[Closed] Konoshima Otatsu - Experience the nostalgic taste of Kasaoka City once again! Aiming for the flavors of a famous restaurant, with added individuality to Kasaoka ramen.

As a local ramen of Kasaoka City, Kasaoka Ramen is recognized by ramen enthusiasts.

This ramen features a chicken bone broth topped with boiled chicken made from Kashiwa (spent hen), a specialty of Kasaoka, where poultry farming is thriving.

While adhering to the basics of Kasaoka Ramen, there is a humorous shop that has made unique arrangements.

That is Konoshima Otatsu located in the southern part of Kasaoka City.

It is a popular shop where the owner, who once worked at a long-established Japanese restaurant, creates ramen.

In fact, the owner has been making ramen since his days as a Japanese cuisine chef.

We will delve into the commitment, characteristics, and charm of the ramen at Konoshima Otatsu.

Konoshima Otatsu is a popular shop for Kasaoka Ramen

Konoshima Otatsu is a ramen shop located in the southern part of Kasaoka City, Konoshima.

Originally, the owner, Mr. Habara, was a chef at a long-established Japanese inn located near Kasaoka Station called Otatsu.

Although Otatsu is a Japanese restaurant, the Chinese soba (Kasaoka Ramen) it served since the late 1990s became popular.

Despite being a Japanese restaurant, it became one of the popular shops for Kasaoka Ramen.

However, in June 2019 (the first year of Reiwa), the inn ceased operations, and Otatsu also closed at the same time.

After that, a company called Aoshin Sangyo welcomed Mr. Habara as the owner and opened the current location as Konoshima Otatsu in March 2020 (the second year of Reiwa).

Konoshima Otatsu has an official smartphone app, which is well-received.

There are also great benefits such as earning points.

For details about the app, please check the explanation in the shop or ask the staff.

Menu of Konoshima Otatsu

Konoshima Otatsu is primarily a ramen shop.

The signature menu item is "Chinese Soba" (700 yen), which is the so-called Kasaoka Ramen.

In addition, there are "Chicken Salt Ramen" (800 yen) with a salt flavor and "Abura Soba" (800 yen), which is rarely offered in Kasaoka.

There are also set menus such as "Mini Chicken Dry Curry Set" (plus 250 yen) and "Fried Young Chicken Set" (plus 300 yen).

Dry curry is also available as a single item (350 yen).

Additionally, there is "Onigiri" (100 yen).

Konoshima Otatsu also offers a takeout menu.

The takeout menu is available for delivery after 5 PM only.

Recommendations at Konoshima Otatsu

Let's take a closer look at the menu items at Konoshima Otatsu that you might be interested in.

"Chinese Soba" is a homage to the flavors of a now-defunct famous shop

The most popular and signature menu item is "Chinese Soba" (700 yen).

It is the so-called Kasaoka Ramen with a soy sauce flavored broth.

The toppings include the standard boiled Kashiwa, menma, and chopped green onions.
It is also unusual to have thread chili pepper on top.

The presentation is very beautiful, reflecting the sensibility of the owner who comes from a Japanese cuisine background.

Our Chinese Soba was created with the goal of recreating the flavors of the famous ramen shop "Saito" that once existed in Kasaoka.

We have also added our own unique character to it.

The broth is a slightly transparent dark brown, with golden oil floating on the surface.

When you drink it, the taste is refreshing, with a good balance of the umami from the dashi and the sweetness and saltiness of the soy sauce.
The aftertaste is clean.

Additionally, the menma is cut into beautiful sticks and placed on top.
The crunchy texture and saltiness were delicious.

All of our menma is special hand-split menma.
Each piece is split by hand.

The way the noodles are presented is also beautiful and looks delicious.

The noodles are thin and straight, with a good bite.

The pairing of the refreshing soy sauce broth and the noodles is excellent.

The biggest feature of Kasaoka Ramen is the Kashiwa.

The Kashiwa has a nice crunchy texture, and with each bite, the umami of the chicken and the well-soaked soy sauce flavor seep out.

