The history of Iekei
Iekei (Home style) ramen originates from the Yokohama ramen restaurant named “Yoshimuraya”. This restaurant began a wave for many other restaurants to open, and started to spread at the center of the Yokohama region.
The exact definition and reason for the name “Iekei” is very ambiguous.
Yoshimuraka specializes in serving straight thick noodles with a pork bone, shoyu based flavor. Restaurants that are able to serve a dish that closely resembles the original flavors hold the name of Iekei.
Many ramen restaurants that held “Ya” (Home) at the end of their restaurant’s name eventually began to just be called Iekei.
However, in recent times, there has been an increase of restaurants that do not meet the standards to be called Iekei. There are opinions that the requirement to have trained at Yoshimuraya or its affiliated restaurants is absolute, and that even if taste is similar, the restaurants would be considered substandard.
Iekei ramen workers are famously known for wearing white T-shirts, twisted towel headbands, white pants and boots. Having this uniform may be a good idea to establish as a criteria to distinguish between regular ramen restaurants and Iekei ramen restaurants. The owner of Yoshimuraya, Minoru Yoshimura, gives out a specific license to any store directly affiliated and acknowledged to become an Iekei ramen restaurant.
Sugitaya is acknowledged as the number 1 direct affiliate of Yoshimuraya.
The secret to Sugitayas delicious taste
Soup
One of the secrets to our delicious ramen is credited to the care we put into the broth.
For a long period of time, a full pot of pork and chicken bones are slowly cooked. From this process we carefully extract, little at a time, the flavor packed soup. This process is our specialty at Sugitaya.
At the right time, you will be able to witness the dynamic scene of us lifting out the packed bunch of bones.
Draining/cutting off hot water
Proper drainage of hot water, which is said to affect the taste of ramen, is another important process.
Draining off the hot water is not the only focus, but also releasing the steam from the noodles is a step we take.
Depending on how well we do these steps can drastically change the quality of the noodles and the broth.
We, at Sugitaya, are proud of our rhythm and skills for properly draining off hot water.
Steps in preparing Iekei ramen
Message from the Store Manager
My name is Tsumura, representing Sugitaya. Since I took on the responsibility for this restaurant, many customers in this region have enjoyed our ramen that we are so proud of.
Our mission is to continue to prepare and serve ramen that customers will enjoy for many times to come.
We create the flavors that our predecessors have made by following the core steps for preparation. The feelings of nostalgia of having tried similar flavors, bringing you back to a walk down memory lane, should surely arise.
With these principles we hold, you can further enhance your experience by adding various toppings and enjoy a different taste.
If you desire a stronger taste, you can adjust your dish by adding more sauce and by adding various seasonings. The variations are endless!
Customers of all ages, children all the way to senior citizens, can enjoy our dishes.
In addition, we strive to become a restaurant that listens and delivers to your requests.
“Today I want the flavors to be thicker/thinner”, “I want more oil or less oil”. If you have any requests to adjust the dish to your liking, feel free to let any of our staff members know.
However, we do recommend first time customers to try a ramen dish at its default taste.
We are confident that our regular taste can be enjoyed by anyone!
We are confident in our flavors!!
For anyone who has not tried yet, we welcome you to come and enjoy.