Interview with the owner of Tsuki no Utsuwa
Tsuki no Utsuwa has plenty of appeal, including its carefully crafted chuka soba, delicious side dishes, and striking interior.
We interviewed the owner of Tsuki no Utsuwa about how the restaurant came to be, the origin of its name, his approach to the shop and its food, and his plans for the future.
The interview below was conducted during our first visit in February 2020.
A hobby of making his “ideal ramen” became popular, leading him to open a restaurant
How did you come to open the restaurant?
Owner
Actually, I had no experience working in restaurants at all—not even ramen shops.
Before this, I worked as a company employee in an industry unrelated to food service.
I lived in Fukuoka City when I was young.
When you ate ramen in Fukuoka, it was almost always tonkotsu ramen.
When I grew up and came to Okayama Prefecture, I was impressed by ramen with soy sauce broth.
Before I knew it, I was trying all kinds of soy sauce ramen and looking for ramen shops that suited my tastes.
Gradually, I began pursuing the flavor I wanted, until I ended up making ramen myself at home!
I was researching ramen recipes to recreate the flavor I was after.
I invited friends over to try the ramen I made.
They liked it, and everyone told me it was delicious…
Eventually, people started saying, “Why don’t you open a ramen shop?”
I gradually got more motivated, and before I knew it, I had quit my office job and started a ramen shop (laughs).
We opened in 2013.
At first, we operated out of a private home in a residential area north of JR Kurashiki Station.
Then, through an acquaintance’s introduction, we moved to our current location in Tsurugata in 2018.
He wants to preserve the old-fashioned, handmade feel of chuka soba
Why did you start researching your ideal ramen at home?
Owner
I became absorbed in making my ideal ramen because I felt that the appeal of old-fashioned ramen shops was gradually disappearing.
As I visited ramen shops, I felt that old-fashioned independent shops were declining and ramen shops were becoming “corporatized.”
The “handmade feel” of ramen was fading, and it started to feel like a commercial product.
Since ramen, to me, means tonkotsu because I spent time in Fukuoka, soy sauce ramen feels more aptly called “chuka soba.”
I came to want to eat handmade-feeling chuka soba, made with flavor as the top priority and no compromises on ingredients or preparation. That’s what led me to think, “Then I’ll just make it myself.”
He is particular about every ingredient
What do you pay particular attention to in your chuka soba?
Owner
Since this chuka soba is the result of pursuing my ideal, I don’t want to compromise on the ingredients.
Our concept is to make handmade chuka soba using natural ingredients.
We don’t use commercial products!
For example, the chicken used for the broth is a whole mature hen raised in Okayama Prefecture.
The green onions are Kujo negi from Kyoto.
The chashu is homemade, using premium pork belly.
The eggs are “Momiji eggs” from Uneme Farm in nearby Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture.
They are laid by purebred Japanese chickens and are highly regarded.
Pork back fat comes in different grades, and we source the highest grade.
And the soy sauce, essential to soy sauce-flavored chuka soba, is a carefully selected one made by Miya Shoyu in Chiba Prefecture.
The difficult part is that ingredient prices and availability change for various reasons.
That was the biggest difference I noticed between making chuka soba as a hobby and making it for the restaurant.
Making gradual changes to bring delicious food to customers
Are there any other things you do or pay particular attention to?
Owner
I make a point of “changing little by little.”
I feel that if things stay exactly the same, we won’t be able to bring delicious food to our customers.
It’s important to try new things, make improvements, and keep experimenting.
That’s why the menu changes little by little, too.
We used to serve Japanese cuisine as well.
The green onions served on our chuka soba have changed, too.
When we first opened, we used ordinary sliced green onions.
The green onions we serve at Tsuki no Utsuwa now are cut in a style inspired by Hiroshima-style tsukemen.
At one point, I came to love spicy Hiroshima-style tsukemen and spent a while going around trying it everywhere.
I ate the green onions served with Hiroshima-style tsukemen and thought, “Let’s try this at Tsuki no Utsuwa, too,” so I adopted the style.
