柴田商店 (Shibata Shouten Hiyoshi)

I have been feeling under the weather and a great way to thwart the evils of congestion is to eat some spicy ramen. I really really wanted tantanmen, however, I didn't want to go far so I stayed in Hiyoshi and found Shibata Shouten.

After a peek inside from the window I determined that there was enough hot chili oil and pepper to loosen up my uhm...passage ways. Shibata Shouten is a fairly new shop to Hiyoshi (as of March 2015) and it lasted longer than another chain shop that also opened in Hiyoshi this year. It can be hard to compete with Musashiya and Tsukemen Abisuke. Shibata Shouten is doing quite well from the looks of it, being super crowded around its small bar at the dinner hour. I managed to snag a nice shot of the interior after everyone cleared out though. I chose the miso ramen and as always an egg. The bowl came topped with raw onion, woodear mushrooms, nori and chashu.

The noodles themselves were the thinner style I associate with regular (not Yokohama style) tonkotsu. Raw onion is an interesting touch because I am used to seeing negi, and it added a nice bite to the bowl. As you can see the egg is ever so slightly undercooked, not the perfect jelled yolk that it should be. There were a full range of condiments and I was able to adjust the spice level accordingly. Before adjusting the heat I tried the base, the real highlight at Shibata Shouten. Very smooth, subtle, and savory. Though the chashu had a nice smokey flavor, I found it to be a little overcooked. Undercooked egg and overcooked pork give Shibata Shouten a solid 4.

Map and a link to their tabelog.

節骨麺たいぞう 池袋東口店 (Bushikotsumen Taizo Ikebukuro)

Ikebukuro is a strange, but interesting place within the metropolitan Tokyo area. It has been hailed as the female otaku alternative to Akihabara because there are several shops that specialize in Yaoi manga. If you are unfamiliar, click the link. I like Ikebukuro for its strange charms and the lesser visited "other side of the tracks" west exit. Usually I try to avoid chains, but Bushikotsumen Taizo is a relatively small one, with only 3 shops, one of them being near the west exit.

Japanese ramen bloggers also seem to really enjoy this shop. Right away I enjoyed the busy and excited atmosphere. The shop staff at Taizo is super genki. I went with a friend so I could have a chance to do a double review. He chose the pork and chicken base and I chose the seafood because I can't seem to get enough of that deep salty fish flavor.

The noodles and toppings are basically the same for both bowls: negi, chashu, nori, bamboo shoots, and egg. Standard and classic. However the pork/chicken bowl had minced garlic and a complex meaty flavor. The seafood bowl was an excellent strong bonito. True standouts here for me are their noodles and chashu.

The noodles come from Hokkaido and are a perfect texture between soft and firm. I can not stress how much I liked Taizo's noodles. Some of the best to date! Their fatty chashu basically melts in your mouth and made me wish that I had selected the chashu ramen. How about condiments? I am happy to report that Taizo fresh garlic that you can press yourself, hot sesame oil, pepper, and condiments for the gyoza that you can order. The gyoza was fairly standard and I recommend going for their ramen alone. I can't seem to find anything bad about Taizo so it's going to get a 5/5 for a genki staff and delicious chashu.

Map and links: official site, tabelog

みそや林檎堂/アップルベーシック (Misoya Ringo/Apple Basic Higashi Nakano)

So nice they had to name it twice? Let's find out! Misoya Ringo or Apple Basic in Higashi Nakano offers up a miso ramen with style. This is another shop that I found to be on the boutique end of the ramen shop spectrum. It presents a cozy atmosphere with magazines and stylish, but basic bar seating:

The staff there was also really friendly and asked me about why I was taking pictures. Of course I had to admit that eating ramen is a hobby, but I suppose I am still a little too shy to mention that I also write about it. Higashi Nakano is not such a busy or famous neighborhood, but Apple Basic just may be worth the trip. This shop has seen 2 overhauls, and I think the 3rd time is the charm.

