
Saika Ramen Honten
A legendary ramen shop in Nara, famed for its potent, garlic-infused Stamina Ramen designed to energize and delight.

Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Saika Ramen Honten

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A legendary ramen shop in Nara, famed for its potent, garlic-infused Stamina Ramen designed to energize and delight.
"Experience the bold garlic and chili flavors of Nara's signature ramen, a local favorite."
Arrive Early
Beat the crowds by visiting around 18:00, as it gets busy quickly.
Enhance Your Ramen
Consider adding a raw egg to enrich the robust flavors of your ramen.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Ramen
Price
Mid-range
Phone
+81 743-63-3165
Address
91 Iwamurocho, Tenri, Nara 632-0076, Japan
Website
saikaramen.com/shop/honten/Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Signature Stamina Ramen
Experience the potent garlic and chili flavors in this energizing broth, a true taste of Nara.

Authentic Nara Flavors
Noodles crafted to capture the unique essence of Nara prefecture, a regional culinary delight.

Quick and Energizing Meal
Known for its stamina-boosting broth, this ramen spot is perfect for a fast and satisfying meal.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Arrive Early
Beat the crowds by visiting around 18:00, as it gets busy quickly.
Enhance Your Ramen
Consider adding a raw egg to enrich the robust flavors of your ramen.
Stick to the Specialty
Focus on the signature ramen; other dishes may not be as exceptional.
Tips
from all over the internet
Arrive Early
Beat the crowds by visiting around 18:00, as it gets busy quickly.
Enhance Your Ramen
Consider adding a raw egg to enrich the robust flavors of your ramen.
Stick to the Specialty
Focus on the signature ramen; other dishes may not be as exceptional.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Saika Ramen Honten is celebrated for its signature ramen, packed with potent garlic and chili flavors that truly energize. While many praise the authentic taste of Nara and quick service, some find the soup excessively salty. The sides like gyoza are generally well-received, though portions and pricing for some items like fried rice and stamina bowls have drawn criticism. The staff's surliness is also noted as a drawback.
"The flavour of the ramen was strong with garlic and a hint of chili, but if you like garlic this place is for you, with wait lists on a Sunday night it was clearly a favourite of the local ramen lovers.
The Ponkara, Karaage with Ponzu sauce, was also nice and the Gyoza also fit well with the meal. The serving size is large so I will skip the sides next time, but it depends on how hungry you are."
Marcel Bennett
"All in all, the food was good. I had a good time. However, there were some things that just didn't match my tastes.
The ramen was reasonably priced and I liked the vegetables, but soup was WAY too salty. It was good, but I wish they left the last tablespoon of salt out of my bowl. The pork belly (bara) chaashuu was very dry, tasteless, and disappointing. The least they could have done is buy something with a little flavor from any grocery store. The gyouza was reasonably priced and delicious. The fried rice, on the other hand, was way overpriced at almost ¥450 for a small scoop. The stamina bowl is also a rip-off, costing nearly the same as the ramen for mostly rice and onions. There was much less meat in the stamina bowl than pictured. Both were delicious, but unfortunately priced. The service was extremely quick, which was impressive. However, the staff were very surly. I understand they were very busy, but there's no need to be rude."
George Bennion
"Not so good and not so bad. If you visit them, you'll find that their ramen noodles are nothing special. However, you'll pleased with the fact that you could enjoy the taste of Nara prefecture. Another thing that I should mention is their prices have skyrocketed ever before. Sad!!!"
Hidetoshi “Eddie with Elmo” KANAMARU
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
The signature Stamina Ramen is known for its strong garlic and chili flavors, designed to energize diners.
While the ramen is the star, some reviews suggest sticking to the specialty ramen for the best experience.
Visiting around 18:00 is recommended to avoid peak times and long waits, as the restaurant gets busy.
Some diners find the ramen broth to be excessively salty, while others enjoy the strong flavor profile.
Yes, adding a raw egg is a popular suggestion to enrich the ramen's flavor.
The service is noted as being extremely quick, though some reviewers found the staff to be surly.
Mentioned in
Featured in these publications
The 10 Best Ramen Shops You Must Eat in Nara, Tokyo
The Saika Ramen Honten was established in the Tenri-city in the Nara prefecture as a Yatai (stall) ramen and it is a stamina ramen shop-restaurant which has been enjoyed by people in the Kansai area, saying “Ramen in Nara is nothing but Saika”. In the soy sauce taste soup with garlic, there are plenty of Chinese cabbages, Chinese chives, carrots and fried pork-meat which goes very well with the medium-cut noodles. The vegetables are filling and the chili-oil pungent soup looks to be very invigorating.
Ultimate Nara Food Guide: Where To Eat In Nara
A post shared by gualien0_0 (@gualien0_0) on Aug 14, 2019 at 1:29am PDT. Needless to say, this popular ramen restaurant has to be on every foodie’s list when you’re in Nara. This small shop stays operational even after the supermarkets close for business.
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