By the way, we have Hiroshima-style tsukemen as a summer off-menu item because I like it so much (laughs).
Tsuki no Utsuwa is a ramen shop where women can comfortably drop in alone
What are Tsuki no Utsuwa’s strengths and features?
Owner
I think our strength is that women can drop in comfortably.
Japanese people love ramen, don’t they?
Women are no exception.
But I think there are few ramen shops where a woman can casually walk in alone and comfortably enjoy a bowl of ramen.
We make our ramen with great care.
So we want as many people as possible, young and old, men and women, to try it.
Our atmosphere is welcoming to women, as are our menu and presentation.
Another plus is that we offer ramen flavors popular with women, such as salt and extra-spicy.
I hope women who love ramen will come and visit us at least once.
The shop’s name comes from a memorable coffee shop
The shop’s name is unusual. Where did it come from?
Owner
The name “Tsuki no Utsuwa” comes from the name of a coffee shop in Fukuoka.
As I mentioned, I lived in Fukuoka when I was young, and the coffee shop was near our home.
The owner was very distinctive and left a strong impression on me.
He had a striking appearance and an interesting personality.
He was a bit like a Japanese Sammy Davis Jr. (the American singer) (laughs).
And the food he made was delicious.
The interior was stylish, with lots of jazz records lined up, and jazz playing all the time.
The coffee shop Tsuki no Utsuwa was where I first became interested in food.
That’s why I borrowed its name when I started my restaurant.
Of course, I got the owner’s permission (laughs).
When I was little, I once told him, “I want to run a restaurant someday,” and he said, “You can use the name Tsuki no Utsuwa,” so we had talked about it back then.
Unfortunately, though, the shop has since closed.
When I heard it was going out of business, I rushed to Fukuoka.
He then gave me some of his jazz records.
Most of the jazz we play in our shop now comes from the records he gave me then.
The interior’s theme is “Japanese modern”
The interior has a distinctive atmosphere. What inspired it?
Owner
Actually, at first, it was mostly things we already had at home.
Our Hinodecho shop was in a private home.
So I wanted to give it some character.
I tried decorating it with various things that had been sitting around at home.
The interior you see now is the result of keeping the things people liked.
People say the armor makes a strong impression. I thought, “You wouldn’t normally put something like this in a restaurant,” so I deliberately went against expectations and put it there.
As for music, I played the jazz from the coffee shop I mentioned earlier.
That led me to come up with “Japanese modern” as the theme for the interior.
We’ve kept that theme since moving to Tsurugata.
This area gets many tourists from overseas, so I think the Japanese-modern interior turned out well, as it’s something visitors from abroad can easily appreciate.
He wants local ramen shops to help one another
What are your goals for the future, or things you’d like to try?
Owner
Since opening the shop, I’ve gotten to know many other shop owners, especially those who run ramen shops.
Sometimes they come to me for advice, and other times I ask them for advice.
Running an independent shop comes with many difficulties and problems.
I’ve come to feel that it would be good to have connections that let shops help one another when those things happen.
I started Tsuki no Utsuwa because I wanted to preserve what makes independent shops special.
So I hope shops can work together when problems arise.
From the Writer
Tsuki no Utsuwa is memorable for its distinctive interior, but also for the care and passion that go into its chuka soba.
The owner’s dedication to chuka soba is almost like that of a researcher.
And when I tried the chuka soba, made with a focus on its handmade feel, it had a nostalgic taste.
Tsuki no Utsuwa’s Chinese-style noodles are the kind of dish you’ll want to eat again and again.
Be sure to try Tsuki no Utsuwa’s Chinese-style noodles at least once.
Tsuki no Utsuwa Tsurugata Branch Information
| Name | Tsuki no Utsuwa Tsurugata Branch |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-1-11 Tsurugata, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-424-2135 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 10:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Tuesday, Thursday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Seating | 10 seats ・Tables and tatami seating available ・Number of seats can be changed |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Child-friendly features | Wheelchair access available |
| Accessibility | ・Children’s tableware available ・Strollers are not permitted inside |
| Website | Tsuki no Utsuwa Official Twitter |
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