I ordered miso ramen with an egg. This shop did not skimp on detail or noodles. I really appreciated the presentation, noodles buried under toppings of egg, chashu, thinly sliced negi, mizuna, bean sprouts, and ground pork.

The egg was also a lovely deep red orange color, and I haven't seen one quite like it.

Apple Basic's noodles are on the slightly thick and soft side, which I think went well with the miso base because they held it quite well. After all, part of the reason for choosing noodles is to best capture the base of your ramen. Some shops do this more successfully than others and Apple Basic is one of them. The base itself had a nice light miso flavor and mixed really well with the toppings. Their chashu, which they also sell separately, is soft, juicy, but not served warm. Same goes for the egg. Not my preference, but the cook on both is sublime. Condiments were slightly lacking, there was hot oil and pepper, but this might be another bowl that is quite perfect on its very own merits. 4.5/5 for Apple Basic, and worth the trip if it's a cold winter day!

Tabelog page and a Map:

Cup Noodle: "Due Italian"

This past weekend I went camping. It was great! However, it didn't allow me enough time to visit a new ramen shop. I decided that instead of skipping posts, that I would post about a cup noodle I had recently. There are crazy numbers of cup noodle to choose from and only a handful are actually the Cup Noodle brand that Nissin makes. With so many options how is one to choose!

 Lately, if I go the cup noodle route I choose based on whether or not I have seen or had that particular type before. One of my favorites is actually a 7-11 brand that roughly translates to "Mongolian" style.

You can look at a Japanese page about it here. I eat it a lot when I am not feeling well at work and the spice helps my congested nose. This time I bought Due Italian in Family Mart, another popular convenience store chain. I was drawn to it because I hadn't seen it before and the word Italian intrigued me. What was Italian about this cup noodle? The answer...cheese. Dehydrated cheese. As is the obvious case with cup noodles, the ingredients are dehydrated. After poking around online I have discovered that Due Italian is a cup noodle made by Nissin to emulate an actual shop in Chiyoda (maybe I will have to check it out sometime). This happens more than you might think with cup noodles! So, how was Due Italian?

You can see the partially hydradated cheese there at the top of the cup and after I mixed it into the rest. I actually wish that it was chessier. Really. It all kind of disappeared after mixing. Due Italian tasted a little like garlic and a lot like salt. Not my favorite of the cup noodle experiences I have had. Due Italian gets a 2/5 for trying and for being intriguing, but not for being so Italian or delicious.

Here is a map to the shop of the original Due Italian. Maybe I will try the real deal some day!

ら～めん鈴 (Ramen Suzu Motosumiyoshi)

Ramen is so popular that there are publications devoted to it. Some time ago I purchased the Ramen Walker for the Kanagawa area and since then have been itching to use it. I plan to visit more shops contained within its pages to farther reaches of Kanagawa, however this past Saturday was quite rainy and miserable. So, a local shop was more desirable and my trusty Ramen Walker did not disappoint:

Who can resist such an enthusiastic crane pose? I invited a friend so that I could write twice the review, for you see, not only does one of their chefs have an awesome crane pose, but Ramen Suzu also offers a fish base stock as well as a deep fatty tonkotsu. Why choose when I can have a good friend help? So here we have, that’s right, a double review! Fish first:

My friend is a pescatarian so we get excited to find fish based ramen. He also always gives me his pork. Ahhh, friendship! We both really enjoyed the flavor of this bowl and extra fish powder helped deliver an extra punch. We both agreed that it could use a little garlic, but there was none to be found. Garlic aside, the flavor was an absolutely divine bonito and I want to return to get my very own bowl. Now onto the deep fatty tonkotsu, their signature featured in Ramen Walker:

How rich and fatty it was! Wow. There were tiny bits of pork populating a deep, viscous broth. It was absolutely delicious. The chashu itself was also a highlight, being slow cooked, thick, fatty and practically falling apart in my mouth. With so many subpar pork encounters in my ramen saga, I was very pleased with Ramen Suzu. Also just look at this egg!

