塩らー麺 本丸亭 横浜元町店 (Honmarutei Motomachi)

Motomachi-Chūkagai station is home not only to Yokohama's China Town, but also to an upscale shopping area called Motomachi Shopping Street. The street is lined with European, American, and Japanese designer shops, as well as adorable cafes. However if you decide to overlook the Tommy Hilfiger and take a turn, a few minutes away is Honmarutei of Motomachi:

This shop is the perfect blend of boutique and traditional because it offers a comfortable atmosphere, lovely interior and the most important part: delicious ramen! There is no machine inside, but they do supply a picture booklet of the menu options available. Amidst many cacti we sat on cushy stools to have our orders taken. I got the regular Shio (salt) and I added an egg. If you have been reading along so far you probably noticed that I love eggs almost as much as ramen and I couldn't resist the adorable sign. I also ordered the ミニマンマ丼 (Minimanma bowl) with my ramen because it was reviewed favorably on tabelog:

Noticeable right away was a chrysanthemum topping and a delicate shio base with minced negi. The pork was a thickly sliced rolled loin. This bowl is clean minimalism at its best. First I tried the Minimanma bowl, which I enjoyed because the kimichi was a nice level of spice and what I believed to be pork belly was a perfect bite of crispy rendered fat! Then I got into my bowl. The pork was almost perfect, but somehow not as good as the Minimanma bowl pork. A real standout was the chrysanthemum. It gave a unique, almost citrus taste to a  subdued shio base. I loved the texture of the noodles, which were thick and had a nice crinkle to them. I felt that the egg was a little overcooked. Because of this I give Honmarutei a 4/5, but it is definitely worth a visit. I suggest you also visit the coffee ice cream place a few doors down after you finish. Motomachi Shopping Street is a great place for a date or to bring an out of towner, and Honmarutei should be a stop on your itinerary. They also have locations near Yokohama station and Atsugi.

Links Links Links, tabelog, their site, and a map!