We stopped at Chuka Soba Hamada-Ya in Mito after our monthly work meeting. It was right down the street in a light industrial area. It was also within walking distance from the Ibaraki Prefectural Office and a number of other prefectural government buildings. We can imagine that the weekday lunch rush must be pretty busy.

Chuka Soba Hamada-Ya Menu

There was a menu with pictures and a vending machine to take our orders. The menu primarily consisted of various types of ramen, with supplemental rice bowls, and gyoza. There were also a number of sets that gave us a good amount of combination options. We ended up going with an A set which came with ramen and fried rice, and an F set which came with ramen, gyoza, and a mini gyudon bowl.

At the time of our arrival we were the only ones in the shop and there was only one worker. Despite being the only one, he was incredibly efficient. He was able to prepare the food for our party of 10 by himself and in a timely manner.

Chuka Soba Hamada-Ya Food Review

First to come out was our mini gyudon bowl. It was probably our favorite part of the whole meal. The meat was cut into manageable pieces and had a slightly crispy texture. Combined with its sweet sauce, we could have easily just eaten this alone.

A short time later our ramen came out. We were given a choice, so we ordered one with the shoyu broth and one with the salt broth. The shoyu ramen had good flavor, but was otherwise pretty standard. The salt broth had a very light flavor in our opinion.

A little while later our gyoza and fried rice came out. The gyoza were pan fried and very juicy inside. We liked the garlic taste and the crunch from its crispy bottom. The fried rice had egg, onion, and little chunks of pork mixed into it. It was tasty and most importantly, it wasn’t dry. We would have liked to have had some grated red ginger on the side.

Final Thoughts

The food at Chuka Soba Hamada-Ya in Mito was really good. There was a good variety of ramen so everyone could find something they liked. The restaurant was pretty big and could accommodate larger parties in side by side booths. Chuka Soba Hamada-Ya will always be an option for its convenient location, tasty food, and affordable prices.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.