January 6 marks the first day of business for Yahata Sushi in the new year.

After preparing from the morning and finishing lunch service, it is time for a break.

We reopen at 5:00 p.m., but before then comes one of the day’s pleasures: the staff meal.

And the first staff meal of the new year is ramen!

Sometimes we buy noodles and make our own broth, but today we are enjoying a gift: mazesoba from Maruta, a tsukemen specialty shop on Marutamachi-dori in Kyoto.

Kyoto ramen really does have such an elegant flavor.

One of the two varieties is slightly spicy, but it is not an intense or unpleasant heat—just the kind of spice that makes the noodles go down effortlessly.

The other is made with white miso, yet despite being miso-based, it has a bright citrus note that makes it wonderfully refreshing.

When it comes to ramen, I tend to feel guilty about the salt and fat, so I usually do not go out of my way to eat it. But refreshing ramen must be lower in calories, so it should be fine!

And so, I finished it in no time at all.

This year, too, I’ll enjoy delicious staff meals and do my best!

Thank you for the meal.