01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
One of the standout features of Minamiya’s menu is its range of ramen with cheddar. Cheddar Ramen is described as having an “Italian-style” feel, while the mildly spicy cheddar ramen uses cheese to soften the heat and add another dimension. In the white miso cheddar ramen, melted cheese brings extra richness. There is also the option of pairing the richness of cheese with the kick of spicy miso. With a choice of thin or thick noodles, diners can enjoy finding their own preferred combination. One diner, impressed by the thick noodles’ springy texture, tried adding cheddar to the garlic miso ramen and also enjoyed the miso soup itself. The range makes it easy to explore different versions of the dish, with or without cheese.
For a white miso meal, one diner paired thick noodles in white miso soup with a char siu rice bowl. They reported that the soup was mellow, sweet and rich, and clung well to the noodles. Their bowl was topped with sweet-and-savoury simmered meat, kimchi, shredded nori and pickled ginger, which they enjoyed alongside the white miso soup. The menu also includes white miso ramen, soy milk soup noodles and seafood noodles in a browned-cheese soup, offering alternatives to the more familiar soy-based options. A browned-cheese rice ball is suggested as a finishing bite after the soy milk soup noodles or meat dipping noodles, so the meal can continue after the noodles are gone.
At lunch, a set with a choice of soy or rich bonito-soy sauce, rice and kimchi costs 850 yen. Other sets let diners choose from takana rice, plum rice, an onigiri rice ball or a char siu rice bowl, and specify thin or thick noodles. The char siu rice bowl set costs 1,050 yen, with a large rice bowl available for an extra 80 yen. A diner who chose rich bonito-soy sauce and thick noodles at lunch wrote that the bonito stock and soy sauce clung well to the noodles, making the meal easy to eat without feeling heavy. The set options suit both those wanting a substantial rice accompaniment and those who would rather keep the noodles centre stage.
There is a choice of soup bases as well as noodle types, including white miso, seafood white miso, spicy miso and garlic-based options. The restaurant is presented as suitable for solo diners, and offers table service as well as an adjoining bar. Payment is cash only, so come prepared.
