International Street Ryuuya Ramen
👋 Haisai! This is CULT.
Today, I’d like to talk about a ramen shop with a bit of an Okinawan twist, perfect for a light meal when you visit Kokusai Street in Okinawa. The restaurant is called Ryuuya Ramen. While it may not be as well-known as Ichiran Ramen or Tanbo Ramen, it offers a different style of ramen. I recommend it to those who prefer a light and clean taste over a rich and hearty broth.
Its popularity is gradually increasing, but it’s not yet extremely famous, so the waiting time is shorter compared to the two ramen shops mentioned earlier.
📌 Restaurant Location and Opening Hours
The location of Ryuuya Ramen is on Kokusai Street. You can easily find it by following Google Maps, and it is closed every Wednesday. ⏰ Opening hours are from 11:30 AM to midnight. You can enjoy ramen at your leisure as it is open late. [Google Map]
This is what the exterior of the restaurant looks like. The photo was taken in January. I also have a photo taken a few days ago, but the weather wasn’t nice, so I’m attaching a photo from when it looked the best. There are many paid parking lots around, but the prices are a bit high. Below, I’ve included a list of the cheapest parking lots on Kokusai Street.
- Related post: List of the cheapest parking lots on Kokusai Street
The interior design is reminiscent of the typical Japanese ramen shop style you might have seen in dramas or films. Although the photos show only bar tables, there are also three four-person tables and two two-person tables on the opposite side. Eating Japanese ramen at these bar tables somehow makes you feel more like you’re in Japan. However, every time I visit, I’m always guided to the larger tables.
🍜 Ryuya Ramen Menu
The menu is primarily in Japanese, but if you look closely, it’s displayed in various languages. Since my Japanese is still a bit clumsy, the staff member keeps speaking in English, but I persist in conversing in Japanese. The Japanese staff member speaks in broken English, and I, as a Korean, speak in Japanese, creating a peculiar situation where we completely understand each other 🤣
- Ryukogashi Ramen (琉こがしラーメン) 980 yen
- Ryukara Miso Ramen (琉辛みそラーメン) 980 yen
- Handmade Gyoza 5 pieces (手作り餃子) 550 yen
This is Ryugo Kashi Ramen.
It’s a pork-based ramen using roasted garlic and onions, and it’s said to be the most popular menu item at this shop. While Ichiran or Danbo Ramen are known for their rich broth, this Ryugo Kashi Ramen has a slightly lighter flavour, making it more casual to enjoy. The seaweed is a trademark of Ryubo Ramen, served with every bowl.
If it’s your first visit, I recommend trying this ramen.
If you visit during lunch time, you can add a side dish called TKG, which is rice topped with a raw egg, for an additional 100 yen. People from Western countries generally don’t like raw eggs much, probably due to past incidents involving raw eggs. On the right, there’s a dessert made with shaved ice topped with mango syrup. It’s served even if you just order a bowl of ramen.
I thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
The light type is great because it leaves a short aftertaste, making it perfect to head straight for another dessert.
Next up is Ryukara Miso Ramen.
This dish features a broth based on pork bones and spicy miso. Europeans or Japanese might find this spicy. If a Korean calls this spicy, they might be teased for having a child’s palate. In comparison to Korean standards, it’s spicier than Ottogi Jin Ramen Mild but less so than the Spicy version. Of course, Nongshim Shin Ramyun is much spicier.
When you remove the seaweed, a spicy doenjang appears. It’s just amusing to call this spicy in front of a Korean. Another characteristic of Ryuya Ramen is that the noodles are thin. So when you order, the ramen comes out really quickly. It’s perfect for those who like to eat and leave quickly, just like me.
Personally, I have such a preference for thick noodles that udon is my favourite. But it’s still delicious. The pork topping is also tasty. If you can’t handle spicy food at all, I recommend the basic Ryuuya ramen introduced earlier over the spicy miso ramen.
And the broth is delicious too. It’s not an extremely rich flavour style, which is also a characteristic. It’s clean and quick to eat, which is great.
And these are dumplings made directly in the shop. They cost 550 yen for five, and as usual, I added a lot of chilli oil and dipped them in soy sauce before eating.
It’s perfect for popping into your mouth in one go. After all, enjoying these treats in Japan really makes you feel like you’re on a trip 😘
I finished the spicy miso ramen cleanly as well. Personally, I prefer the spicy miso ramen.
Ryuya Ramen is perfect for those visiting Okinawa who don’t like waiting in line. If you want to eat quickly and then explore Kokusai Street, this is the place for you. I’m the type of person who just can’t understand the idea of queuing for food.
The first one doesn’t have a receipt, and the second one was taken like this. The famous ramen shop on Kokusai Street accepts QR payments and credit cards. It seems to be a common feature of famous ramen shops in Okinawa. Usually, when they’re famous and old, they only accept cash.
That’s it for today’s introduction to the best places to eat on Kokusai Street in Okinawa. I’ll wrap it up here and come back tomorrow with more Okinawa travel information. Matayasai 👋
- Recommended Post: Beautiful Café Y’s on Kokusai Street
