Japanese for Ramen Shops: Asking About Pork in Broth and Toppings
Learn to ask whether ramen broth or toppings contain pork, request a pork-free bowl, and bow out politely if a shop cannot help.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At many ramen shops, pork shows up in two separate places: the broth and the toppings. The broth may be made with 豚骨 (tonkotsu, pork bones) or seasoned with pork-derived ingredients, while the toppings often include チャーシュー (chāshū, braised pork slices). This lesson gives you polite, reusable Japanese for asking about both, requesting changes, and leaving gracefully if the shop cannot accommodate you. You will practice 〜は入っていますか (does it contain 〜?) and 〜を抜いてもらえますか (can I have it without 〜?), plus the key words 豚肉 (pork), チャーシュー, スープ (soup/broth), and 鶏ガラ (chicken bones, a common non-pork broth base).
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a ramen broth or topping contains pork using 〜は入っていますか.
- request a bowl without chāshū using チャーシュー抜きでお願いします.
- ask whether the broth is made with 鶏ガラ or 豚骨.
- politely say I will look for another shop if the shop cannot accommodate me.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
豚肉は食べられません。
I cannot eat pork.
butaniku wa taberaremasen
A clear, polite way to state your dietary need. 豚肉 means pork; 食べられません is the negative potential form of 食べる, so it sounds like 'I am unable to eat' rather than 'I don't like'.
このスープに豚肉は入っていますか。
Does this broth contain pork?
kono sūpu ni butaniku wa haitte imasu ka
Use this to ask about the broth specifically. スープ here means the soup or broth. 入っていますか asks whether something is included.
チャーシュー抜きでお願いします。
Without chāshū, please.
chāshū nuki de onegaishimasu
A concise way to order a bowl with no braised pork slices. 抜き means 'without' or 'removed'. This works for toppings, not for broth ingredients.
スープは鶏ガラですか、それとも豚骨ですか。
Is the broth chicken-bone based or pork-bone based?
sūpu wa torigara desu ka, soretomo tonkotsu desu ka
A direct way to compare the two common broth bases. 鶏ガラ means chicken bones; 豚骨 means pork bones. それとも offers the alternative.
対応できない場合は、他のお店を探します。
If you cannot accommodate me, I will look for another shop.
taiō dekinai baai wa, hoka no omise o sagashimasu
A graceful exit. It signals that you understand the shop may not be able to change its broth or toppings, and you are not demanding special treatment.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 〜は入っていますか asks whether a specific ingredient is present. Put the ingredient before は: 豚肉は入っていますか (does it contain pork?), チャーシューは入っていますか (does it include chāshū?). For a specific item, add この: このスープに豚肉は入っていますか. To request removal, use 〜抜きでお願いします: チャーシュー抜きでお願いします. Note that 抜き applies to toppings you can see or list; broth ingredients are usually not removable, so ask about them instead of requesting a change.
When to use it
Ask about the broth first, because a pork-free topping does not make the broth pork-free. Use このスープに豚肉は入っていますか or スープは鶏ガラですか、それとも豚骨ですか. Then ask about toppings: チャーシューは入っていますか. If the shop says the broth contains pork and cannot change it, you can say そうですか。では、他のお店を探します。This keeps the interaction polite. If the broth is pork-free but the default topping is chāshū, order チャーシュー抜きでお願いします. Some shops may not allow substitutions, so treat 〜を抜いてもらえますか as a request, not a guarantee.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、このスープに豚肉は入っていますか。
Excuse me, does this broth contain pork?sumimasen, kono sūpu ni butaniku wa haitte imasu kaはい、豚骨スープですので、豚肉を使っています。
Yes, it is tonkotsu broth, so we use pork.hai, tonkotsu sūpu desu node, butaniku o tsukatte imasuそうですか。鶏ガラのスープはありますか。
I see. Do you have a chicken-bone broth?sō desu ka. torigara no sūpu wa arimasu ka申し訳ありません、今日は鶏ガラはありません。
I am sorry, we do not have chicken-bone broth today.mōshiwake arimasen, kyō wa torigara wa arimasenわかりました。では、他のお店を探します。
Understood. Then I will look for another shop.wakarimashita. de wa, hoka no omise o sagashimasuはい、またどうぞ。
All right, please come again.hai, mata dōzoA little context goes a long way
Ramen shops often have fixed broths and limited ability to modify them, so asking about ingredients is more realistic than requesting a completely different broth. チャーシュー抜き is a common topping request, but broth changes are rare. Politeness matters: use すみません to get attention, お願いします when ordering, and 他のお店を探します as a calm exit. If the shop cannot accommodate you, thank them and leave without pressure.
One thing to watch for
Asking 豚肉は入っていますか only about the toppings and assuming the broth is pork-free.
Try this instead: Ask about both separately. Say このスープに豚肉は入っていますか for the broth, and チャーシューは入っていますか for the topping. If the broth is pork-based, チャーシュー抜きでお願いします will not make the bowl pork-free.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Ask whether the broth contains pork.
Show a sample answer
このスープに豚肉は入っていますか。
This uses 〜は入っていますか with 豚肉 and このスープに to specify the broth. You could also ask スープは豚骨ですか。
2Order a ramen without chāshū.
Show a sample answer
チャーシュー抜きでお願いします。
抜き means 'without' and でお願いします makes it a polite order. Some shops may say they cannot remove it, so be ready to accept that.
3Ask whether the broth is chicken-bone based or pork-bone based.
Show a sample answer
スープは鶏ガラですか、それとも豚骨ですか。
This contrasts 鶏ガラ and 豚骨 with それとも. You could also ask 鶏ガラのスープはありますか if you only want to know about chicken broth.
Ask about the broth and the toppings separately: このスープに豚肉は入っていますか and チャーシューは入っていますか. If the broth is pork-free, order チャーシュー抜きでお願いします. If not, say 他のお店を探します and leave politely.
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