Kumamoto ramen, with its fragrant pork bone broth, is one of Kumamoto's signature gourmet dishes. It is said that it can actually beoriginally traced back to a single Chinese noodle shop that was located around what is now JR Tamana Station.
Tamana ramen has a rich tonkotsu aroma that makes it easy to detect nearby shops, often eliciting a "Oh, there's a ramen shop nearby" from passersby. Tamana ramen is characterized by its rich pork bone broth, medium-fine noodles, and burnt garlic chips.
In this article, we will introduce three Tamana ramen shops that are surprisingly accessible and easy to eat. 

Touen is a well-known and long-established Tamana-style ramen restaurant.
The soup, which has a rich appearance, is made in a large pot similar to a Goemon kettle using only pork knuckles and backbones. Because the natural fats produced from this process are used in place of back fat, this rich soup has no peculiar taste, making it light and easy to eat despite its appearance.

The fragrant roasted garlic chips really whet your appetite. Staff will ask you in advance if you want garlic, so you can choose not to add it, but the garlic aroma really goes well with tonkotsu ramen.
The noodles are house-made and are left to rest so they are at their firmest before use.

Founded in 1963 by the grandfather of the third-generation store manager, the restaurant has been in business for 61 years. Located on Tamana's main street, it is frequented by three generations of locals and their families.
The restaurant was renovated and renewed in January this year, and now has counter seats with a partition at the front, making it easy to come and eat alone. There are also chairs for small children.
Instant noodles, created in collaboration with Fuki Noodle Factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, are sold as souvenirs and can be purchased at the storefront.

This shop specializes in Tamana ramen made with water that is carefully selected by the female shop manager. This unique attention to water and its effect on broth may be the reason why Unryuken doesn't have the typical smell of other ramen shops. The noodles are made from Minami no Kaori wheat grown in Tamana.

The pork slices are lean and the firm, medium-thin noodles that mix with the rich yet light broth are easy to eat, so it's no wonder that many female customers order a double serving. Garlic chips are provided at the table, so you can adjust the serving to your liking. If you run out, you can always add more garlic, which is great.

Another popular dish is the champon, which uses the same soup as the ramen. The sweetness of the vegetables is added to give it a gentler flavor. The yakisoba is made without using any commercially available sauces, and many customers order it for takeout.

Unryuken was founded in 1978 by the mother-in-law of the current second-generation manager, whose original motivation was to start a business that she could run while looking after her children. The restaurant is located in a residential area away from the main road, but it has become popular on social media and has seen an increase in customers from far away.
There are many female staff members, and the restaurant has created an atmosphere that is welcoming to female customers. There is also a raised tatami seating area, which is great for families with children.

Preserving the original flavor, the tonkotsu soup is made by slowly simmering pork heads, backbones, and knuckles, which have little odor. The fragrant smell of burnt garlic, which may be ordered as a garnish on top adds an accent to the mellow and fresh soup. The meaty pork slices are so cooked so tender that they melt in the mouth, and are sure to hit the spot. 

Chuo Ramen was founded in 1980. The owner fell in love with the previous owner's flavor and went on to inherit the restaurant with the desire to preserve it. Even today, customers still come to enjoy the founder's original flavor. The current store manager was originally a regular at Nakao Ramen, and it was these visits to enjoy their ramen that led him to pursue a career in ramen restaurants.

Emblematic of a shop run by a regular customer-turned-manager, the menu features a wide variety of items to match any taste or mood of patrons. There are also unusual dishes such as the Okotteri Ramen which emphasizes rich flavors, and the Tonkatsu Curry Ramen which is a curry-based soup topped with pork cutlet. The homey, old-fashioned ramen shop atmosphere is wonderful.