So perfect. This is also one of the many shops in the Yokohama area that offers complimentary rice, which though I don’t need, I love. I agreed with my friend that there should be more condiments available (garlic and sesame), but this may be one shop that really doesn’t need any extra flavor. Condiments are just nice to have. At least there was pepper!  Because of this one minor detail Ramen Suzu gets a 4.5/5. When we were leaving a staff member asked us how we knew about the shop (which is quite new) and we told her about the Ramen Walker. I think they may be open to suggestions, and I do plan on returning. Perhaps I can drop a hint their way.

Here is a map, links to tabelog, and strangely enough a google plus page.

麺や勝治 (Katsuji Kannai)

I returned to Katsuji after loosing my SD card to recapture some pictures and the experience. Kannai is a neighborhood close to Yokohama famous for a "red light" district, but also home to some thrifty shopping, and the office of my current employer! I have to go there for meetings so it is a perfect excuse to check out Katsuji once again. On the other side of the station from Isezaki (the main shopping area) you will find this ramen shop tucked away on a side street. Don't worry about missing it though, they are one of the shops that have an awesome mechanical bowl outside that emulates chopsticks bringing noodles out of an oversized bowl:

As you can see, Katsuji has a bone crossed with a chili pepper as their logo. They also have a point card system, which I used on my 2nd visit to get a free egg! I am a wimp when it comes to very hot spice in my ramen (maybe next time, as it is a convenient shop for me) so I just went with their number one recommended ramen.

The staff here is pretty gaijin friendly and they made sure I was OK with having a soft boiled egg. Of course I was, so out came my ramen with a lovely seasoned egg. A real standout of Katsuji is their use of caramelized onion bits that you can see there hanging out near the nori. They are absolutely fantastic, as is the shio stock. The egg was cooked to perfection as well. It is disappointing to note that their pork was slightly dry and lacking of any character or flavor. This is often the case, where I find most things to be perfect, there is one detraction. Overall Katsuji is delcious and I will report back if I try their signature super spicy ramen. 4/5

Map and link to the tabelog!

麺屋すみす (Menya Smith Aoyama Ichome)

My goodness, what a strange month and a half. I lost an SD card full of pictures and I want to use it as an excuse for my limited posts! I really did loose at least 3 full entries due to this very reason, but I guess I will just have to return to some of the shops...the ones that I liked. Tokyo Design Week is held every year, but this is the first time I had the opportunity to attend. Here are some highlights from TDW!

It was super fun, but afterwards I was exhausted and in need of some sustinence. My prescient mind had already found a shop and saved it on Google maps, so I was off to find Menya Smith. It is tucked away in a kind of food court mall hallway, though unattached to an actual mall (I really have no way of describing this other than that) near other ramen and food shops. In fact, I almost went to the wrong place! But then I found Menya Smith. I really wanted Shio, but the friendly staff person informed me they were out and suggested that I try the "new taste". That sounded like a good idea as any so I pressed the button and entered Menya Smith. This is a minimal shop, no condiments on the table, but nicely designed with both counter and table seating. It was all very wooden and quite cozy, but we know how I like a good condiment selection. And indeed I did ache for just a bit of pepper. 

Served with thin noodles, spinach, a slice of what I belive was poached pork, thinly sliced negi, a chinese style meatball and woodear mushooms, the bowl looks incredible. However, now I know that the better a bowl looks may or may not indicate anything about taste. I wanted more pepper! But there was none in sight. It was an extremley delicate broth, and I did slurp the bowl dry! It actually had this weird effect of being so delicate that I wanted more! There was a really nice hint of negi and I suppose they felt the amount of pepper was appropriate (allllmost). So, despite my inclination towards deeper flavors, I quite enjoyed Menya Smith's "new flavor". I am not sure I would return as the type of noodle is not my favorite and nor was the serving size (a little on the small side!). Overall Menya Smith gets a 3.5/4.

