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!



吉村家 (Yoshimura Ieke Yokohama)

As I am constantly discovering, Japan has what seems to be endless possibilities in regional cuisine. Of course this is applied to everything, from onigiri to ramen, and Yokohama is no exception. When I was told about "Yokohama style" ramen my interest was immediately piqued. What was it like? What sets it apart from other ramen. My friend described it as a cross between Jiro style (many toppings) and tsukemen (a thicker broth and noodle). He also warned me that not all Yokohama style ramen shops are created equal and gave me a tip to try 吉村家 (Yoshimura).

On a rainy day, before going to the art museum in Yokohama, I decided to swing by and check it out. He warned me that there would probably be a line, but not to be intimidated by it. I have had to wait for things here before, in fact the Japanese seem to be pros at queuing. As predicted there was a line. But my friend and I got our tickets and sat on their rather nice benches outside. I was grateful that this area was somewhat enclosed and we were safe from the rain. What makes this line different from others I experienced in various other shops was that they have a system to let about 10 people at a time come in and sit in the empty half of the restaurant. Ingenious!! We sat and observed a flurry of white T shirts and galoshes from our seats. Because the shop is so open, you are able to watch them make everything and it's quite a show!

Our bowls were served quickly and I was excited to try out the condiments you see above. We had to do a sniff test for the garlic because it was totally green! As you may know already, I value a good assortment of condiments and Yoshimura does not disappoint. Now let's get to the bowl:

As you can see the garlic was green, but already pureed. I ordered mine with egg and extra onion topping. That's probably one of my favorite parts of this shop; all of the toppings are listed on the machine and are very cheap. It also came with pork, spinach, and the obligatory nori. The base is wonderfully meaty, and slightly thick, closer to a tsukemen base. I was only slightly disappointed that my egg wasn't sliced in half because it was seasoned perfectly. The spinach was a nice addition and I used most of my minced onion. Fantastic!! I think Yoshimura has a great system for seating people and the openness of the dining area makes for great entertainment. 5/5

While researching Yoshimura I came across their Wikipedia (for those savvy in Japanese), tabelog, official website, and of course the map:



希望軒 (Kibou-ken Shinjuku)

While on the lookout for part time work I looked out for a good ramen shop to eat away post interview stress. With the help of tabelog I found an excellent spot not so far from Shinjukusanchome station. 希望軒 (Kibou-ken) is part of a small chain which offers several varities of ramen like tonkotsu and miso. I was drawn to this shop because of the following image:

WOW! Who wouldn't want a bowl of ramen lined with meat, other than of course some of my very nice vegetarian friends. When I arrived I paged through their menu with the help of an enthusiastic and friendly Ramen chef. Yes, they have an actual menu, and not just a ticket machine like most shops! I could tell he was used to tourists coming in and seemed well rehearsed in giving me an English tour of their offerings:

Based on the image above I decided that I couldn't pass up the sesame miso ramen. It looked fantastic! While the chef made my bowl and many others for his hungry customers he made small talk with me. Usually I am quite shy with my Japanese language skills but he made me feel at ease so we learned a little bit about eachother. I really appreciate such a friendly warm atmosphere. As he was chatting with me, he put the finishing touches on my bowl. In one deft motion he sliced an egg with fishing line and served up my order. He seemed to be waiting for a response, and I didn't disappoint. Immediatley looking up from my meal with a smile I said oishii (delicious)!! He was very pleased with my reaction, which was a genuine reaction to a wonderful bowl of ramen.

The base was delicate but flavorful, one of the best miso ramens I have had to date, having a subtle sesame flavor. Its egg was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. Some shops serve the egg cold, but this one was warm, which I prefer. All of the toppings (bean sprouts, pork, green onion) were done to perfection. I also really appreciate shops that offer fresh peeled garlic on the table that you can squeeze into your bowl with a garlic press. Everything about Kibouken was a delight, from the warm atmosphere to the delcious ramen, so If you are near Shinjuku station head over to Shinjukusanchome. It's only about a ten minute walk. I really want to go back! おいしかった、またきます!!! 5/5

Links to both their facebook, official website, and tabelog, as well as the map: