slothis · English

Ekikama Kishimen: Famous Noodles at Nagoya Station

2015-03-08 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Arriving at Nagoya Station right after an early morning flight without eating anything, I was starting to feel hungry and exhausted. Chef Kim (my mom) said she had no idea there were flights that didn't serve in-flight meals and urged me to hurry up and find food.

To her complaints about traveling on an empty stomach, I replied,

"There's a place right here in Nagoya Station that sells kishimen (flat udon noodles), which is one of Nagoya's eight great specialties. Let's eat that."

She happily agreed. Now all her son had to do was successfully find this awesome restaurant... but damn... Nagoya Station is way too big.

Wandering from alley to alley in such a tired state, I had no idea where I was. I couldn't understand why the maps were drawn so confusingly, either. Everything was a mystery. Eventually sensing that her son lacked any navigation skills, Chef Kim started dropping hints:

"This place looks delicious."

"There are a lot of people here, it must be good."

"Oh, here's a restaurant too."

She left a comment for every single restaurant we passed, which was just her way of saying, "I'm hungry, son."

But stubbornness runs in our family.

With a firm resolve to eat kishimen, I let all her hints go in one ear and out the other and marched straight ahead. (Sorry, Mom ㅠㅠ)

After asking around, I found out it was located in the JR line area of Nagoya Station. Since we had arrived via the airport railway (Meitetsu Line), we had to transfer to the JR area. It took 30 minutes of walking to realize it was in a completely different building.

People walking around a double-sided clock tower with a gold pillar in a train station waiting room
The famous Gold Clock in the Nagoya Station JR building. It's a popular meeting spot and a must-know location in Nagoya.

Ekikama Kishimen

Restaurant exterior and entrance with photos of various noodle dishes on display

We finally found the kishimen restaurant, "Ekikama Kishimen"!! When we spotted it, my mom and I were so thrilled, saying,

"Oh thank goodness, we can finally eat."

We were genuinely excited.

By the way, the Chinese characters used in the restaurant's name are really difficult. I only knew how to pronounce it thanks to Google and a friend; I definitely couldn't write it. Kishimen is one of Nagoya's signature noodle dishes, and there are many other places besides Ekikama that serve it. The only reason I was so obsessed with Ekikama Kishimen was that it's a kishimen spot you can eat at right on the JR line, not because it's the absolute best in town. (Though it's certainly not bad, either.)

People sitting at tables eating inside the restaurant and a view of the kitchen area
It was crowded because it was lunchtime. Still, the turnover rate was fast, so a seat opened up in less than 5 minutes and we got to eat right away.

Despite the crowd, it was orderly and comfortable. Ordering wasn't a big issue either, as they had an English menu with photos of their signature dishes. We were so hungry that we ordered in a flash. The food came out almost the second we caught our breath.

Mixed noodles in a black bowl topped with minced meat sauce, shredded cucumber, and a boiled egg
Noodle dish in a red broth topped with green onions, vegetables, and seaweed
This is Nagoya's famous kishimen!
Mixed noodles topped with minced meat, cucumber, and a boiled egg, alongside a noodle soup dish on a table
Our lunch, finally served.

The one without broth was my order, and the one with broth was Chef Kim's. Personally, the sweet miso sauce and the wide noodles really suited my taste. But Chef Kim's review was:

"This isn't even as good as the udon at our neighborhood Chinese restaurant."

Hahahahaha lololol

I guess we'll have to pay a visit soon to that local Chinese restaurant in Hannam-dong (a neighborhood in Seoul) that's apparently better than a Nagoya specialty. Long live Hannam-dong. Hannam-dong, the paradise of good food. (Even so, she was so hungry she ate every last bite.)

Maybe because it's famous, the prices aren't exactly satisfying. Still, I think it's worth trying at least once. (I'd love to eat it again... but my mom wasn't a fan.) It tastes a bit different from the noodle dishes we usually eat in Seoul, and I especially recommend it as an easy way to try Japanese cuisine that uses sugar for seasoning and relies heavily on miso. Just make sure you go well-prepared, because getting lost on the way will instantly ruin your mood.

Large wooden spoon resting on an empty bowl
I couldn't tell if it was a spoon or a ladle, but I used it as a spoon. Its ambiguous shape is pretty funny.
A hand holding a restaurant receipt showing two menu items and a total of 1,890 yen
The prices aren't on the cheap side.

Directions

  1. When you arrive at Nagoya Station from the airport, step outside the building first.

  2. Look for the JR building. (If you ask people for "JR," they'll point you to the building.) If you're too shy to ask, just follow the street to the building next door.

  3. Find the Gold Clock in the JR building and walk straight inside.

One way or another, we managed to eat one of Nagoya's eight great specialties (Nagoya Meshi). My goal for this trip is to eat four out of the eight, but it's already so difficult right from the start. I wonder if I'll be able to find and eat them all...

For reference, Nagoya's eight great specialties are as follows:



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