Yuchan Shokudo

Yuchan Shokudo formerly was Yakitori Yuchan, but there was no change in ownership. According to their website, the name change was implemented because of the 2020 world-wide pandemic. When the restaurant was Yakitori Yuchan, they offered meat skewers that they were able to source for a reasonable price with consistent delivery. Apparently, this is no longer possible, so they have taken the skewers completely off the menu. The Yakitori Yuchan name is in reference to the skewers, so without them, the name doesn’t make sense. Ychan Shokudo means eating hall, which isn’t connected specifically to a food item, so this name makes more sense going into the future.

When the restaurant was Yakitori Yuchan, I actually really enjoyed the skewers. They were a little pricey, but the quality was certainly there. While the skewers are gone, the quality has continued to stay. Yuchan Shokudo offers both noodle and rice dishes along with a number of appetizers.

My personal favorite thing to order by far at Yuchan Shokudo is the ramen. Their ramen has an extremely flavorful broth that combines rich flavors together nicely. There’s no watery taste at all, somehow the broth has been transformed into a very unified soup. The ramen comes with half an egg that is cooked perfectly. The center is practically a gel. The pork in the broth is well cooked and flavorful as well. And of course the noodles have the perfect texture. The ramen here is truly excellent, and there is no better ramen that I have found in this area. Yuchan Shokudo has the best.

If you like your ramen spicy, the one to get is the ‘tan-tan’ ramen. It’s not so spicy that it takes away all the flavor, in fact, it has just the right amount of heat to keep all the great flavors inside intact. You also have the option of going with a Tokyo shoyu ramen, chicken shio ramen, or pork tonkotsu ramen. I love that Yuchan Shokudo has all of these different types of ramen available on the menu. A bowl of ramen will run you between $16 and $19 dollars. That’s certainly not cheap, so. you are paying a bit more for the quality that is provided. As with many ramen restaurants, you can modify the ramen with extra ingredients. Most of the minor additions are about $1.50, but extra noodles are $5.95 and an extra slice of pork will run you $2.95. So it can get pricey pretty quickly if you make additions.

When I visit Yuchan Shokudo, ramen is the go-to item, but if you’re more into rice, they offer spicy mentaiko soboro donburi which is white rice topped with a seasoned and sautéed minced chicken, brussels sprouts and other veggies donburi, chicken katsu donburi, and a chicken katsu curry platter. Pricing on the various rice dishes are from $12-$19.

In terms of appetizers, one of my favorites to order is the chicken karaage. This is a classic Japanese dish that has small cuts of chicken battered and fried. Usually they use dark meat pieces for these, but sometimes they change it up and make it with chicken breast. In fact, look out for specially made items as they can pop up frequently.

In terms of drinks, Yuchan Shokudo is well-stocked. When you walk in you can see their bar area with a number of beer, whiskey, and sake selections. Their variety of alcohol is impressive, so if that’s your thing, you’ll be pleased at the variety you can choose from.

The restaurant itself is beautifully furnished with dark colors. There are both booths as well as table seating. The atmosphere is a bit dark in the main area, but the kitchen, which you can look into from the dining area, shines brightly.

Yuchan Shokudo has found a way to stay in business, and they have compromised none of their quality. Though it’s pricier than most other places in town, the quality of their food might just be worth it!

Website: www.yuchanshokudo.com

Address: 109 E St. Davis, Ca 95616