道 (Michi Kameari)

On a hot summer morning I visited 道 (Michi) in Kameari, a shop famous for its tsukemen. There was a line down the street and I patiently waited. And waited. For about 2 hours.

The back of the line was allowed to enter and order via their ticket machine. I ordered their basic tsukemen with an egg and got back in line. At least there was a cooler full of all the tea you could drink! Finally I took my seat and watched the chef line up our orders. Their tsukemen is served with a pink shrimp salt, a meat ball, chashu, menma, and negi.

I was sad to see that it was only half of an egg, but oh well. The noodles were a standard thick chewy tsukemen. In fact everything was standard except for the shrimp salt, which was quite a nice addition. Michi is not worth the wait. Take a trip down to Yokohama instead and check out Kuriyama. 3/5

Tabelog, facebook page and a map

Homemade Ramen 麦苗 (Oomori)

There is no avoiding a line at Homemade Ramen in Oomori. Even arriving 15 minutes before they open for dinner there will be people that are waiting before you. Perhaps that's because they only opened 2 months ago and everyone can't wait to try a new ramen shop. A new shop that's already in the top 500? Seems suspect. The first round of customers took about 45 minutes to be served and shortly after that they were already closing for dinner at a count of 23 people. Homemade Ramen is a stylish shop outside and in, decked out with reclaimed wood and rustic decorations complete with earthenware cups and bowls.

Their menu is limited to anchovy shoyu with varying degrees of toppings. Choosing the special (it comes with all the toppings including a wonton) I took a seat. I noticed that despite the shop being well designed otherwise that perhaps they could have used the same attention to detail in the kitchen. Their service was slow because they can only make 3 sets of noodles at a time. As the say patience is a virtue and I waited diligently for my bowl. Finally it was served!

2 cuts of pork, pork loin and pork belly, an egg, a shrimp wonton, ribboned negi, and of course obligatory menma and nori top Homemade Ramen's anchovy shoyu broth. Homemade ramen's real champion are their noodles: straight and firm buckwheat with a nice bite. The cook on the pork loin was quite nice and flavorful but the belly could have used some more heat, as the fat wasn't completely rendered out the way it should be. Standard menma, and what tasted to be somewhat stale negi, as well as an overcooked egg were definite drawbacks. The base was a unexceptional shoyu, and a little too oily for my tastes. Homemade Ramen is not worth the wait or the line even if the atmosphere is nice and the noodles are homemade. 3.5/5

Map, twitter, and tabelog

銀座 篝 (Kagari Ginza)

Ohhhh Ginza, an upscale shopping district that has it all from Issey Miyake to luxury salmon, is also home to a well written about ramen shop: 銀座 篝 (Kagari Ginza). It has been on my list for quite some time and decided it was time to make a pilgramage. Turn a corner from the glitz and you'll find Kagari indicated by a humble "soba" sign:

I arrived about 10 minutes before they reopen for dinner and there was already a small line. Knowing that there were 8 seats I counted the people in front of me and was relieved to see that I would be in their first group of dinner customers. A man came out in a pointed paper hat to usher us into the small wooded interior of Kagari. The man in the paper hat came around to take our orders. Their menu is both outside and on the table, but I knew what I wanted, chicken shio with an egg. We were each given complimentary toasted onions and fresh grated ginger for toppings as we waited in suspense.