"Chicken Salt Ramen" is a unique dish with a salt-flavored broth, boiled Kashiwa, and iriko

While the Chinese Soba was a soy sauce flavored Kasaoka Ramen, the "Chicken Salt Ramen" (800 yen) can be considered the salt version of Kasaoka Ramen.

The toppings include the hand-split menma common to the Chinese Soba, chopped green onions, and thread chili pepper.
Additionally, it features boiled Kashiwa, the symbol of Kasaoka Ramen.

In addition to those, there are two large sheets of nori, flower-shaped kamaboko, diagonally cut white onions, chopped green onions, thinly sliced yuzu peel, and sesame.
Plus, the iriko skewered vertically in the center makes a strong impact!

At first, we didn't have the iriko skewered.
We tried it to entertain our customers, and it became popular on social media!

The broth is a transparent light brown.

When you drink the broth, it has a light taste.

The flavor of the dashi is complemented by a sharp saltiness.
Additionally, there is a hint of yuzu fragrance.

It has a clean aftertaste and is easy to eat.

The yuzu fragrance is one of the key points of the Chicken Salt Ramen!

The crunchy texture of the menma and the crispness of the green onions also add a nice accent.

The noodles are straight and thin, just like Chinese soba.

Additionally, the chicken salt ramen includes boiled chicken from Kashiwa.

The combination of boiled chicken and salt soup was also excellent.

Furthermore, soaking the seaweed thoroughly in the soup makes it delicious.
I found the soft texture of the flower-shaped kamaboko interesting.

“Abura Soba” is a perfect match for beer with its chewy thick noodles and sweet-spicy flavor

At Konoshima Otatsu, there is also “Abura Soba” (800 yen).

It is rare to find a shop serving abura soba in places like Kasaoka.

Abura soba is inspired by a menu from an izakaya in Tokyo, with our own twist.

The key point is that we use beef tallow in the sauce.
That’s why it has a great aroma and pairs exceptionally well with beer!

The ingredients are plentiful, and the presentation is beautiful.

Moreover, it features a Kashiwa boiled chicken, a typical Kasaoka-style twist.

Other ingredients include two large sheets of seaweed, naruto, hand-split menma, diagonally sliced white green onions, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and thread chili peppers.

In the center, there is a mound of egg yolk.

The delight of abura soba is breaking the delicious egg yolk with your chopsticks, letting the yolk flow out, and then mixing everything together thoroughly before eating.

Since there is sauce at the bottom of the bowl, make sure to mix it well.

The noodles are thick, curly noodles, different from the Chinese soba and chicken salt ramen.

Being curly, they hold the sauce and egg yolk well.

With the chewy, elastic texture of the noodles, the sweet-spicy flavor of the sauce and the creaminess of the yolk cling together, making it very delicious.

I definitely thought it was a flavor that makes you crave beer.
I think it also pairs well with rice.

We also serve vinegar and doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) alongside the abura soba.

Feel free to add them to your abura soba and enjoy the change in flavor!

Adding vinegar gives it a refreshing taste.
Adding doubanjiang adds a spicy kick along with a sweet and sour flavor.

The Kashiwa boiled chicken is the same as that used in the Chinese soba and chicken salt ramen.

The umami of the chicken seeping from the meat and the rich soy sauce flavor enhance the taste of the abura soba, making it even more delicious.

“Mini Chicken Dry Curry Rice” is also recommended!

The side menu item “Mini Chicken Dry Curry Rice.”

It is 250 yen as a set with noodles, and 350 yen for a single order.

It is rare to find dry curry as a side menu item at a ramen shop.

In fact, the former Otatsu was popular not only for ramen but also for curry rice!

So, we decided to offer it as a side menu at Konoshima Otatsu as well.

It features a dry curry loaded with minced meat, topped with chopped boiled egg and raisins.

The sweetness and moderate saltiness allowed the umami of the minced meat to shine through.
The spiciness was mild, so I think even those who are not good with spicy food can enjoy it.

At Konoshima Otatsu, you can enjoy delicious and beautiful Kasaoka ramen and abura soba.

We interviewed the manager, Habara Toshihiko.

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