Looks Like Ramen… But It’s Called Champon! | Japanese Noodle Dish with Lots of Veggies🍜

On our ramen road trip in Okayama, Japan, we return to Okayama City and stop at Drive‑In Arrows, a retro roadside diner with a big pointed roof and a large parking lot full of trucks. Inside, there’s a classic side‑dish showcase with croquettes, fried fish and simmered squid, and a relaxed tatami‑room atmosphere where drivers unwind after work. Their most popular noodle dish is a hearty champon‑style ramen: a soy‑sauce chicken‑based broth with a touch of back fat, topped with stir‑fried pork and plenty of vegetables like cabbage, onions, carrots, bean sprouts, long green onions, kikurage mushrooms and fish cake, all piled over medium‑thin straight noodles used for both ramen and champon. We also order a thick Japanese‑style rolled omelette (tamagoyaki) served with shredded cabbage and mayo – simple, comforting “home food” that pairs perfectly with the noodles. Opened in 1968 and now run by the second‑generation owners, Arrows takes its name from the owner’s hometown area “Arouzu” on Hakata Island in the Seto Inland Sea. If you’re looking for Okayama ramen, vegetable‑packed champon‑style noodles in Japan or nostalgic Showa‑era drive‑in restaurants where local drivers eat, this Arrows stop is for you. 📍Drive-in Arrows 46 Terayama, Higashi‑ku, Okayama‑shi, Okayama, Japan #japaneseramen #okayama #champon #japanfoodadventure