Here is a map and a link to the tabelog.

博多麺房 赤のれん (Akanoren Roppongi)

If there is one thing I love more than ramen it is art. I like to visit the Mori Art Museum when I can. This past weekend I attended an exhibit by Dinh Q. Le, a Vietnamese artist, and it nearly made me cry because it was so incredibly moving. These pictures do not do it justice as the most moving peices were video installations:

A perfect Saturday always includes ramen, but where to go in a neighborhood like Roppongi, known for night clubs, and home to many ramen chains as well as independent shops? Because it is known as one of the oldest tonkostsu establishments in Japan I decided to go for Akanoren, and this location has been around since the late 70s. You know how we get excited by expectations and reputations? Well I was pretty hyped to try Akanoren:

I ordered the tonkotsu and the gyoza. Let's start with the gyoza, it was really quite delicate with a slightly sweet flavor. Of course after being in some unbeatable Chinese and gyoza places, these don't really compare. Onto the ramen, which had a lot going for it visually. You might remember how that turned out last time! Visually amazing, orally unsatisfying. Perhaps the meat had been sitting around since the late 70's because it was neither fresh nor delicious. In fact it was quite dry! The egg was overcooked and badly cooked at that (I didn't even take a picture of the inside for fear it might offend you as it did me). Really the only thing going for it was the base, which was light and flavorful. Their customer service was also sorely lacking. Overall Akanoren gets a 3/5. It's in a good location near the Mori and they do have an English menu. However, next time I go see some fantastic art in Roppongi I will not return, but go on a search for artful ramen instead.

Here is a link to the tabelog, official site annnnd a map!

ラーメン 末廣家 (Ramen Matsu Hiroshi Hakuraku)

My apologies, long time, no noodle. I went on a hiatus during the summer and spent most of my time in Vietnam eating as much Pho as possible. But before I left I visited Hakuraku to try ラーメン 末廣家 (Ramen Matsu Hiroshi). Hakuraku is a nice little station packed with izakayas and of course ramen. If you are in the Yokohama area and looking for an authentic and interesting place to drink go to Hakuraku!

It was a busy place and to me that usually signifies popularity. I ordered the チャーシューメン (Chāshūmen) with an egg topping, but an enthusiastic staff member also convinced me to order 釜焼きチャーシューめし (Chāshūmeishi Rice). Or maybe it wasn't him that convinced me but seeing a mountain of stuff, topped with mayonnaise over rice! Who knows? Either way I really appreciated his enthusiasm, because all too often I am in chain ramen stores where the staff just seems half alive. My ramen and mountain of mayo arrived with a smile:

I really liked the base, which had a creamy fatty texture and was pretty perfect, but a major detractor for me was that both the meat and the egg were cold. Though both were cooked perfectly and I think some people might prefer them being served that way. The stand out was not the ramen, but their Chāshūmeishi rice!! Wow, it was kind of like a ham salad on top of rice, and thought it was a great optional side that I have not seen in any other shop. There were a lot of condiments available as well, so despite my preference for warm toppings I think Ramen Matsu Hiroshi of Hakuraku gets a 4/5. It helps that the staff was super excited to serve me and I felt like I could return (and probably will to get my hands on the Chāshūmeishi rice).

Here is a link to the tabelog and as always a map! Expect regular updates all of September. ;)

塩らー麺 本丸亭 横浜元町店 (Honmarutei Motomachi)

Motomachi-Chūkagai station is home not only to Yokohama's China Town, but also to an upscale shopping area called Motomachi Shopping Street. The street is lined with European, American, and Japanese designer shops, as well as adorable cafes. However if you decide to overlook the Tommy Hilfiger and take a turn, a few minutes away is Honmarutei of Motomachi:

