Chuka Soba Kamofuku (中華そば鴨福): The Noodle Disciple; Hachioji, Tokyo

A shop that has shot up ramen rankings over the past couple months is this quaint little mom and pop located a brisk 20 minute walk from Hachioji station. Chuka Soba Kamofuku lingered on my hit list for quite a while due to their far out location, but The Gourmet Bear had some high praise so decided to make a visit sooner rather than later. I work in central Tokyo and I came after a morning meeting in July and arrived around 1 pm on a weekday and was fifth in line. Let me reiterate, this was back in July 2024, before they attained Tabelog Top 100 status and climbed to become a top 10 ramen shop (based on tabelog rating) in Tokyo, so I have no clue what the queue is like now. During my visit, the shop was cash only and the ticket machine was out of order so the server came over to ask what I wanted and collected the money (pay first). Order for the day was the Tokusei Chuka Soba which you can choose between Shoyu or Shio (I opted for the shoyu). They also had a regular Chuka Soba without all the extra fixings as well as a Tsukemen and a Duck & Iriko sardine ramen which I believe are seasonal. The ramen I chose is the only ‘regular’ menu item, but the ingredients of the broth can change based on the season so be sure to check online for their current menu. Those who have followed me for a while know that I can never pass up on a unique rice bowl so added the Kamo-don, or duck chashu over rice, as well.

Place mat is pictured above and they use the mat as a way to explain the components of the ramen. I thought this was a great touch and very much needed as they seem to change up their ramen offerings based on seasonality and availability of ingredients. Starting with the right going left, the place mat describes the flour used for the noodles, ingredients of the soup, variety of proteins for the chashu, Shoyu tare ingredients, Shio tare ingredients, toppings, and tokusei toppings. I will translate them accordingly as I describe the parts later, but just wanted to highlight it here as this level of attention to detail is honestly top notch.

Chuka Soba Kamofuku, again, is a mom and pop operation with each bowl made to order so it does take a bit of time for the master to prepare each order. As I was fifth in line, my meal took about 25 minutes until it was presented in front of me. 25 anxious minutes later and this was worth every second. In the middle is the Tokusei Ramen which comes with the menma bamboo shoots, wontons, and pork chashu in the bowl. To the side on the right is the duck chashu which comes plated separately, I’m assuming to keep the meat from over cooking in the residual heat of the soup. Of course the duck comes with extra seasonings to enjoy on it’s own if you so wish, but most diners around me dunked them in shabu-shabu style to slightly cook the edges. To the left is the Onsen Tamago which is cooked to perfection and seasoned with a bit of the shoyu tare.

Had a hard time deciding where to start, but figured a sip of the soup would be best so dived in to the ramen first. Soup is complicated, but precise using a dashi of Rausu Kombu, Urume Niboshi, Seto Iriko, and Niboshi sardines as base and layering it with an animal broth of Iwate duck and Shamo chicken. Depth in flavor here is ridiculous getting a huge hit of richness from the duck and chicken which is then mellowed out and rounded by the umami stemming from the Kombu and dried fish elements. The tare consists of a blend of four different shoyu, mirin, and sake among others and this rich almost caramel like consistency can be seen in the onsen tamago. In the ramen, the tare dissolves to provide an impeccable salinity to balance the fatty richness of the broth. Soup is finished with the aroma oil which is likely a mix of rendered chicken and duck fat which is indulgent AF. I often blast duck ramen as this is, in my opinion, one of the hardest soups to perfect. Often times the broth is too gamey, but Kamofuku really knocked this out of the park. The way the shoyu tare accentuates the duck sweetness while also toning down the wild edges is applause worthy. Really the rare times I’ve had duck ramen and thought, I could eat this every week if I could.

Soup is definitely worthy of praise, but what really separates Kamofuku from the rest of the top ramen shops this year are their noodles and it’s not a surprise when you hear about his background. The master’s ramen journey began by attending a ramen school organized by one of the best noodle machine makers in Japan, Yamato Seisakusho. From there he opened ‘Mendokoro Kamo To Shamo’ in Hachioji back in 2017, which closed within a year. Shortly after, the master jumped around opening various shops around West Tokyo, primarily around Tachikawa. Not quite sure what happened to those previous shops as I never ate at any of them and they all seem to be closed now, but I guess at some point, something clicked and the master decided to move back to Hachioji to focus on something he excelled at from the beginning: noodles.

Again, now that Kamofuku has achieved top 100 status, it’ll probably be quite difficult to make a visit, but if there’s just one reason to endure the wait, it’s what’s pictured above. Noodles here are phenomenal and that’s an understatement. I think I would go as far as to say these are top 5 best noodles I’ve ever had. Strands are flat and wide with unique ridges that you have to zoom in to appreciate. According to the place mat, the master actually makes two different doughs; one with semolina flour which he sandwiches in-between a dough of Mochi Hime & Sanuki no Yume. He then flattens and cuts them in to these uber thick stands of which my dreams are made of. Texture is off the charts and as you might imagine with noodles using semolina flour, has a pasta like al dente core and a ramen like chewy exterior. I never thought this pasta/ramen combination would work, and despite how good these are I don’t think this should start trending, but my god did Kamofuku nail this idea for this bowl. While enjoyable on it’s own, it really does rely on the rich, juicy, sweet duck flavors of the soup to pull it off and hats off to the chef for balancing everything together.

Toppings at this point seems like it would be an after thought, but rest assured, is just as good as everything else in this bowl. Starting with the components in the soup, the chashu slices are prepared to a tee and each protein is cooked to the exact temp it needs. As a result the chicken is moist, duck has a succulent pink juiciness, and the pork melts between your chopsticks. Wontons were probably the weakest part, but honestly I can slide with how good everything else was. Side duck which comes with the Tokusei is a must order and you’d think there’s a second izakaya chef back there preparing this plate. Onsen tamago felt a bit gimmicky at first, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the cooked yolk and the ability to use the runny egg white as a dipping sauce when mixed with the shoyu tare.

Last, but not least is the duck rice bowl. So here’s where I can draw a line for future guests. If you’re hungry, or better yet you love duck as much as I do, this is a must order, but if you’re here for ramen, this might be overkill. I’ll let the picture sway you on your decision to order it, but I definitely didn’t regret having this as a side.

Shop is quite far from central Tokyo and I admit, the walk is quite long from Hachioji station, but I think this is a must hit for any ramen fanatic. I’ve got no doubts this will be a destination ramen shop in 2025 and will likely be a mainstay in most ramen rankings for the time being. Highly recommend going sooner rather than later to beat the crowds.