One of the essential processes of wheat cultivation is treading the wheat. When the wheat plants bud, farmers tread them down so they grow up strong. The owner-chef named his shop Muginae, ‘wheat seedling’, as a prayer that it would grow as it overcame adversity, a hopeful shoot on the forest floor. Ramen, fragrant and homemade, has a smooth finish. Soup is seasoned with soy sauce, salt and dried sardines. Word has spread like wildfire, and now customers tread the streets of Minamioi from early morning for a cup of this restaurant’s delicious broth.