#hinodeya

[sourgirl]

This is the best vegan ramen that I've ever had. I'm super picky about the noodles and these were 10/10. Can't wait to go back!

[miwa505]

1st dining-out ramen (al fresco ofc) since forever #hinodeya (at Hinodeya Ramen SF) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjkC4IDLpt/?igshid=9qh68r6zesi9

[sylphiade]

A new ramen place called Hinodeya opened up in Japantown SF. Love their seafood based shio ramen, not too heavy and would eat it every day if I could.

[chocfullokat]

Dashi Ramen from Japan: Hinodeya Ramen opens Nov 23 in Japantown SF

I’m so glad I stumbled across this article from Hoodline on the anticipated opening of Hinodeya Ramen in San Francisco. With some colder weather coming our way, the (soft) opening couldn’t come at a better time. You know the ramen will be authentic and delicious when the chef/owner, Masao Kuribara, has come all the way from Japan to open shop (he has a shop by the same name in Japan) and has cooked for the late Prime Minister of Japan, Ryutaro Hashimoto, the Clintons, and countless heads of state! Hinodeya’s special ramen uses a dashi broth made from kelp (kombu) and preserved and fermented skipjack tuna (katsuobushi) shavings to create stronger flavors of umami. I’ve had a fair share of okonomiyaki and takoyaki, so I’m not new to the umami flavor, but I am curious how it’ll taste as a bowl of ramen paired with other ingredients.

I was poking around the website for Hinodeya ramen and couldn’t quite understand the site, which is quite sparse right now. Something about Wafu Ramen, Sasala Group, Fourth Generation...huh? Isn’t this Hinodeya Ramen? I looked into Sasala Dining Group and discovered the history of Hinodeya. I must say, I’m quite impressed how it evolved from a small 15-seat ramen shop in 1885 to a restaurant group that will soon include five restaurants. Masao Kuribara’s great grandfather and great grandmother, Kanjiro and Tome Kuribara, opened Hinode-ya in 1885 outside Hasuda station to serve the small number of travelers passing through. Tome was the manager/chef. Upon the passing of Kanjiro in 1919, son Kintaro Kuribara took over operations. He focused on the agricultural business and was quite successful; he expanded the restaurant to encompass two floors. It wasn’t until Kuribara’s father, Kenya Kuribara, took over as the third generation chef/owner that Hinodeya as a business really took off. Kenya added Western and Chinese dishes to the menu, began food delivery services, and incorporated the business as Hinode-ya Ltd., Co. Another renovation to the building expanded the number of seats in the restaurant yet again. Unfortunately, the original building is no more -- in 2005, the building was torn down and the restaurant was relocated.

Masao Kuribara succeeded his father in 2006 as the fourth generation chef/owner. He renamed the business to its current name, Sasala Co., Ltd., although I wonder why. Hinodeya is steeped in so much history...I am glad to see the return of the name in the San Francisco shop. According to the Sasala Group’s official site, it sounds like the original Hinodeya was no more once the restaurant was forced to be relocated. Kuribara opened Sasala in the new building, and it was awarded a prestigious award by the California Wine Institute, boost the restaurant to fame. In 2010, a second restaurant opened, and Soba Dining Sora was also awarded the same first prize that Sasala was awarded four years earlier. In 2012, Kuribara opened Wa-Fu Ramen Hinodeya (this is how it’s referred to on the website, although it seems the actual restaurant is called “Hinodeya”) to revive the original Hinodeya. Again, this new restaurant was bestowed with honors -- two from Tabelog: Saitama Best Ramen 2014 and as one of the final nominees for Tabelog’s Japan Ramen Award 2016 (look for Hinodeya in the list). Finally, just last year, the fourth restaurant, Robata Sumiyaki Toraya, was opened near Hasuda Station with bar-tavern concept.

After so much success in Japan, Kuribara is expanding his empire and has landed in San Francisco. How lucky are we? After reading the history of Hinodeya, I have so much more appreciation for this new gem opening in Japantown. I look forward to trying their special ramen with dashi broth and ramen from a local Japanese company. This man is truly something -- he has mastered his craft as a chef and as a businessman. Within ten years of taking over the company, he grew the restaurant portfolio to include five restaurants, three of which have earned accolades. There’s much to look forward to from Kuribara with Hinodeya in San Francisco. Restaurant details: I called the restaurant after reading the article by Hoodline. A man with an accent answered the call; it might have been Kuribara (I didn’t quite catch his name). I asked him if there were reservations for opening night as Hoodline mentioned in the article and he asked me to hold -- he is still learning English, so he was having a tough time and he went to get someone else to talk to me (I’m guessing it may have been the restaurant manager). -(Soft) opening night is November 23 starting at 5pm -There will be a limited menu as they work out kinks in their operations and staff from Japan move to San Francisco -No reservations during soft opening -Soft opening will last a couple weeks (he didn’t give a date for their grand opening) -They will be adding more items to the menu has they progress