How do you make a favorite ramen restaurant even better? Take some friends!

It’s been a long while since I visited Chicken Ramen Yarou in Hikone, Shiga. Too long. The last time I came was during their anniversary nearly two years ago, but I thought I should show my friends some great chicken ramen since we were passing through. And for me to revisit what I had considered one of the best I’ve had in Japan. I ordered their Deluxe Kotteri Chicken ramen for 1050￥ ($10 USD), which includes chashu, several slices of chicken, nori pieces, and an egg. The more standard version is only 750￥. My friends opted for the lighter Deluxe Assari Ramen for 1100￥ ($10.50).

The ramen was just as delicious as I remembered… the creamy, savory broth had just the right amount of salty chicken flavor with a satisfyingly rich thickness. My friends commented that it tasted like gravy and the combination of soft chicken slices and gravy reminded them of home… I definitely agree! It is nostalgic in all the right ways. The chashu was also quite good, rare and sliced thin. The noodles were medium thick and soft, perfect for me but perhaps too soft for others. My only real complaint was the egg which was a bit hard-boiled for me.

This was also my first time to try the Assari broth, which had a lighter taste profile. It was still very flavorful, but the savoriness was more soy sauce than chicken or pork flavor and it had a bit more oiliness in the aftertaste than the thicker broth. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it a lot.

If you’re looking for amazing thick broth ramen, I highly recommend Chicken Ramen Yarou! The chicken flavor is uniquely delicious and well-worth a trip through Shiga to check out.

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