Topped with what others have described as seasonal vegetables, this particular season was asparagus, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and what I believe to be the heart of a cabbage. Before adding anything I tried the base. Pure biddy bliss. Creamy and seductive with just a hint of pepper. I added the toasted onions for texture, but they were not needed. Nothing was needed. Chicken breast roasted to perfection and an egg seasoned well. I even thought the asapragus was good and it is not my first vegetable choice. This bowl perfectly emulates its surroundings of designer handbags and shoes by being a unique and perfect bowl of ramen. 5/5

Map and tabelog 

胡心房（こしんぼう） (Koshinbu Machida)

The first year I lived in Japan, I lived in what the Japanese might call inaka, meaning countryside. However I lived close enough to a mini city on the outskirts of Tokyo called Machida. I went there often to go shopping, have a good burger, and to eat ramen. I remember it fondly. One of my favorite memories is when I ate a bowl at Koshinbu. It was before I had developed any kinds of thoughts on what a bowl of ramen should have and it was delicious. Will Koshinbu stand the tests of time? Open since 1998, it better. Located so close to the station that you can see the tracks from their window, Koshinbu has one table, but mostly counter seating with a view of the kitchen.

As usual I ordered ramen with an egg and decided on extra greens for a topping.

If I were to order again I would order the extra chashu and skip the greens. If you want a salad on your ramen go for the greens, but for me the champions of Koshinbu are the base and the chashu. Cut to deli meat thinness, their chashu is off the wall tender and scrumptious. Crack open the egg and mix the soft yolk to make a perfectly creamy bowl of soy milk ramen.

With a grind of pepper you are on your way to a luscious ramen experience. Basic noodles in an otherwise fantastic bowl give Koshinbu a 4.5/5, but it is definitely worth a go!

Links to tabelog, twitter and a map :)

瞠 恵比寿店 (Miharu Ebisu)

Ebisu is a stylish area within about a 15 minute walk to Shibuya. Going there for a day and wandering around window shopping is highly recommended. After a day of exploring you may be hungry and in the mood for ramen. I know I usually am! I was there just yesterday visiting with friend having a few beers at Yebisu Yokochu, a transformed enclosed alley featuring many smaller shops hocking beer, oden, yakitori and amongst other foods. We got there a little too early, but I would like to return when it is bustling with people! After the beer I wanted ramen so off we went to Miharu Ebisu. To keep in step with its trendy surroundings Miharu is a sleek shop with a wooden counter, jazz music, and limited toppings, which for some reason, include Tabasco sauce. Their staff, dressed in black is a little too serious for me, but I bought my ticket and took a seat. This is a fish based ramen and I chose the standard with an egg. However it seems that their most popular dish is their 油そば (fatty soba). I regret nothing! But if I return I would like to try this dish packed with toppings and noodles:

Out came my ramen as sleek as the shop itself. No bells and whistles here. Just nori, a thick slice of chashu, green onion, menma, and an egg:

This is the correct amount of menma, unless otherwise requested! Base was a nice, but fairly standard bonito, populated by firm noodles. There are no complaints, but no particular praises here at Miharu. Egg and chashu cooked perfectly but both cold. I tried the Tobasco, a first for me at a ramen shop, and it was interesting, but not something I would do on a regular basis. This is a solid bowl of ramen but not a spectacular one. I also felt like the staff was a little cold if not rude. Overall Miharu is a 3.5/5.

Tabelog, twitter, and as always a map!

つけ麺 櫻坂 (Sakura Zaka)

On a cold February evening, there is nothing better to lift one's spirits than hunting for ramen. A friend and I did just that in the Shibuya area the other night. So this makes this another double review! I have written about Shibuya before, and in the more popular areas there are many chain shops, but we were after something different. Something off the beaten path. My friend uses an app to find good ramen called ramen map! Technology is so exciting. This is how we located Sakura Zaka. The red pin on the map indicated that it is a popular shop. In we went. A cozy, familiar interior that I associate with old style Japan was a welcome comfort from the cold.

There are three flavor options at Sakura Zaka, miso, shio, and fish. My friend decided on the fish and I decided on the shio. Each of us chose the option that came with extra chashu and egg. I was delighted to learn each came with an egg and a half!

