Kourantei Shimotori

Kourantei has been serving Taiping-yan in Kumamoto for generations, and the dish barely exists outside this city. This Chinese-influenced vermicelli soup comes loaded with toppings including shrimp, pork slices, shiitake mushrooms, and hard-boiled egg in a clear, savory broth seasoned with ginger. The noodles are thin and delicate, quite different from ramen or udon. The Shimotori location sits in the middle of Kumamoto's covered shopping arcade, easy to find before or after exploring the nearby castle district. Order the full topping version.