Service: Shy but kind
Equipment & Facilities: Very clean overall. Small but excellent washroom. Entirely non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Yokohama-style ramen. One can choose one’s own toppings. Gyoza and rice dishes also available.

Tsurutaya has at last opened its second restaurant in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City today, march 28th, 2014!
It usually takes a lot to convince me eating at a ramenyasan, and even more writing about it, but I must admit that for once I found a ramenyasn to my liking!

Moreover, it has an unusual and most important quality for a ramenyasan: it is entirely non-smoking! Not many are!

Buying a ticket beforehand takes some time to get used to, but in the end it is very practical, saves time and is good business!
Now, you may have to learn a bit of Japanese if you wish something more than the standard offerings pictured on top!
As it was my first visit, I decided to go for a big order: Large portion of Tchya-shu/Char siu men/ramen with an extra topping of char siu, an egg and menma/Chinese pickles!

As orders are prepared as they come (no shortcuts there) I took the time to take pictures of the place and of the people at work!

Next time I’ll have some of these gyoza!

Don’t worry, there are plenty of different seasonings for all tastes, form grated garlic to mustard and spicy rayu! You just serve yourself!

My order! I was really hungry for that lunch!

Really generous slices of char siu! Really tender and sophisticated! Actually these home-made char siu are famous in this town and I know at least one unrelated place which serves them with their craft beer!

Plenty of menma!

Vegetables and nori/dry seaweed! Much appreciated as it makes for a complete meal!

Appetizing soup! I can assure you I don’t leave a drop!

Of course toppings at Tsurutaya are first class, but it is still the soup that makes the (big) difference!

I just love their onsen tamago/Slowly boiled egg with a runny yolk! Not easy! Class!

The ramen are Yokohama-style, that is, thicker than your usual ramen. Being French it is perfect as I find the ramen too thin to my taste usually!

Just superb value!

See you there again!

TSURUTAYA/YOKOHAMA-STYLE RAMEN

420-0856 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Sumpu Cho, 1-17 (right across from Cenova Department Store)
Tel.: 054-251-9697
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City