How can I order a smaller sized 替え玉？

6 comments

1. I love 長浜ラーメン but I’ve never heard of the smaller 替え玉 in my entire life yet. “割” must be “スープ割り” which is a well-known option, especially for つけ麺. They’ll bring you a pot filled with warm soup stock to dilute the つけ汁.

2. You can. Just say 半分. The 割り you heard was probably スープ割り which is just water to dilute the soup into a more drinkable form.

3. It’s somehow rare but some places will have a smaller kaedama: 半替え玉. Or just ask them and tell them you don’t want as much, I guess.

   And that thing similar to 割 that you heard might be バリ for バリかた. Always bari, never wrong.

4. Just ask if they can do half.

5. Most Ramen shops allow you to choose the hardness of the noodle, and the strength of the soup. Some of them have a certain level of fat and can allow you to adjust the fattiness as well. Usually noodle volume is decided by the size of the bowl, with many shops having a standard, small and large size.

   Based on a recent previous thread, tourists might want to ask for a less strong soup since it seems many people think it’s too salty

6. As someone who used to work at a ramen place, 替え玉 are generally preset portions, but you can always ask for half. You’ll probably end up paying for a whole one even if you do though.

   It’s been mentioned but I think the 割 you heard was actually バリ as in バリカタ, or “very hard”. It’s especially common for Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. Generally I don’t recommend people order バリカタ when they eat somewhere for the first time, as every shop is different, but if you know what you’re doing or you’re a regular it can be really nice – noodles continue to cook in the soup as you eat it, so you’re often better off going for a harder noodle than a softer one.