くり山 (Kuriyama Hakuraku)

Summer time in the Kanto region is rainy, hot, humid, and a perfect time for tsukemen (dipping noodles). The noodles are served cold with a small bowl of dipping soup. There are many shops that serve ramen and tuskemen, but only a few that specialize in tsukemen. くり山 (Kuriyama) in Hakuraku is one such shop. In recent entries I have been visiting places just before they reopen for dinner. I would suggest you try to do that if you want to avoid a long line at Kuriyama. There is something magical about watching a shop open up for dinner. After the lifting of a rolling metal gate and the placement of a rod adorned with tattered flags a ramen shop appears. The shop itself looked like an izakaya turned ramen shop, meaning that the wall between the counter and the kitchen was so high that I was unable to get a great view of the action.

But behind the scenes there is so much happening to make all the bowls of tsukemen!

Over the tall counter came my tsukemen. I ordered extra chashu and an egg from the man that takes the orders outside, which for more popular shops is a really great system. Their menu is minimal between tsukemen or ramen and a few standard additional toppings like menma, chashu, or an egg.

A generous dash of dashi topped my tsukemen soup which I immediately tried. It was rich and porky highlighted by the dashi and is Kuriyama's true hero. The bits of pork cooked with the soup were perfectly tender, but the extra pieces that I had ordered were a little dry. I cracked open the egg which was only slightly overcooked. The finest part of my meal came at the end when you return your soup bowl to the high counter and the chef adds yuzu seasoning and a thin broth. What a delight! For slightly dry pork and an overcooked egg Kuriyama gets a 4.5/5. If I return I will order just tsukemen with no extra chashu or egg because their soup is fantastic all on its own!

Tabelog, twitter, and map ;)

麺や でこ (Menya Deco Shinmaruko)

Located in a sleepy station next to the Tama river, 麺や でこ (Menya Deco) boasts a high ranking amongst lovers of shoyu. Definitely on my list of local shoyu ramen shops to try, I gave it a whirl. The shop is a cozy one featuring high top counter seating with a view to the kitchen and tables for couples enjoying a ramen date together.

After being greeted by their friendly staff I ordered shoyu with an egg.

Menya Deco topped this bowl with shredded menma, thinly sliced negi, a slice of chicken, a slice of pork, a sprig of mitsuba, and my beloved egg. It is apparent that Menya Deco's shoyu is like no other because they craft their own special concoction of shoyu that is delectably smokey. The cook on both meats was fantastic and I even enjoyed the menma! Sadly the egg was slightly overcooked and the noodles were quite basic. For these small crimes Menya Deco gets a 4/5

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links, and a map!

SHIN Tammachi

If last week was the height in sophistication at Ginza, this week was the height of comfort in Tammachi. Though this area is small, it packs a punch with 4 shops in the top 5000 across Japan according to Tabelog. Well now I have eaten at 3 of them! A few doors down from Ramen Stars, SHIN was the shop I wanted to visit, but was out of what I wanted, and I wanted their famous fried chicken ramen. Their shop also has a tantanmen and a menu constantly changing with new specials. I over heard some regulars talking about a keema curry mazesoba that was supposed to be unveiled this weekend. It seems that SHIN is a local favorite and right before they reopened for dinner there was a line.

I ordered fried chicken ramen and took a seat. Because SHIN makes everything to order there is about a 10 minute wait. Fortunately there is a lot to look at like red and black accessories, framed thank you notes from customers, and a busy chef in their open kitchen.

Watching the preperation of ramen is almost as good as eating it! At SHIN their shoyu consists of oil, shoyu, and stock all made to order with huge hunks of fried chicken or chashu if you want to go that way. The secret to their stock is freshly peeled yuzu, which I noticed being added with the other key ingredients. After watching and waiting I was served:

Freshly fried chicken, an egg, menma, a buried peice of naruto, green onions, and yuzu topped the bowl at SHIN. The cook on their chicken is fantastic, crispy and juicy with well seasoned breading slightly melting into the  base. Their egg was cold, but pre sliced and delicous. Standing out was their stock, highlighted with yuzu to give it a bump of suprising citrus. Their noodles, which I believe to be home made, are a flawless firmness. You can't compare SHIN with Ramen Dream because SHIN is a completely different animal. They are both fantastic and better than Ramen Stars. If pressed to choose I might return to SHIN to check out their ever changing specials. 5/5

Tabelog, Twitter (check to see their specials!), and a map

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 :)

ラーメン星印 (Ramen Stars Tammachi)

Luck is not always on my side as I have discovered with certain ramen shops. Twice in the past month I have had to adjust my plans and go to other shops because I did not arrive before their soup ran out. This happened to me in Tammachi recently when I was trying to go to SHIN. Alas, I had to walk down the street to my 2nd option ラーメン星印 (Ramen Stars). I entered to an interior completely covered in Eikichi Yazawa memorabilia. I was informed that he is the "Bruce Springsteen" of Japan:

While being serenaded I chose the Shio (salt flavor) from the menu on the counter and added an egg. From my vantage point I could watch the chef in action:

A minimal bowl topped with chashu, menma, thinly sliced negi, and a tastless green sprig (probably parsley). As you can see, for a shio it is quite oily. The stars of Ramen Stars were the chashu, which was a perfect soft fatty bite, and their noodles:

The egg, though warm, was slightly undercooked and for a shio it was far too oily. 3/5 Next time I return to Tammachi I am determined to try SHIN. So far this area’s true star is Ramen Dream!!

Tabelog, twitter, and a map!

もりの中華そば (Morinosoba Tsunashima)

This past week was Golden Week. For my friends unfamiliar with Japan, this is a few days in the beginning of May where everyone has off. Well, not quite everyone...hello ramen shops! This gave me a perfect opportunity to check out a place that is only open during lunch hours or until the soup runs out. Sure, I could go on the weekend, but the line was bad enough on a Thursday afternoon during Golden Week:

I had a lot of time to think about what to order, but decided on the 中華そば with an egg. This is just their special bowl of "Chinese Soba".

Pictured after I had taken a few tastes and opened the egg, this is Morinosoba's bowl of shoyu ramen. Topped with egg, negi, chashu, naruto, menma, and nori. Their highlight: the noodles which were the perfect balance between hard and soft while being wonderfully wavy. Morinodoba's chashu is fatty and tender and the egg was almost perfect, but nothing special. Their base is light, but also complex. I finished it all! This is a really nice bowl, but average. 4/5

Links to tabelog and their official site as well as the maaaaap!