---
title: Chuka Soba Marutoku
url: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/notes/chuka-soba-marutoku/
lang: en
journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/aridagawa-1/
---

# Chuka Soba Marutoku

Places we stopped along the way　/　Aridagawa, Wakayama

A long-standing shop serving old-style soy-based chuka soba. Hayazushi (wrapped in ase leaves) sits on every table for you to help yourself. The ramen comes with kamaboko and green onions. Opening hours can change, so check before you go.

430-4 Tokuda, Aridagawa, Arida District, Wakayama

## This moment in the journey: Sushi on the table, Wakayama ramen

Back down the mountain, I stepped into a ramen shop. Boxes from a noodle maker were stacked by the kitchen, and on each table sat a basket of hayazushi, pressed sushi wrapped in leaves.

You help yourself to the sushi whenever you like (and pay for it at the end, of course). That is the way of ramen shops here in Wakayama. Ever since I'd heard that "in Wakayama, there's sushi on the ramen-shop table," my pressed-sushi-loving heart had been racing.

Unwrapping the leaf revealed mackerel cured in vinegar and pressed onto rice. A wall of menu boards, a red stool by the window, and then the bowl arrived: Wakayama ramen, a pork-bone and soy sauce broth topped with slices of kamaboko. The clean yet rich soup and the straight, medium-thin noodles were wonderful together.

The bright, tangy sushi set off the deep, savory ramen. One bite, and I understood why this supporting actor has a seat at every table.

![Wakayama ramen topped with kamaboko and green onions](https://karigurashijourney.com/img/aridagawa-1/s77-1200.jpg)
- Sources: https://www.guruwaka.com/marutoku/
- Sources: https://tabelog.com/wakayama/A3002/A300202/30004129/

Read this scene in the full journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/aridagawa-1/