Tuesday, October 29, 2013

六厘舎TOKYO - Rokurinsha, Tokyo Ramen Street


特製つけめん - Special Tsukemen

    Having finally wandered past the jewel in the crown of the recently renewed Tokyo Ramen Street, Rokurinsha, without seeing a line of more than an hour it was time to see what all the fuss is about. Having said that, the line was still a good 45 minutes long...


   Which some might say is too long for a toddler, but not our intrepid couple above (looking down) who seemed content to have their crying daughter scream herself hoarse. Of course they knew she was making a scene, so they tried the "old let's-leave-you-up-the-other-end-of-the-line" trick and let her scream into our ears for a bit. Considering how much I hate lining up, this is not what I needed, nor what anyone else should have to put up with.


   I went with the slightly pricier tokusei tsukemen since it could be a while before I'm back, put on my paper bib and got stuck in. It has taken a long time to get to Rokurinsha, which is the originator of the popular tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen at its honten near Osaki station.
   

   It could have been the build up and the anticipation but I was left wondering what all the fuss is about. Sure, I finished the bowl and enjoyed it - the thick, chewy noodles and the shredded pork in the pricier bowl were both highlights - but I feel I've had better bowls of tsukemen (albeit from other very highly-rated shops). 
   If the knowledge that you've tried the original tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen is of concern to you, then it's worth a trip, but Tokyo residents are definitely spoilt for choice in this regard...


Thursday, October 10, 2013

らーめん工房 みそ玄 - Misogen, Shiraoka


特みそらーめん - Toku Miso Ramen

   Every now and then on a trip out to Saitama I get a recommendation to check out and this time it was Misogen, just across from Shiraoka station. This is quite a nice change since often the shops out this way can often only be accessed by car - which we used anyway.
   The stores around here often have a little more of a family-friendly atmosphere the ramen-nerd stores of Tokyo and there was even a high chair pulled up to the counter for the little ones. Meanwhile, the master of the place was busy cooking, clearing tables and working the register all on his own.


   They have a few different types on offer here - tokumiso, Hokkaido style miso and an interesting sounding tan-tan miso, all of which have a few different options themselves. This standard one was quite interesting itself and had a rather buttery flavour to it. Unfortunately they had run out of chashu for the day so we weren't able to have the full experience but I was pretty content with it. 


Obviously...