Bukkenya

It says:  Ramen

The actual name...whatever it is...

Rating: OK
Meal:  Lunch for 2
Price: 1950 yen
Payment: Cash only
Dishes: Spicy tonkotsu ramen, salt tonkotsu ramen
English Menu: Yes
Smoking: No

English menu to the right

Hey look, another ramen spot in Yokosuka!  The second to open this year, it has been about a week since they started serving customers.  I can't be sure about the name (Bukkenya) as the server's accent was difficult to understand, I think she was Chinese.  Eventually Google Maps should update with the accurate name, but for now I have to call it something.

Salt tonkotsu ramen

They have really tried to make the place foreigner friendly, with an english translation of all the vending machine buttons out front, very easy to read.  When you sit down, they bring a little card with all the options on it (noodles:  hard/normal/soft, broth thickness: thick/normal/thin, lard/oil:  lots/normal/little) so you can just point.  They serve mainly variations on Yokohama style tonkotsu ramen, so pork bone broth base, straight up or mixed with miso/salt/soy sauce.  They also had a spicy version, which I went for.  My son had a salt version.  Also, they offer free all you can eat rice that you can dish up yourself. Personally, I never have room for the extra carbs, but hey, it's a perk.

Spicy tonkotsu ramen

Both of us liked our bowls, I'd rate this a high Ok, low Very Good.  The meat was just ok, not the melt in your mouth goodness of Kami Buta.  The noodles were satisfyingly thick and chewy.   The bowl size is smaller than some places, which is fine with me.  I still couldn't finish the broth, and my son ate about half his noodles.  My dish had a soft boiled egg which was quite tasty.  The spiciness of my ramen's broth was about middlin' but there were more spices to add at the table, including white raw ginger (tasty), spicy paste, and raw garlic (careful!).  I didn't have that icky feeling I sometimes get after eating tonkotsu ramen, but that may just be because it had been a while.  Lately I've realized that ramen (like cookies) is a sometimes food.