Ramen Nishiki Sui has a very fitting name.

You could make an argument that ramen has passed up sushi as Japanese cuisine’s representative dish, and matcha green tea has long been the beverage with the most cultural significance in the country. So should you find yourself wanting to experience both of them at the same time, you’ll be happy to know that Japan’s first all-matcha ramen restaurant is now open.

Fittingly, this combination of two very Japanese elements that have become very popular overseas too is found in Kyoto, and specifically in its Gion geisha quarter. Ramen Nishiki Sui gets its name because it’s a new sister shop of the already established Ramen Nishiki, with the twist that every type of ramen on its menu has a matcha broth, and sui is a poetic way of saying “green” in Japanese.

Nishiki Sui, which first started serving customers late last fall, offers four kinds of ramen. Their flagship style, also called Sui (pictured above), has a creamy-textured broth made with matcha and tai (sea bream stock), for a rich flavor with a clean finish. The toppings are fancy too: a slice of teriyaki-grilled sea bream, strikingly color-contrasting bell pepper, and a fried enoki mushroom cluster dusted with parmesan cheese.

For extra complexity, there’s the Sho, made with sansho (a type of astringent Japanese pepper), bork belly, and edible flowers.

If you want a touch of stimulating tartness instead, there’s the Yuzu, with the flavor of the Japanese citrus fruit of the same name in the broth.

Finally, the Nishiki is a simple style reminiscent of the sea bream broth served at the main Nishiki ramen restaurant, but with the addition of matcha.

And while the portion size isn’t large enough to make a full meal out of, you can add a side order of Matcha Tsukimi Gohan, a green tea-enhanced reimagining of Japan’s tamagokakegohan, in which you crack a raw egg into a bowl of piping hot white rice so that the heat of the grains just barely cooks the egg.

▼ Extra portions of the pork and sea bream can also be ordered.

Nishiki Sui isn’t the first place in Japan to offer matcha ramen, it claims to be the first ramen restaurant in Japan to serve matcha broth exclusively, and between it’s unique concept, eye-catching visuals, and travel hot-spot location, it’s probably going to be a memorable experience for many visitors to Kyoto.

Restaurant information
Ramen Nishiki Sui / らーめん錦　翠
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Kiyomoto-cho 375-4, Sueyoshi-cho Ichibankoji
京都府京都市東山区清本町３７５−４ 末吉町一番小路
Open 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Closed Mondays
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Source, images: PR Times
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