豚星。(Buta Hoshi/Pig Star Motosumiyoshi)

After all the chicken ramen and light shios I have had lately I started to crave a deep fatty pork experience. Still on the look out for the top ramen shops in the area I narrowed it down to 豚星 (Buta Hoshi). This roughly translates as pig star and it is totally within walking distance of my home! Would it be a shining star among the top ramen shops listed in Kanagawa? It was something else, that's for sure.

Buta Hoshi is a neighborhood shop and it seemed like a lot of regulars and locals were eating a late lunch/early dinner yesterday, as I strolled in around 4 o'clock. Their interior is at the opposite end of the boutique scale: dimly lit counter seating with very low seats and an open kitchen. Toppings that you may want to add are listed above the kitchen and you should be ready to choose a few or just know how to order them all (which I did). Having studied the menu I selected a large portion of the special spicy bowl.

It came out and I felt like Alice. Had I just shrunk by 20 percent or was the bowl really that big? It was really that big. This picture does not do the scale justice. I thought: my god, what have I done? Topped with a mountain of bean sprouts, cabbage, garlic, pork fat, with a snow peak of hot chili powder, Buta Hoshi makes a seriously challenging bowl. I penetrated the surface and ate through most of the toppings.

Buta Hoshi uses a thick noodle that went well with their base, but I found the whole thing a little too spicy. Their super thick pork slices were cooked well, but nothing special, yet I did see them sell two whole pork rolls to people that put them in ziplock bags, so it must be popular. If I return I will be sure to order the small, for as much as I tried, I couldn't finish. I want to try their regular bowl devoid of any spicy extras and I take this as a challenge! Bring on round II!! However, this particular time Buta Hoshi gets a 3.5/5 for unimpressive pork and too much spice.

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