How is Fire Ramen Kyoto - Menbaka rated?

Menbakaichidai has been a staple in the community for 30 years - burning through the competition with its famous "Fire Ramen." I innocently assumed that the ramen earned its name for being spicy, as are most "fire" dishes in the culinary world. It wasn't until I was inches away from a four-foot flame, that I finally realized this restaurant had taken things to the next level. From yahoo travel post

PRICE RANGE

$7 - $21

Meals

Dinner, Drinks

CUISINES

Japanese

FEATURES

Cash Only, Free Wifi, Non-smoking restaurants, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Free off-street parking, Digital Payments

Reviews (1,047)

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Warnerbro118

7 reviews

Reviewed 4 days ago

HOT HOT HOT

A must do experiecne for those that enjoy Ramen. Something unique that involes a nice warm, HUGE FIRE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE! They allow photos and videos of the whole experience. Do Recommend. Come early as there are lines.

Date of visit: May 2023

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ray C

148 reviews

Reviewed April 5, 2023 via mobile

Lots of fun!

A brilliant little place that we almost stumbled on by accident. So much fun but don't think that the fun element takes away from the quality of the food. The ramen was delicious! Get there early though, there was quite a queue when we left.

Date of visit: April 2023

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

laurapF6322KR

6 reviews

Reviewed February 1, 2023

A fun time and unique experience

It can be hard to find places with a large group in Japan, but Menbaka seated our group of 6 right away. I think we got lucky with our timing as there was no line and we were there in the last 45 minutes before...closing. We didn't know what to expect of this place so it was a delightful surprise. The chef speaks great English and clearly loves to entertain foreigners. He gave us a brochure of his favorite places in Kyoto and spends more time and effort than he needs to making sure you get great pictures and videos with your fire ramen to bring home. I would have bought some merch if I had room in my suitcase to pack it. We also happened to be seated next to a really friendly local who chatted with us over our meal and made more recommendations of what to see in Japan. Overall considering it's the price of a normal dinner I felt like we got a lot of entertainment for our money!More

Date of visit: January 2023

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diskdr

303 reviews

Reviewed January 29, 2023

Don't Panic - Great Food and Entertainment.

A MUST VISIT and a gem of Kyoto. The food is amazing and the large beer very cold. Do not be put off if it looks full for the door is locked (for safety reasons) - wait and go in enjoy a cold large beer...and be amazed at the show. Give up your phones and as a bonus you get a great video and photos from the master chef. Buy the bowl and T shirt as a keepsake. The set meals are filling, and very well cooked, Food is just perfect. Reasonable priced too. I wish I lived in Kyoto just to eat there once a week,More

Date of visit: January 2023

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Adventure757065

78 reviews

Reviewed January 25, 2023

Memorable dining experience with awesome Ramen

The Father and Son duo know what they are doing, even have camera holders to record you having your fire ramen in front of your face! They were super friendly and had some recommendations about lesser known temples and shrine. Also, not just a gimmick...food was very tasty!More

Date of visit: January 2023

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danov1

9 reviews

Reviewed January 11, 2023 via mobile

Great experience, friendly host

Great experience when the fire was just 10 inches in front of your face. Nice pic and video for IG. They do not open on tuesday.

Date of visit: January 2023

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alextomasulo

4 reviews

Reviewed December 10, 2022 via mobile

Can’t wait to return!

Such a fun place with delicious ramen. The staff were extreme welcoming and friendly. The food was fantastic and also vegetarian options were available! They serve the vegetarian ramen in a separate bowl too to avoid cross contamination which was awesome!! The ramen was so...delicious and flavorful and perfect for a chilly evening. I really enjoyed my time here and cannot wait to return when I am in Kyoto next !More

Date of visit: December 2022

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Dorothy B

10 reviews

Reviewed November 26, 2022 via mobile

Awesome Experience!

Found this hidden gem by accident. A “must do” dining experience. The hosts were entertaining and the food was delicious. Good for vegetarians too.

Date of visit: November 2022

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ReneFlorek

1 review

Reviewed November 10, 2022

Best Ramen ever!

I was here with my sister & mom. Those were the best ramen I’ve ever ate. And the sercive…fantastic!

Date of visit: November 2022

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kleeottorogers

191 reviews

Reviewed November 5, 2022 via mobile

Dirty place

Pure gimmick, very unclean Resturant, disorganized owner, junk all over the place, very dirty kitchen area, ridiculously overpriced, would not recommend unless you want an overpriced cheesy lame fire show

Date of visit: November 2022

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Sam Z

3 reviews

Reviewed October 19, 2022 via mobile

Awesome place!

It was a super cool experience! The owner was really nice and gave us a pamphlet of places to go in Kyoto along with photos. We checked a few out right after lunch and they did not disappoint. They also have a great setup to...capture your experience there on your phone!More

Date of visit: October 2022

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Ramint2-D2

33 reviews

Reviewed September 5, 2022

Awesome Experience with Fire Ramen

delicious ramen, that is lit on fire right in front of you. sit down in an almost teppanyaki style restaurant bar. the chef puts a bowl of the ingredients in front of you, then pours hot oil that lights it ablaze.

Date of visit: August 2022

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MekaMek910

25 reviews

Reviewed July 2, 2022 via mobile

Fire Ramen! So Cool!

It was definitely a cool experience, and we’re glad that we were there as soon as they opened. The owner was super nice and gave us a pamphlet of places to go in Kyoto along with photos. He also spoke great English!

Date of visit: July 2022

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Explorer47456989111

1 review

Reviewed March 25, 2022 via mobile

It was 🔥

Took the recommendation from a friend who visited and glad we did! Father son team behind the grill were both funny and very helpful in sharing things to do off the beaten path in Kyoto. The ramen by the way was amazing! It’s a must...do SOFA membersMore

Date of visit: March 2022

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KathChong

199 reviews

Reviewed December 13, 2020

Fiery near fire ramen dining experience

Recommended to go during weekdays or off peak hrs so queue within 20-30min still reasonable. The entire near fire experience by the bar with video recording was great. Afterwhich will be ushered back to table seating to enjoy the ramen. Black charcoal chicken karrage and...iced matcha latte was a surprise delight, ramen tastewise average. Worthwhile to go once as an overall interesting eating excursion. Total damage about $80+ for 3 pax.More

Date of visit: December 2020

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Questions & Answers

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Manpreet31

Are there vegetarian /vegan options available ?

October 26, 2019|

AnswerShow all 3 answers

Hi, we have vegetarian/ vegan options for our dishes. We have vegetable soup so you can mention our staff when ordering. Looking forward to seeing you.

Demetri N

Do you need a reservation?

May 3, 2019|

AnswerShow all 4 answers

No reservation required. I would recommend going a bit before or after normal lunch or dinner times to avoid waiting outside. Regardless it's well worth the wait.