Without a doubt, Japan is a country recognised for its gastronomic offerings. There are plenty of local specialties, unique not only to the country but also regionally, and Hiroshima is no exception. As our first stop using the JR Pass, we made sure to roam the city, see the sights, and take in the heavy atmosphere of the remains and memorials of Hiroshima’s sombre past. But for us, a good local specialty can’t be missed during our travels, so we also made sure to schedule some famous restaurants.

Thanks to the limited 7-day duration of our JR West Pass, we only had a short time in Hiroshima, which means our meals had to be strategic. Though Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki savoury Japanese pancakes are the first dish that comes to mind when thinking of Hiroshima specialties, our upcoming trip to the factory that produces the iconic okonomiyaki sauce meant that we had already scheduled that in our plans. As such, we did a little research to find out which other unique dishes we couldn’t miss.

Spicy Cold Dipping Noodles Reimen (冷麺)

Tsukemen (つけ麺) is a noodle dish that’s becoming increasingly better known as ramen culture also becomes more popular overseas. It is similar to a ramen, in which it consists of noodles, a selection of toppings, and a broth, but in the case of tsukemen the soup is served in a separate bowl, intended as a dipping sauce for the noodles. Due to the short period of time that the noodle spends in the broth, it is often much more concentrated and heavily seasoned than in the case of typical ramen broths, allowing the flavours to cling to the noodle as it is eaten.

In Hiroshima, there is a famous style of tsukemen. Though often called Hiroshima tsukemen, it was originally known as reimen (冷麺), or cold noodles, due to the temperature in which it’s served. Thin noodles with shredded vegetables are served with a spicy dipping sauce comprised of broth, seasoning sauce, and chilli oil, a light and refreshing dish intended for the hot summer months.

Reimenya (冷めん家)

Reimenya was a fairly new restaurant during our time of visit, evident by the bright, polished décor which exuded refreshing youth. The menu, available in English, is exceptionally simple, mostly consisting of only the cold noodles of varying sizes. You can also choose your level of spiciness, ranging from mild to as hot as you’d like, though you can also opt for having no chilli oil at all. We each ordered one of the small portions at ¥970* (US$9.20), though with varying levels of spice – normal for Noms, and hot for Jos.

Thanks to the hot day, the cold noodles were welcomingly light and refreshing. The noodles had a chewy, al dente texture, which was fun to slurp with the broth. The first thing we tasted was sesame seeds, thanks to the addition of toasted seeds floating atop the dipping broth which clung to the noodles, but the combination of the broth, soy sauce, and chilli oil made for a very light savoury flavour that – at least perhaps for us, slightly underwhelming. Our expectations may not have been in the right place for this dish, which was much milder than we had anticipated, but it is nonetheless enjoyable, especially for those who want a light meal.

The spiciness is distinctly different between the two levels that we tried. Though it is less of the sour-citrus prickly, numbing mala spiciness of Sichuan peppercorns, it is very much in the same vein. Rather than a burning heat, we found the spiciness to be tingly, our lips buzzing but besides that not much else. Surprisingly, though we found the spiciness to be well within our range of tolerance, we found ourselves sweating, flushed, and our noses running, as would be typical for much more spicy meals despite having far less actual heat. Because of this, it’s a dish that many people can easily enjoy, even for those who can’t withstand a lot of spice.

Reimenya is not the only dish Though perhaps not a must-try for those visiting in the cooler months, Hiroshima tsukemen is a light, refreshing meal which will surely ease some of the sweltering heat of summer.

Spicy Sichuan Noodles Shirunashi Tantan Men (汁なし担々麺)

Many people don’t realise that Japanese ramen is derived from la mian (拉麵), or Chinese hand-pulled noodles. Though the thick, creamy pork soup many associate Japanese ramen with doesn’t seem remotely similar to the style of noodles that are usually seen in Chinese cuisine, there are variations where the Chinese roots are a little more evident. Such is the case for tantanmen (担々麺), which is served in a spicy soup with sesame paste and minced pork, based off the Sichuan dish dandan mian (担担面).

In Hiroshima, tantanmen is served with a slightly different twist. Named shirunashi tantanmen (汁なし担々麺), translating to soupless tantanmen, the Hiroshima style contains just a small amount of broth which is mixed in with the seasonings and noodles to make a sauce.

Kunimatsu (くにまつ)

Kunimatsu is one of many restaurants in Hiroshima that make the city’s famous shirunashi tantanmen, and we chose it because of its short walking distance from one of the sites that we visited, Hiroshima Castle. The menu at Kunimatsu is very simple, and ordered via a ticket machine. The top row is the shirunashi tantanmen in spiciness levels varying from Level 1 (the lowest) to Level 5, starting from a very reasonable ¥590* (US$5.60). The second row is the same dish in a bigger portion, and the remainder of the menu includes drinks and side dishes such as rice or a soft-boiled egg.

Noms ordered the normal size in Level 2, and Jos in Level 4 (they charge extra for Level 5 spice, and it’s ominously described as “Death Max”). The noodles came sitting in a pool of chilli oil and topped with very finely sliced spring onion and pepper powder. According to the handy guide on the table, it is best eaten by first mixing the noodles into the sauce, and then topping with a little bit of black vinegar to cut through the rich sauce, or some tare for more seasoning.

Unlike the previous restaurant, this dish delivered on spiciness, with a good heat coming through on Level 2 which is appropriately doubled in the case of Level 4. The seasoning was a combination of chilli oil, bean paste, minced pork, and sesame paste, which made for a very savoury, nutty dish with a creaminess that is akin to a smooth natural peanut butter. The vinegar added a certain depth in the richness, but we also highly recommend ordering a soft-boiled egg for ¥50 (~US$0.50), which tones down the inherent saltiness of the dish. The egg is also great for making the noodles milder if you’ve found yourself overestimating your tolerance.

The combination of chewy noodles, in a creamy, savoury, spicy sauce is something you can’t really go wrong with. It’s one of Jos’ recommended eats in Hiroshima, even if not at Kunimatsu specifically.

Hiroshima is full of great eats, and if you have a few meals free to sample something besides the rightly-famous Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, we highly recommend giving their spicy noodles a go.

*Note: Please be advised that prices may have changed since our time of visit.

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