Is it different from Kirameki no Tori? Torikichi serves everyday-style chicken-based white soup ramen. Prefectural Route 19, which runs in front of Torikichi, is a major thoroughfare connecting Ibaraki City and Neyagawa City across the Yodogawa Shinbashi Bridge, with light trucks and company vehicles constantly speeding by. While access by car is extremely convenient, it’s a typical suburban roadside location—it takes 20 to 30 minutes by bus from stations like Ibaraki-shi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line or Senrioka Station on the JR Kyoto Line. I went right inside and placed my order using the touchscreen. First, I simply had to order the restaurant’s signature dish, the “Chicken White Broth Ramen.” This Chicken White Broth Ramen is also the signature dish of “Kirameki no Tori,” the ramen chain that is Torikichi’s direct parent company. While it’s lighter than Kirameki’s version, it’s a masterpiece that lets you gradually savor the mellow umami of the chicken broth. Even when scooped up with a soup spoon, the broth is thinner than Kirameki’s, so even those unfamiliar with chicken white soup ramen will be able to enjoy its deliciousness without hesitation. Furthermore, it pairs perfectly with the low-water-content straight noodles, which have a pleasant wheat aroma; since the noodles thoroughly absorb the umami of the chicken white soup, the flavor intensifies with every bite. The “Torikichi SP Ramen,” which comes with a large slice of chashu—about the size of a palm—along with fried rice and gyoza, featured a broth with a high “chicken density” and was thoroughly delicious. According to Yoshinoya Holdings, even though the chicken white soup may look similar, “Kirameki no Tori” is a “rich chicken white soup ramen that lets you fully savor the umami of chicken,” while “Torikichi” was developed as “a brand designed to be more suitable for everyday use, based on the concept of Kyoto-style chicken white soup ramen that people would choose time and time again in their daily lives.” It seems the two brands differ in their concepts—one catering to the “everyday” and the other to the “special occasion.” While Kirameki has many locations in downtown and city center areas and is popular with inbound tourists (foreign visitors to Japan), Torikichi is likely to be used more frequently by locals and people on the go during their workday. Looking around the restaurant, even now there are many drivers who eat quickly and leave just as fast. As a ramen shop in this area with few dining options, Torikichi will likely play a valuable role.
© Source travel watch