, neon street signs, classic J-pop music, and ramen specialities from every area of Japan. This is Heddon Yokochō, a retro ramen bar that brings you back to Showa era Japan in the 1970s.

 

What is ‘Yokochō’

Photo: Urban Adventurer

 

‘Yokochō’ is a Japanese word for alleyway. Hidden from the main streets, labyrinths of narrow alleys were present in every city in Japan in the 1970s. Tucked away behind curtains, those lively alleys were jungles of restaurants and bars.

Hidden away from the buzzing Regent Street, Heddon Yokochō opened its doors last October on 8 Heddon Street, which is a lovely alley-like street, a perfect hideaway from the busy daily life for an hour or two.

Go for a mini virtual tour here.

 

Let the Ramen Journey Begin

Photo: Urban Adventurer

 

Heddon Yokochō takes ramen seriously. You can read all the interesting things about ramen and its history from the very beginning and how it’s become popular on the restaurant’s website.

Did you know that tonkotsu ramen was actually made by mistake? Or that instant noodles was invented only in 1958? This was a milestone in ramen history because from that point anyone could make their own ramen in the comfort of their own home.

However, the popularity of ramen started to increase no sooner than the 1980s. From the 1980s ramen has started its journey to global popularity, and soon became a symbol of Japan – next to sushi, matcha and sake.

Today there are 24,000 ramen shops in Japan, 5,000 of them are in Tokyo alone!

Over time every region of Japan created their own ramen speciality, each of which has exciting and sometimes astounding story behind them.

You can discover all regional types of ramen in Japan on this map.

 

Itadakimasu!

Hakodate Shio Ramen & Shochu Sour Berry Cocktail.  Photo: Urban Adventurer

 

On exploring Heddon Yokochō ‘s menu, we can find tons of ramen options. Each ramen on the menu tells you which area of Japan they are originated and the year they were created.

See the map printed on the menu to know where your chosen ramen is from.

So, where would you start your ramen journey? From the snowy northern islands of Hokkaido or the sunny southern archipelagos of Kyushu?

Heddon Yokochō is not just about ramen, though. They have a good selection of sushi rolls (available from 5pm everyday), Hirata Buns and sides.

I wanted to try something really historical, so I ordered the oldest ramen available. Hakodate Shio was created in 1884 in North Japan. It comes with salt based chicken or pork broth. The pork is slow cooked for 6 hrs until it becomes so soft, it almost melts in your mouth. The ramen contains menma (bamboo shoots), nitamago egg (boiled egg with soft centre), Naruto fishcake, nori & umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum. It has an intense but pleasant sour flavour).

 

Ramen of the Week

Discover a new ramen bowl every week from Monday to Wednesday for £8. Make it a surprise for yourself or follow their social feed to see which ramen is coming up next.

 

Kids Menu

Heddon Yokochō is a kid friendly restaurant. So, if you’re planning to bring your little ones for their very first Japanese food experience, feel free to do so.

They have a kid set menu with a choice of mini ramen bowl, a choice of drink and a scoop of yummy vegan ice cream.

 

Drink

Photo: Urban Adventurer

 

Now that you had your ramen journey around Japan, it’s time to discover Japanese drinks.

There is something for everyone’s taste. Japanese draft beer, wine, whisky, Shochu and more. Alternatively, why not pair your ramen with a Japanese cocktail?

They have a great selection of sake from aromatic to woody to cloudy and crystal clear. They are in collaboration with one of the best sake producers, Gekkeikan Brewery that is now being run by the 14^th generation of the Okura family.

Can’t decide? Go for a ‘Sake Flight’ and taste 3 different sakes to compare?

 

Happy Hour

Happy Hour is from Monday to Thursday from 4-6pm. You’ll get a generous 20% off all cocktails and sake.

Discover other offers here.

 

Solo Dining in Style

Photo: Urban Adventurer

 

Heddon Yokochō has special Shuchu booths. These stylish booths are reserved for solo guests only, helping them grab some me-time while fully immersing into their ramen experience.

Shuchu means, ‘focus booth’ that provide minimal distraction in order for you to enjoy your ramen without being disturbed or interrupted.

If you book you private Shuchu booth for Monday – Friday, you can enjoy 10% off from 5pm until close.

 

Ready for your next adventure? How about trying anime style ramen next? In Uzumaki you can try ramen exactly how Naruto likes it. ‘Dattebayo!’