This is the "Starbucks of the dry dandan noodles world" that is currently the talk of Hiroshima!

• Table of Contents
• What is Soso-Bettei?
• Access to Soso Bettei
• The owner's recommendation is the signature dish, "Dry Dandan Noodles"
• Limited edition products that will not disappoint customers
• Ordering Method and Manners
• A word from store owner Masanobu Miyato

What is Soso-Bettei?

Soso-Bettei opened in Higashihiroshima on September 2, 2022. Menya Soso, which opened in 2016, quickly popularized the dry tantanmen, which was almost nonexistent in Higashihiroshima. Soso-Bettei is a restaurant that feels like it was imported back to Hiroshima. They offer a monthly menu centered on dry tantanmen. Now, the Bettei is so well-known that it is positioned as the main building, and it is a unique ramen shop with more than half of the customers being women. While it is said that ramen shops are difficult for women to enter, many of the female customers who visit Soso-Bettei are fashionable girls carrying fashionable paper bags, and as the name of the shop suggests, they come to the store in a very natural way, which seems to be how ramen shops should be in the future. There are also many foreign customers, and it is popular with customers from Europe and Asia. The dry tantanmen feels like pasta, which may be why it is easy for people from Europe to get used to it.

Access to Soso Bettei

6 minutes walk from Hatchobori Station on the Hiroshima Electric Railway Main Line, 8 minutes walk from Hondori Station, 12 minutes walk from Chuden-mae Station. 7 minutes by car from JR Hiroshima Station. 2 minutes walk from Don Quijote Hiroshima Hatchobori store. 7 minutes by car from MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima.

The owner's recommended spot is "Okonomimura"

Hiroshima is known for its okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki Village can be considered a theme park for okonomiyaki. The history of okonomiyaki is said to have begun with the "Issenyoshoku" (One-sen Western Food) that was popular among the common people before the war. It was only after the war that it went from being a snack to becoming a meal. To supplement its nutrition, people tried to add cabbage, eggs, seafood, and soba noodles, and the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki of today was born. The 50 okonomiyaki stalls that gathered in Shintenchi Square came to be called Okonomiyaki Village, and the stalls that were evicted were moved to a two-story prefabricated store in front of the park, and in 1992, the building was reborn as the current Okonomiyaki Village, where 23 okonomiyaki restaurants are gathered in a lively and friendly atmosphere. It is located very close to Saso-Bettei.

Additionally, there are many attractions in the area, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Museum of Art, Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine, Hiroshima Green Arena, and Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima.

The owner's recommendation is the signature dish, "Dry Dandan Noodles"

The two most famous noodles in Hiroshima are "dry dandan noodles" and "Hiroshima tsukemen".
Sousou serves one of these, "dry dandan noodles", as its main dish.
Sousou's dry dandan noodles are one of a kind, with characteristics that set them apart from other restaurants.

Dedication to the soup

I never thought I'd be talking about soup in the world of "shiru-nashi" (dried noodles), but it seems they are very particular about their soup.
At Soso, which is committed to local production and consumption, they use Hiroshima red chicken and Takamiya chicken with several kinds of aromatic vegetables to make the soup. They use a simple yet flavorful soup for their dry tantan noodles and standard products. This is not the case for limited edition products, as they change the ingredients from time to time and prepare a soup separately, with many creative touches.

Attention to detail in noodles

At Soso-Bettei, they are particular about the flour and thickness of their noodles, providing a special texture. They use Nisshin Flour's "Menmusou" flour, which is elastic and sticky and does not easily become soft when boiled. In addition, they also blend in cassava flour, the raw material for tapioca, to enhance the chewiness of the noodles, resulting in noodles with outstanding elasticity and chewiness. These noodles are different from the thin noodles found in typical dry tantan noodles, and you can enjoy their unique texture with a chewy texture.

How to eat dry tantan noodles (this is important!!)

STEP 1: Stir the noodles thoroughly before eating. Mix the noodles and ingredients thoroughly until the sauce is evenly coated with the noodles.
STEP 2: Mix the noodles thoroughly until they are colored with the sauce before eating. If they are not mixed thoroughly, there will be uneven flavor with some flavorless and some strongly flavored. By mixing the noodles so that they are evenly coated with the sauce, you can maximize the aroma and flavor.
This is the most important part, so make sure you mix well!
(Mix so that the sauce is thoroughly coated with the noodles, as shown in the photo below.)

