Friday, November 22, 2013

麺屋泳吉・花鳥風月 - Eikichi, Kasai


カリーつけ麺 - Curry Tsukemen

    Noodles and curry aren't the most common combination, but they're also not such an unfamiliar mix and most of the time we can see it in the form of curry udon which uses a soup based on Japanese style curry. However, Eikichi in Kasai, one stop from Nishi Kasai, the biggest Indian area in Tokyo, is doing something a little different and using an Indian style curry for you to dip your noodles into. So it's basically a combination of Chinese, Japanese and Indian cuisine in one dish!
   With a master who has a background in fashion design you would expect Eikichi, which also seems to double as a semi-Izakaya, to be among the more fashionable ramen shops, and it certainly is, with a well-planned interior and a little more attention to detail inside - such as the basket for your belongings being built into the counter stools.


   Here 'tis. I had been hoping to come here for a while since seeing it in a magazine a few years ago but never got around to it, so there was some anticipation... But that was mainly due to uniqueness of the soup than anything else. Overall it was pretty good, but I wasn't a massive fan - the noodles seemed a touch overcooked, and the soup became a little same-y towards the end, although the soup-wari was a nice change. There was a however a nice big chashu hiding at the bottom of the bowl.


   Still got it! Not an amazing bowl, but I certainly recommend it - For those that are either looking for a new tsukemen challenge, or those looking for a curry challenge.