SE Belmont · Portland, Oregon · Since 2010
Ramen, izakaya plates & a wall of Shōwa records
Pork-and-chicken broth we start at six in the morning, skewers off the grill, a small sushi case, and a bar that runs on 45s. Come hungry, stay for the B-side.
The bowl this place was built on
Shōwa Kayō opened in 2010 as an eight-seat ramen counter on the wrong end of SE Belmont. The idea was simple and stubborn: one bowl of shoyu ramen, made exactly the way Kenji wanted it, with the music turned up.
Sixteen years later there are more seats, a real bar and a sushi case Kenji swore he would never put in. The shoyu bowl is nearly unchanged – we have adjusted the recipe exactly twice, and both times a regular noticed before we announced it.
Three reasons people keep coming back
Ramen & Donburi
Shoyu, tonkotsu, karamiso and a vegan shio bowl – plus rice bowls for when you want it fast. From $14.
The ramen menu →
Izakaya & Sushi
Karaage, yakitori, takoyaki, gyoza and a small sushi case that depends on the morning delivery. Made to share.
Small plates & sushi →
The Record Bar
Sake by the tokkuri, Toki highballs, Sapporo on draft, and Shōwa-era 45s spinning until the last pour.
Drinks & the records →Shōwa 45s, every Friday night
Mariko brings a crate up from the basement and we play kayōkyoku and city pop straight through service – Momoe Yamaguchi, Taeko Ohnuki, the occasional enka when it gets late. Requests welcome, within reason.
Where to find us
We are at 2143 SE Belmont St, between 21st and 22nd, with the fogged-up windows. Street parking on Belmont and the side streets; the 15 bus stops a block away.
Dinner Tue–Sun. We take reservations for parties of five or more -- everyone else, come on in and put your name down. On Friday and Saturday there is usually a wait around seven, and it is worth it.