【Ramen Journey】I tried the limited "Makahiya Ume" at the award-winning no-soup shop "Hyper Fatton" near Shinba Station.

From Shin-Yokohama on the Yokohama City Subway Blue Line, it is just one station to the next, to "Hyper Fatton" at Shin-Han Station. In search of a refreshing and tangy bowl, I visited this place for the first time.

Just a 1-minute walk from Shinha Station, I found Haipafaton, located in a mixed-use building

on my way back from shopping in Shin-Yokohama. During this hot season when my appetite tends to drop, I suddenly craved something refreshing with a tangy flavor. As I was looking at my smartphone, I noticed a ramen shop called "Haipafaton" near Shinha Station, just one station away on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line.

This shop opened in 2017, and although I had never been there before, I was intrigued by the sound of the name and the reviews, so I decided to head straight there via subway from Shin-Yokohama. The destination was Shinha Station on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line.

After exiting the ticket gate and crossing the intersection in front of the station, I found a vibrant area filled with signs for restaurants and chain stores. The shop I was looking for was located in a mixed-use building just a minute's walk from the station.

On the upper floors of the building, there were traditional taverns and real estate signs, creating a bustling, down-to-earth atmosphere. Among them, the shop name “Haipafaton” was displayed on a blue panel.

In front of the shop, I noticed a 24-hour vending machine. It seems that they sell frozen takeout menu items, such as cold meat soba and patan fatton.

For a moment, I thought it was a shop that only had unmanned sales, but there were staff members and customers lining up in front of the store, and it turned out to be a shop where staff members attend to you, with a sit-down dining format, which was a relief.

According to the posted information, it was a strong contender that had won in the "No Soup" category.

On the wall of the shop, there was a certificate displayed, stating that it won in the "No Soup" category of the "10th Strongest Next Generation Ramen Competition." It seems to have been featured in a local information paper, which raises my expectations even higher.

I arrived exactly at noon on a weekday, and there were already about five people in line. There were two male staff members. The interior was larger than I expected, with eight counter seats and three tables. In front of the shop, there were unique rules posted: "Please purchase a meal ticket before lining up" and "If there are multiple people, please line up after everyone is together," which conveyed the shop's intention to provide smooth service.

Next to the queue, there was a pot of barley tea. With a sign saying "Help yourself," it was available for free to drink while waiting. Even in the middle of a summer line, such consideration makes the burden of waiting feel much lighter.

While waiting and drinking barley tea, the seats filled up one by one from the counter, and after about 10 minutes, I was guided to a seat.

I searched for "sour men" on the ticket machine, but the menu button I was looking for was missing!?

In front of the ticket machine, I searched for the "soup-less sour men" that I had seen in online reviews, but I could not find the menu button. When I asked the staff, they told me, "We are not serving sour men right now, but if you're looking for something similar, it would be this ume option," pointing out the summer limited "Makahiya Ume (SUPPA)."

The menu presented upon being guided showed two varieties under "Chilled Noodles for Midsummer": "Makahiya Kai (KAI)" and "Makahiya Ume (SUPPA)."

Makahiya Kai is a dried soup primarily made from kelp, while Makahiya Ume is ramen using ume kombu broth, with the catchphrase "The saltiness and acidity help with summer fatigue." It was exactly what I felt like at that moment, so I ordered the regular serving of Makahiya Ume (1250 yen) without hesitation.

A popularity ranking for toppings was also displayed, with ginger in 1st place, nori in 2nd place, and green onions in 3rd place. There was also a note that said, "We do not recommend garlic and oil," conveying that this dish is meant to be refreshing.

Arriving at the unexpected "Makahiya Ume," having searched for "sour men."

The served maki-haya plum was topped with two thick slices of char siu and shredded cabbage in a cold soup with a sense of transparency, sprinkled with finely chopped plum.

The noodles were firmly chilled in cold water and arranged in a circle in the bowl. With the first bite, the surface was smooth and slippery, but when you bite down, a satisfying firmness returned, providing a pleasant chewy texture. There was no heaviness typically found with stretchable chilled noodles, and even until the last strand, the crispness was maintained, which was impressive.

As I took a sip of the broth, the coolness of the soup passed smoothly down my throat. Then, the tartness of the plum gradually blended into the umami of the kombu dashi. That one bite, soaking into my weary body after a long walk, felt like it immediately revived my appetite dulled by the heat.

Despite being cold, you could feel a certain depth of flavor from the dashi, distinguishing it from just a purely sour dish, I thought.

When I slurped the cabbage mixed with the plum together, the tartness of the plum spread softly through the crisp texture of the cabbage, clashing with the gentle umami of the kombu dashi, allowing me to notice that the flavor impression changed distinctly with each bite. In the typically monotonous cold noodles, the addition of this tangy ingredient served as a great accent, making it easy to keep eating without getting bored.

The char siu was thick, with a good balance of fat and lean meat, and with each bite, the rich meat flavor spread gently. It had a slight char on the surface, which added to the aroma as well.

The thickness of the dish provides a satisfying texture that remains even when eaten with the noodles and soup, leaving a refreshing aftertaste along with a clear savoriness. It was a perfect bowl for the hot season.

I understood why it was a popular shop after going there.

The "Makahiya Ume" recommended by the staff was exactly the "bowl with a tangy kick" I had been looking for. It's not uncommon for the information researched beforehand to differ from the reality at the shop when visiting for the first time. In fact, I feel it was worth extending my trip one station beyond Shin-Yokohama and stumbling upon an unexpected bowl through interactions on the spot, unaware of their strength in the no-soup category.

As I left the shop, the sunlight outside was still strong, and the heat clung to my slightly cooled body from the air conditioning inside. The line had grown even longer, and I could personally feel the reason for attracting so many people even during lunchtime on a weekday. I retraced my steps back along the same route and took the subway from Shinba Station back toward Shin-Yokohama.

Hyper Fatton
Location: 1F 1688-1 Shinba-cho, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Reporting and text by SYURI

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