STEP 3: You can use the condiments on the table to customize the taste to your liking.
【Homemade chili oil】
Add more spiciness with Goka's original chili oil. It becomes even oilier and packs more punch!
【Sansho】
Add more numbness and change the taste to a more spicy one.
【Fruit vinegar】
It is also recommended to change the taste to a lighter, more refreshing one.

The photo shows the process of adding Japanese pepper to make it spicy and numbing. From the top left: fruit vinegar, homemade five-spice chili oil, Japanese pepper.
【Oi-meshi】
It's also good to add Oi-meshi at the end to soften the tingling sensation in your mouth. Mixing it with the sauce makes it even more satisfying.

Enjoy your own original taste.

Attention to Toppings

Ground pork is an essential topping for dandan noodles. It is fried with salt and then cooked in pure rice wine. Apparently, once the alcohol has evaporated and excess oil and water has been removed, it ends up fluffy.
And when it comes to dandan noodles, chili oil is a must. Of course, they are particular about this chili oil too. This homemade chili oil is made with a unique blend of five spices - red and green Japanese pepper, star anise, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel - and the aroma rises up, stimulating the appetite.
The spring onions are also from Higashihiroshima, and they are committed to local production and consumption.

About spiciness

The spiciness ranges from 0 to 4, and the restaurant recommends the basic spicy level of spicy level 1 for beginners. No spice is level 0 and contains no spicy ingredients at all. It is also recommended for children. To explain, spicy level 2 is for those who like spicy food, spicy level 3 is for a more varied level of spiciness, and super spicy is level 4 which may cause pain for some people. The numbness of the flower pepper can also be adjusted, so please ask the staff directly.

Limited edition products that will not disappoint customers

Bettei was built to allow them the freedom to try things they couldn't do at the first store. That's why they put special effort into monthly limited edition products. They put effort into making things that they enjoy so that customers don't get bored and can enjoy themselves. When you hear "Gokunibo," you might think it's a rich dried sardine ramen, but it's actually an abbreviation for "Gokugoku Drinkable Dried Sardines," and the sense of the name is fun, so it may be easy for female customers to visit.

From the leftCold Lamb-chan, Duck Broth Ramen (soy sauce and salt), Cold Beef Bone Ramen

Ordering Method and Manners

Here we will introduce how to order and proper etiquette.

How to line up and points to note

Because "Soso-Bettei" has a good turnover rate, you usually don't have to line up, but if a line does form, staff will guide you so you can get in. Please be careful to follow the rules below.

1. Line up at the end of the line.
2. Line up after everyone has gathered.
3. Don't cut in line.
4. Don't block the entrances of other shops or homes.
5. Don't spread out too far onto the road. Line up in a straight line.

Please follow the rules and help us ensure that everyone can have a pleasant experience.

The interior is simple and clean, with high ceilings and a stylish space.

How to order

There are two main ways to order at ramen restaurants in Japan: buying a ticket from a ticket machine, or looking at the menu and ordering verbally.

At Soso Bettei, you can purchase your meal ticket from the ticket machine. Payment can be made by cash or PayPay. After purchasing your meal ticket from the ticket machine, you will be shown to your seat, so please take a seat. A staff member will come to your seat and confirm your order.

A word from store owner Masanobu Miyato

We want Soso-Bettei to grow into a restaurant that is visited by many people, not only from Hiroshima, but also from outside the prefecture and overseas. For that reason, we have deliberately pursued a standard dry tantan noodles, aiming to position it as an "introductory version" that everyone can enjoy. Our goal is to eventually become a hot topic as the "Starbucks of the dry tantan noodles world," and we hope that you will enjoy our monthly limited menu. In the future, we are considering expanding into Europe and Asia, and would like to spread Hiroshima-originated "dry tantan noodles" to the world as a new representative of B-class gourmet.

Business hours and holidays

[Business hours] 11:00-20:00 [Closed] Wednesday [Location] 9-33 Saijo Sakaemachi, Nishi Ward, Hiroshima City