This shop is the perfect blend of boutique and traditional because it offers a comfortable atmosphere, lovely interior and the most important part: delicious ramen! There is no machine inside, but they do supply a picture booklet of the menu options available. Amidst many cacti we sat on cushy stools to have our orders taken. I got the regular Shio (salt) and I added an egg. If you have been reading along so far you probably noticed that I love eggs almost as much as ramen and I couldn't resist the adorable sign. I also ordered the ミニマンマ丼 (Minimanma bowl) with my ramen because it was reviewed favorably on tabelog:

Noticeable right away was a chrysanthemum topping and a delicate shio base with minced negi. The pork was a thickly sliced rolled loin. This bowl is clean minimalism at its best. First I tried the Minimanma bowl, which I enjoyed because the kimichi was a nice level of spice and what I believed to be pork belly was a perfect bite of crispy rendered fat! Then I got into my bowl. The pork was almost perfect, but somehow not as good as the Minimanma bowl pork. A real standout was the chrysanthemum. It gave a unique, almost citrus taste to a  subdued shio base. I loved the texture of the noodles, which were thick and had a nice crinkle to them. I felt that the egg was a little overcooked. Because of this I give Honmarutei a 4/5, but it is definitely worth a visit. I suggest you also visit the coffee ice cream place a few doors down after you finish. Motomachi Shopping Street is a great place for a date or to bring an out of towner, and Honmarutei should be a stop on your itinerary. They also have locations near Yokohama station and Atsugi.

Links Links Links, tabelog, their site, and a map!

武蔵家 日吉店 (Musashiya Hiyoshi)

After being at a few upscale places I decided that I wanted to get back to the basics. When I moved to Hiyoshi a few months ago I scoped out many of the ramen shops, trying to see which were more popular than others based on the number of people patiently queuing outside. I decided on 武蔵家 日吉店 (Musashiya Hiyoshi) because it is ALWAYS crowded. Fortunately I went at a strange time and I got a seat right away, but after I sat down I noticed that their waiting area was quickly filling up. Musashiya is decorated with polaroids of many happy customers and has quite a comfortable atmosphere:

In fact the staff were some of the most friendly that I have ever met. I want to blame fatigue on not seeing the giant signs above the machine that explain you can pick the cook of your noodle and the type of soup (thin, regular, oliy & fatty, regular, thin) in English no less! But, I didn't see them and a friendly staff member helped guide me through the process. I chose noodles cooked regular, and regular for both options on the base. He also explained that I could get rice with my ramen and I noticed that the students next to me had rice and it was in never ending supply. I enjoy the idea of a never ending rice bowl!!

The ramen itself was super tasty, especially the egg, which was cooked at a perfect soft boil. Its pork was nicely cooked and very tender (I think I noticed them cutting it to order). I like it when spinach is a factor and the selection of condiments was really good. Never ending nori? Don't mind if I do! Garlic, ginger, hot pepper paste, sesame, check! The noodles were perfectly cooked and satisfied my predilection towards thickness. The base was good, but a little too salty. I think I want to go back and try the thin base to see if there is less salt, but the same amount of meaty flavor (EDIT, I totally just went back and ordered light and thin, which was less salty, but maintained flavor). I also liked that there was water available at a tap and of course had my fill of rice, though you don't really even need it! When in Rome, or this case Musashiya! When I finished, the same helpful staff member gave me a choice of lollipop, which was a nice touch but also made me feel like one of the students I was sitting next too. Overall, because I found the base too salty, Musashiya gets a 4/5 (though maybe a 5 if I had ordered thin and light base). However, I will return to try the thinner base because the customer service was really top notch as well as everything else.

Here is a link to the tabelog for the Hiyoshi location and of course a map!

