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!