I was fooled. I ordered what I thought was a minced pork ramen at Mamezen and found out even the “meat” was made of soy. This vegetarian ramen restaurant makes its noodles from soy, its broth from soy milk and of course, as it turns out, its garnishing from soy and other vegetables. Taste-wise, I don’t think you’d realize that the meal was soy based other than from the milky appearance of the soup. My husband, a major carnivore, and I were both amazed by the richness of the broth. Best of all, it’s not greasy or salty.

I think it’s worthwhile to drop in if you’re roaming around in the northern segment of Kyoto and want a simple but fulfilling lunch. I walked to Mamezen from Shugakuin, a rather lengthy but easy 45 minute southward stroll along the Takanogawa river with the restaurant located on a lane south of Kita-Oji Dori in the Shimogamo Higashitakagicho area.

As with most other eateries in Kyoto, space is limited and you sit on the floor on tatami mats and cushions. The menu consists of three types of ramen. I really enjoyed my “meat” selection which comes with a slightly spicy broth (tantan style). The other choices are mushroom and yuba (tofu skin). I will come back my next trip – I really want to try to yuba version.

Website: www.mamezen.com