Both came topped with ample amounts of negi and chashu hiding just below the surface. On the left is the shio and the right is the fish. Both seasoned and rich in flavor, our only complaint was that we felt that the base was on the slightly oily side (not the best for either shio or fish ramen, after all, we weren't expecting tonkotsu). That is a detractor for some and a plus for others. Though cold, the chashu was cooked perfectly and falling apart in the stock. A+ there! But another hidden surprise was the menma, You can see it in the shio bowl right next to the egg. I don't really enjoy menma and so that much in my ramen (there was really a lot) was a slight detractor. Condiments available were only pepper and chili pepper flakes, though I think the flavor was quite good on its own merits. I would have like some sesame though! For me Sakura Zaka is a solid 4/5, a great egg and chashu, but too much menma and grease.

Link and a Map!

鶏そば 三歩一 (Torisoba Sanpoichi)

Takadanobaba (Baba for short) is a ramen hub written about many times on many other ramen blogs, but I still haven't been able to explore the area properly. I was visiting a friend who attends Waseda this week and knew it was my perfect chance to try some of the ramen that Baba had to offer. But where to start?! There are an abundance of shops. However we were quite famished so the closer to the station the better and decided on 鶏そば 三歩一. Ok, so my Japanese, especially kanji reading skills are not the best so the rough translation for 鶏そば 三歩一 is Torisoba Sanpoichi If anyone has a better suggestion please let me know! As we were ordering a friendly staff member asked us if we needed any help. But we said we were OK and took a seat.

After we took our seats we noticed that this shop makes its own noodles. This is impressive, as I have been told that most shops order their noodles directly from companies after specifying the size and shape. It is indeed soba, but a soba that's so fine! The noodles really are a very good delicate buckwheat, techinically soba, but served ramen style. We watched the noodle making process while we waited for our bowls.

I ordered thick cut chicken with negi and green onion toppings as well as a side of egg noodles. I had to wait for my extra egg noodles to arrive, but it was totally worth it because I was able to dump them into my left over stock. I found that they had a richer flavor than the regular noodles and believe them to be the highlight at Chicken Soba. The base was light but not complex and slightly on the bland side, but I did really enjoy their thick chicken slices which were juicy, tender, and plentiful. I added some spice and felt a little more satisfied with the base. They certainly had a lot of fans waiting outside and so this kind of delicate stock must be a hit. But I think it's probably the egg noodles because I saw more than one serving go out! Torisoba gets a 4/5 because of a bland base balanced out by great chicken and a friendly atmosphere. I can't wait to visit more shops in the Baba area!

Tabelog and Map!

つけめん むらさきたくみの (Tsukemen Murasaki Takumi Monzen nakacho)

Recently I have picked up some more part time hours, but more importantly, it was my birthday last week. Though I was working I managed to snag some noodles at a shop close to where I am working. Generally I like to save tsukemen (dipping noodles) for summer, but I noticed that these were curry noodles. Because of my new found lust for noodles combined with curry I decided to check out Tsukemen Murasaki Takumi in Monzen nakacho.

This shop has a well worn atmosphere with counter seating only. On a cold January evening I felt cozy while I waited for my curry tsukemen to be served. The staff member working was very friendly and tried his best to speak English. Of course I wanted the large noodles. Of course I wanted it hot! Because these noodles are super thick it took a little longer than I am used to for me to get my dish, so while I waited I took an inventory of the condiments: bonito, yuzu powder, hot chili pepper, regular pepper, and some kind of special tsukemen topping. Fantastic!

I was not disappointed. A beautiful thick curry was served topped with saffron and loaded with hokusai (napa cabbage) along with a separate bowl of Parmesan. Thick chewy tsukemen noodles complete with chashu, egg, and nori completed this round of a sublime noodle endeavor. I say sublime because no condiments were necessary and everything was cooked to perfection. I mean everything. Chasu practically fell apart in my mouth and check out this amazing egg:

5/5! Go to warm yourself up. I noticed this neighborhood also had a lot of cool looking places to drink, so it might be the perfect spot for a drunk noodle binge.

Map and link!

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:

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!

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!!

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!