When you hear "ramen," don't you have the image of "it's delicious, but I get tired of it if I eat it every day"?
On the other hand, ramen also has the aspect of being a national dish widely loved by people of all ages. "Chuka Soba Kota," located in the Kojima area of Kurashiki City, is a ramen shop that you would want to enjoy every day without getting tired of it.
Moreover, the thick slices of chashu and the "seasonal soba" loaded with fresh vegetables are also appealing.
Let's delve into the features, commitments, and background of Chuka Soba Kota.
Note that Chuka Soba Kota has Kojima Main Store and Nakasho Store, but this article mainly introduces the Kojima Main Store.
Chuka Soba Kota is a ramen shop in the center of Kojima
Chuka Soba Kota is a ramen shop located in the center of Kojima in Kurashiki City.
Since its opening in 2016, it has been visited by many customers every day.
The shop is very close to the main road, National Route 430, and is also within walking distance from Kojima Station. It has an excellent location for access.
The shop has an impressive building that gives a warm feeling of wood.
The interior of the shop also has a calm atmosphere with a wooden feel.
Menu Introduction
Information as of June 2025 (Reiwa 7). Prices include tax.
The basic ramen menu features Chuka soba. There are variations depending on the ingredients.
The Niku soba is a version of Chuka soba with extra chashu.
Similarly, there is the Karane gi soba topped with spicy white leeks.
Additionally, there is the Seasonal soba loaded with seasonal vegetables, and a half-size version of Chuka soba called Child soba.
During hot seasons, a cold version called Zaru Chuka is also available.
The timing is decided based on the climate conditions of that year.
Large servings and extra noodles are available, with the recommendation being to go for the extra noodles.
There is a variety of toppings available.
In particular, the Seasoned soft-boiled egg and fried mochi are popular.
The side menu includes the classic gyoza, yakimeshi, and fried chicken, as well as the original soboro meshi.
There is also a second store in Nakasho
In the Shimosho area of Kurashiki City, there is a second store called Chuka soba Kota Nakasho.
While the main store in Kojima operates only during the day, the Nakasho store features evening hours.
The basic menu is the same, but the Seasonal soba, soboro meshi, and kaeshi meshi are not available, and instead, there is a Nakasho store exclusive sara meshi.
Overview of Chuka soba Kota Nakasho
| Address | 632-2 Shimosho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Phone Number | 086-441-6772 |
| Parking | Available (35 spaces) |
| Business Hours | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:30 PM – 8:45 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Monday 3rd Tuesday |
Popular and Recommended Menu Items
Let’s introduce some popular menu items and recommendations from Chuka soba Kota.
Chuka soba
The Chuka soba is the basic ramen of Kota.
It features chashu, menma, green onions, and spinach in a soy sauce broth.
The soup is a yellow-brown color.
When you drink it, a moderate saltiness and deep umami spread in your mouth.
Furthermore, the flavor of seafood can be moderately felt.
A pleasant aftertaste remains, making you want to take a second sip.
The noodles are thin and straight.
The soup clings just right.
The menma is extremely thick, with a crunchy texture that is very satisfying to eat.
The chashu is very thick.
When you bite into the meat, it melts away, allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the lean meat, the sweetness of the fat, and the appropriate saltiness. The presence of satisfying thick chashu is a very pleasant point, isn't it?
Another distinctive ingredient is the spinach.
The owner, who has experience working at an obanzai (traditional Japanese side dish) restaurant, said he was inspired by obanzai to include it.
When you soak the spinach in the soup and eat it, it is very delicious and perfect for cleansing the palate.
Kota's Chinese soba has a nostalgic quality, a comforting flavor that makes you want to eat it again.
The satisfying thick chashu is also a highlight.
Seasonal Soba
The Seasonal Soba is a value-for-money menu item.
Based on Chinese soba, it is topped with a variety of ingredients, mainly vegetables.
The vegetables used are mainly from the local area around Kurashiki City.
Since they are seasonal, the types of vegetables will change depending on the season.
Also, they will vary based on the purchasing situation of the day.
During the interview in May, the vegetables included zucchini, asparagus, carrots, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions.
In addition to the vegetables, the thick chashu and the extremely thick menma that are included in the Chinese soba are also present.
Additionally, the presence of naruto and beaten egg is also a nice touch.
The dish is characterized by a generous amount of vegetables, allowing you to enjoy the flavors of the ingredients.
You can also enjoy the combination of vegetables and soup.
It comes with grated ginger, which you can add according to your preference to change the flavor.
Seasonal soba is a ramen that satisfies both volume and balanced nutrition, making it a double benefit.
Fried Rice
“Fried Rice” is one of the classic side dishes.
It is available in regular and half sizes.
During the interview, I ordered the half size.
Even though it's called half, it has quite a volume.
The ingredients include green onions, eggs, and char siu.
The char siu is cut and added, the same as that used in the Chinese noodles.
By intentionally cutting the char siu unevenly, we aimed to allow for various textures and flavor differences to be enjoyed!
With a moderate amount of salt, the umami and saltiness of the char siu blend together, creating a fried rice that is easy to eat.
The unevenly cut char siu adds a slight variation to the flavor of the fried rice when it enters your mouth, which is interesting.
Soboro Rice
“Soboro Rice” is a side dish unique to Chinese Noodles Kota.
Sweet and spicy sauce is poured over rice, topped with pickled mustard greens and finely chopped char siu, along with chopped green onions and a raw egg yolk.
Soboro rice was originally a staff meal.
It was well-received by the staff, and it was suggested that "it might be good to offer it to customers," leading to its elevation to a formal menu item.
As you break the egg yolk, you mix everything together while continuing to eat.
The flavors of the char siu, the saltiness and moderate spiciness of the pickled mustard greens, and the sweet and spicy sauce all come together, enhanced by the creaminess of the egg yolk.
Additionally, the crunchy texture of the mustard greens adds an accent.
The combination with rice is excellent, and I found myself eating it quickly.
Gyoza
“Gyoza” is a popular side dish.
The gyoza at Chinese Noodles Kota is characterized by its unique shape. It is small enough to be eaten in one bite.
Our gyoza is bite-sized.
The thought that "children might find it difficult to eat regular-sized gyoza" was the trigger for this.
We were thinking about gyoza that would be easy to eat, and this is what we came up with.
The gyoza skin has a beautiful fox-brown sear. When you eat it, you can feel the crispy texture and a nice aroma.
Inside, the flavors of the meat are complemented by a strong presence of garlic and ginger.
It is a gyoza that offers a rich taste.
With a flavor that you could eat every day, Chuka Soba Kouta enjoys strong popularity in the local area of Kojima.
We spoke with the representative, Kasai Kouta.
Data for Chuka Soba Kouta
| Name | Chuka Soba Kouta |
|---|---|
| Address | 4047 Ajino, Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-697-6686 |
| Parking | Available (15 spaces) |
| Business Hours | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Monday 3rd Tuesday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Seating | 26 seats total (maximum) ・Counter: up to 10 seats (varies depending on the situation) ・4-person tables: 5 tables ・6-person table: 1 table |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Stroller access allowed High chairs available Child-friendly utensils available |
| Barrier-free | Wheelchair access is possible inside, but assistance is needed as the entrance has stairs Toilet is not wheelchair accessible |
| Website | Chuka Soba Kouta Instagram |
Torikara is a ramen based on a rich paitan (white broth) soup.