AFURI 中目黒 (Nakameguro)

I have walked by AFURI quite a few times during visits to Nakameguro, a popular area for strolling and shopping. Maybe I'm really an old man inside, because the ramen shops that I enjoy are usually small, slightly crowded and full of old men and/or teenage boys. AFURI is anything but that. It is clean, modern, and as its sign boasts "fine ramen":

AFURI is adorned with bare bulbs and an expansive natural wood counter encloses a spotless stainless steel kitchen. This is the kind of place that looks like it belongs in Manhattan, or somewhere that isn't exactly Tokyo. As I have learned, this kind of shop attracts a more varied clientele and I observed fashionable young ladies as well as mother and son. Your general salary man ramen shop this is not. However, this atmosphere encouraged me to use my new camera and try interesting angles to capture their ramen in all of its beauty:

Beautiful right? Of course beauty does not make the bowl. I ordered the yuzu ramen. For those unfamiliar yuzu is a citrus fruit popular in Japan that has a sweeter lemon taste. It is really lovely.
The yuzu was the real standout of this bowl, elevating a simple, light base. Apparently this is their signature dish and have been doing it from their flagship in Ebisu for over 10 years. AFURI uses a nice grainy tonkotsu style noodle and I was excited to see some mizuna (a japanese mustard green) as a topping. Delicate as it was I should not have been surprised that there was only one half of an egg and a very thin slice of chashu. I can understand aesthetic, but I think this was all just far too delicate for me! Despite the hip atmosphere and great yuzu taste I'll have to give AFURI a 4/5. There was just something lacking that I can't put my finger on. Maybe I truly am an old man, more comfortable in a back alley shop than anywhere else!

Links to the tabelog, Time Out Tokyo's review of their flagship in Ebisu, and a map to their shop in Nakameguro!

太陽のトマト麺Next サンシャインシティ (Taiyo Tomatomen Sunshine City)

Along with Japan's myriad of ramen shops are its malls. Yes, I said malls. It seems as if every station of substance has a mall attached to it or near it and the larger the station the more malls it has to offer. Ikebukuro is no exception. Many people say that Ikebukuro is kind of like an undervitsited area of Tokyo, but it is also known as female otaku hotspot, and hosts one of my all-time favorite malls, Sunshine City, which houses two sections of mazelike shopping adventures. Recently a friend of mine wanted to check out Taiyo Tomatomen in Sunshine City. Tomato...men? I had no idea what that meant because most traditional ramen is made with meat stock. My curiosity piqued, I went with my friend to Taiyo Tomatomen before shopping at some of my favorite places in Sunshine city. Taiyo Tomatomen is a boutique ramen chain. There aren't many if any salarymen hunched over on stools to slurp ramen here:

Despite the decoration cans of tomatoes and wine bottles in a wooden crate, the prices remained standard. With a set you can choose one out of six kinds of ramen (one of them being pesto), and if you so desire you may also add gyoza and rice. I decided on the cheese tomatomen with a full set of gyoza and rice. We ordered from the laminated menu outside of a fairly busy lunch rush. Once seated in a comfortable diner like booth I noticed that this was indeed, no ordinary ramen shop. There were families and teenage girls along with people on dates. Boutique for sure! The perks of such a place are excellent customer service, and a whole pitcher of delicious jasmine tea.



I think part of the appeal of this kind of shop is also that the stock and ingredients are considered healthier. The stock is a tomato and chicken stock, and it is also served with chicken instead of pork. I think the clientele also reflect Sunshine City's normal patrons.

We didn't have to wait long for our ramen to be served and I was excited to have a new flavor of ramen:

The closest thing I can compare this to is chicken cacciatore with wavy capellini noodles (if there are such a thing). That's not bad, but the flavor profile screams Italian. The cheese also melted really quickly, so it wasn't easy to evenly distribute it. I kind of wished there had been some oregano and red pepper flakes on the table. Overall I think that this was very tasty, but very strange. I am still not sure what to make of it. Taiyo Tomatomen is really good for a date before or after shopping at Sunshine City, but it might make you crave Italian food! Overall a 3.5/5 because of my confused taste buds and the sticky cheese.

This is a chain and all of their shops can be found on their official site! Here's the map!!

