A friend of ours recommended this ramen shop, so we thought we’d give it a try. Ran Maru is a ramen shop known for their miso ramen in Mito. The specialty ramen shop is conveniently located across the street from Mito’s iconic Senba Lake.

The shop is located near the high traffic intersection of National Route 50 and Ekinan which leads to Mito Station. Due to the layout of the complex, the parking lot can only be accessed while travelling southbound along National Route 50. It’s a little tricky to get into and requires a little preplanning.

The inside of the shop consists of counter seats that wrap around an open kitchen. The color theme of the restaurant is black and white. Black wall accents, flooring, and chairs greatly contrast the white walls and countertops.

Ran Maru Menu

The shop is known for their variety of miso ramens. There are two soup bases to choose from, either red or white miso.

In addition, the menu contains a couple of unique ramen ingredients that pay homage to Mito city. Mito is the largest producer of natto (fermented soybeans) in Japan. The shops natto ramen adds a unique ingredient to a familiar dish.

Kairakuen Garden is located just down the street. It is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is best known for its 3,000 plum trees. The #1 Mizore Ramen is ranked as the shops most popular and contains a scoop of crushed umeboshi (very salty and sour pickled plum).

They also had side dishes of gyoza and chahan (fried rice).

There is a vending machine near the entrance where you can order your food.

We decided to try their #1 Mizore Ramen with its crushed umeboshi (pickled plum) and oroshi (grated radish) as well as their #3 Chashu Ramen. We also got side orders of gyoza and chahan (fried rice) as well.

Next, we placed our order in the vending machine and gave the tickets to the staff. A staff member confirmed what miso broth we wanted and we took our seats at the counter. At the counter there was a sign that says additional toppings can be added upon request. We got a wet towel and self served ourselves some tea.

Ran Maru Miso Ramen Review

Our food came out a little later. The #1 Mizore Ramen was very interesting. The richness of the white miso, the sourness of the umeboshi, and the fresh crisp of the shiso created some delicious flavor combinations. We were a little confused with the oroshi as it just sucked up the broth and made it mushy as opposed to soupy. The noodles were firm and not soggy.

The #3 Chashu Ramen was a lot more simple. The chashu slices were flavorful, tender, and had soaked up the broth nicely. In addition, the bean sprouts added a nice crunch and the noodles were firm. Simple and delicious.

The side order of chahan (fried rice) was delicious. We appreciated how the egg and rice were a bit crispy and the chashu chunks were not dry. The gyoza had a nice crisp on the bottom and the filling was juicy and flavorful. We would get them both again.

Final Thoughts

The miso ramen was delcious. The #1 Mizore Ramen was a bit complex. There were a lot of different competing flavors that created a really unique bowl of ramen. The #3 Chashu Ramen was simple and delicious. It was a comfort food type of meal. Our one concern was the cost of the gyoza. Even if they are handmade, ¥300 for four gyoza or ¥600 for five gyoza is incredibly pricey. We feel that the price point is definitely a turn off for most people. Other than that the food was delicious. If your looking for miso ramen in Mito, then we recommend Ran Maru.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.