Menya Tsubame is an incredibly popular ramen shop whose name is known not only in its hometown of Shimada but throughout Shizuoka Prefecture. The other day, I had ramen at Tsubame-kaeshi, a sister shop of Tsubame, and it was so delicious and exactly to my liking that I wanted to try the original shop as well, so we all decided to stop by on our way back from Yugawara.
Despite it being a weekday, the parking lot was full of cars and the restaurant was packed. This restaurant operates from 6:30 in the morning until noon, a style unique to this area. Fujieda City in Shizuoka Prefecture has a "morning ramen culture" where people eat ramen in the morning, and there are many ramen shops that open early in the morning in Fujieda and the Shida area, including Shimada, and Menya Tsubame is one of them. It is said that this area has many people who work early in the morning in the fishing and tea industries, so the shops started opening early in the morning to meet the needs of the customers. For this reason, there are many relatively light ramen dishes. Menya Tsubame's signature dish is a light salt ramen, and there are many variations of salt ramen. Ordering is done via a ticket vending machine.
"Tsubame Ramen (Salt)" 650 yen
First, I ordered the most classic Tsubame Ramen Shio (salt-based). The clear soup had a generous layer of oil on the surface. The soup, extracted from a brand of chicken called "Mikawa Akadori," had a wonderful aroma and deep flavor, unlike typical chicken broths. However, compared to Tsubame-gaeshi's white broth, it seemed a little too salty. I had imagined something a bit lighter, but looking at the menu again, the "Tsubame Shina Soba Shio" was described as lighter, so perhaps that would have been my preference. The noodles were thin and straight. They were very supple and had a good bite, and they coated the soup well. Even we, who prefer thick noodles, liked these noodles. The toppings included tender char siu pork, green onions, chopped white onions, bamboo shoots, naruto (fish cake), and seaweed.
"Ultimate Green Onion Salt Ramen" 730 yen
This ramen is based on Tsubame Ramen's salt broth, and incorporates five types of onions—scallions, fried onions, chopped white onions, green onions, and julienned white onions—to add fragrance and sweetness. Contrary to the reputation of it being a "light ramen" that I often hear about, I found the taste to be a little on the strong side. If you find the richness of this ramen to be typical, or even light, then Tsubame Kaeshi's ramen might seem quite bland to you. Ramen is a matter of personal preference, so it's hard to say which is better, but Tsubame Kaeshi's white broth seems to suit us better♪
Menya Tsubame
8770 Mikariya-cho, Shimada City TEL: 0547-34-2223
Opening hours: Weekdays 6:30-9:00, 10:30-14:15; Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays 6:30-15:00 (closes when sold out). Closed: Tuesdays and the third Wednesday of the month.