つけめん あびすけ 日吉店 (Tsukemen Abisuke Hiyoshi)

This is rated as the number one ramen place in Hiyoshi according to Tabelog, but before I knew that a friend of mine suggested going there. Going in I had no idea what to expect. My friend had described a tsukemen place where you cook your own soup and one of the options was curry. It was a curious description so before I had to run to my アルバイト last week I decided to check it out. This was a strategic move because Abisuke is usually packed when I walk by. The machine had many options, but I decided that I wanted to try the black sesame and I added an egg from the extra toppings available.

I took my seat and the only staff member working seemed a little annoyed at trying to explain what I should do with the hotplate in front of me. I assured him I was ok in the best Japanese that I could muster and turned on my hotplate when he brought my soup out. Initially I was not impressed by the cold soup, but as it cooked I was getting more interested. Stirring the bubbling soup I noted that the white chunks on top dissolved. I beleive they were corn starch because as they melted the soup became more viscous. Then my noodles arrived. They looked way more like udon than any tsukemen I have ever seen, but because of their thickness they held the soup quite well:

The black sesame had a nice salty flavor and, after adding pepper flakes, a desired level of spice. It was a very rich taste, wtih a texture you might expect from ground black sesame. Because of the thickness it was perfect for tsukemen, as it would have been way too heavy for any kind of "normal" ramen. What impressed me most was the egg! WOW! It was perfectly preseasoned and soft boiled, so the yolk ran out after I busted it open. They are probably able to keep them cold too because of the way the soup is served and individually cooked. INGENIOUS! Abisuke's pork wasn't all that impressive and I felt they could have done more with it. It was just a thick slab of meat swimming in the soup. They have a point card system and I plan on coming back to try the curry flavor. Overall because of the unimpressive pork and sort of unfriendly staff (I want to go back when it's more busy because this is based on only one guy helping me) Abisuke of Hiyoshi gets 4/5. There are other locations as well in Shinjuku, Sumiyoshi, and Higashiyamata. 

Links to tabelog, their official site, and a map!

俺流塩らーめん (Oreryushio Shibuya) AKA Drunk Ramen is Drunk Ramen

I have run out of a backlog!! But never fear, I still have a ramen report. However, the accuracy of said report should be taken with a grain of salt because my friends and I stumbled in while we were drunk last saturday at about 3 am. But this is one of the greatest treasures of Tokyo night life. When you are unable to take a train until nearly 5am to go home, you have the option to drunk walk into a ramen shop and eat a delicious treat. I think ramen is often best when already drunk, and though I had imbibed many a schochu I was able to take pictures and recall the ramen we ate at 俺流塩らーめん(Oreryushio Ramen). After doing some digging and asking a very helpful friend, I discovered (a) the name of the mysterious shop that I didn't remember because I was drunk and (b) that it is quite a famous shio (salt) ramen franchise. There were a plethora of menu options, but we all went with "New Taste Jukusei Ramen":

 It was hard to tell what that meant from the picture and the words that we could barely read but it looked fantastic. We hurdled ourselves into the shop with drunk appetites and took our seats at a booth. While we waited we inspected the condiments. We were being very loud and calling things ectoplasm and ghost beard, or was it dead man's beard (idek!). I am surprised they didn't kick us out!

Because of our tomfoolery and drunken state the condiments will remain unidentified until I return. Our ramen arrived and it looked excellent. To remain with our supernatural theme the shio broth was white as a ghost and we added ectoplasm and ghost beard heartily.

We hastily finished the ghost ramen and sat satisfied afterwards. What I noticed right away was the base, which had a kind of light creamy flavor. The egg wasn't anything special and though I can't be sure if it was because of the time of night, it was served pretty cold. My preference is always a warm egg. I thought they were slightly overcooked as well. The noodles were also really basic. Nothing really of note except for the base and the mystery condiments. So overall Oreyushio Shibuya gets a 4/5.

Links Links Links to their official website, tabelog, and a map!