Iekei Ramen Style

Iekei (이에케) is a lineage of tonkotsu shoyu ramen that originated in Yokohama in 1974. Its basic formula combines a rich broth made by boiling pork and chicken bones with soy sauce tare, then floats chicken oil on top. The name derives from the fact that most restaurants in the lineage have names ending in “-ya” (家).

The originator was Yoshimuraya (요시무라야), which opened in Shin-Sugita, Yokohama, in 1974. Its founder, Minoru Yoshimura (요시무라 미노루), was formerly a long-haul truck driver. Drawing on the Kyushu tonkotsu and Tokyo shoyu ramen he encountered while working in transport, he created a distinct style combining the two. A lineage subsequently formed as apprentices trained at Yoshimuraya opened their own restaurants, and through the 1990s it became established as a ramen genre representative of Yokohama.

• Broth: Tonkotsu shoyu made by adding soy sauce tare to a paitan broth in which pork and chicken bones are boiled over high heat. Chicken oil is floated on the surface to add flavor and retain heat.

• Noodles: Thick, short, straight, medium-thick noodles. Many restaurants in the lineage use noodles from Sakai Seimen (사카이 제면), which is regarded as a marker of authenticity.

• Toppings: The standard toppings are spinach, three sheets of nori, and chashu. A customary way of eating is to soak the nori in the broth and wrap it around rice, so ordering rice alongside the ramen is common.

• Customization: Across the lineage, customers commonly adjust the firmness of the noodles, intensity of the flavor, and amount of oil when ordering.

• Direct lineage: Establishments recognized after training at Yoshimuraya (요시무라야). Only a small number exist, including Sugita-ya (스기타야), the first direct-lineage establishment.

• Classic lineage: A lineage that branched off from early offshoots such as Honmokuya (혼모쿠야) and Rokkakuya (롯카쿠야). These two establishments, known together with Yoshimuraya as the “Three Great Houses of Iekei,” served as its starting points.

• Corporate lineage: Chain-style Iekei establishments operated by companies without ties to a training lineage. Their numbers surged, particularly in Tokyo, from the 2010s onward, driving the nationwide popularization of Iekei.