Kikuya (Uwajima Chanpon Noodles)
An ultra-long-running establishment founded in 1877 (Meiji 10). The signature dish is Uwajima chanpon — a Japanese-style noodle soup with iriko (dried sardine) dashi from Uwa Sea, loaded with vegetables. Unlike Nagasaki chanpon, this local style is a Uwajima soul food. Always full at lunch. A 147-year-old institution rated 4.2 on TripAdvisor (No.8 in Uwajima).
Reviews say 'a local brought me here for the first time and it was a revelation' and 'there's a reason this place has been going for 147 years.' Many regulars are devoted to this iriko-dashi Japanese-style chanpon found only in Uwajima.