博多ラーメン長浜や - Nagahamaya, Nippori

博多ラーメン - Hakata Ramen

    I was super excited to see a Hakata-style ramen shop open only a stone's throw away since this was the style that began the ramen obsession for me.

  The smell was certainly authentic  (If you've ever walked past a tonkotsu ramen shop you know what I'm talking about.) but in this case the soup itself seemed to be a little too pungent. 

Unfortunately I'll have to continue to venture further afield to get my Hakata fix.

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めん処 羽鳥 - Hatori, Nippori

しょうがらーめん - Ginger Ramen

   Hatori is one of the ramen shops that I walk by on a near daily basis that didn't really seem too attractive to me and kind of run-of-the-mill, but then I noticed that they had a unique ingredient so it went on the list.

   The little mound in the middle is the ginger. It is a polarizing taste, so needless to say Hatori isn't for everyone. 

  It worked for me. I was a little worried that the ginger would be a bit of a gimmick, but it was pretty subtle overall and the ramen as a whole was pretty enjoyable.

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ラーメン屋 トイ ・ ボックス - Toy Box, Minowa

味玉醤油ラーメン - Shoyu Ramen w/ Egg

  Yet another in the series of places-that-I've-eaten-at-before series. And this one is one the possibly more well-known new-ish shops. It used to be Ando, but as we know, the ramen world can be fickle and restaurants generally have a short lifespan. Luckily for the residents of Minowa, they got a hyped shop so they can join lines where they used to be able to come as they pleased, without the soup running out for the day.

   It was actually quite a while ago that I ate here so I can't quite remember it too well. A couple of different varieties of chashu was certainly a plus, and it was easy to see that the master takes a lot of care in how he prepares each bowl, measuring the oil and having a quick taste of each one to make sure the combinations are right. 

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手打ち極太麵 ジョニーの味噌 - Jonny No Miso, Minowa

味噌つけ麺 - Miso Tsukemen ￥780

     I couldn't help but think about the Choirboys' classic and scream 'Jonny!' when I first discovered this little gem by the final stop of the Arakawa Touden streetcar. It could be a bit of a throwback to the '80s and isn't much like any ramen shop I've encountered. 

    Chef 'Jonny' lived in New York for a little while and perhaps wanted to bring back a slice of Americana to this more traditional area of Tokyo. With a little Jack Johnson playing on a hot September afternoon it felt more Hawaii than New York.

     Actually it didn't feel either... With 'Jonny' toiling over a four-burner stove all alone it felt more like we had popped over to his house for lunch - Especially since 'Jonny' doesn't go in for the ramen garb and is decked out in a straw fedora and polo shirt.

    But since we weren't here for 'Jonny' we had more pressing issues to attend to...

    On first inspection I wasn't convinced these handmade noodles were ramen - Jonny No Udon? If you ask for your noodles katame he will tell you they're really thick and probably need to soften up a little. The regular hardness was certainly hard enough.

    The soup was great - certainly not what you'd expect from a restaurant called Jonny. It was a slightly different miso flavour to the others and had a little bite to it. The gyokai powder sprinkled over the top was also a nice touch.

   Be careful, the metal bowl is as hot as you think...

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麺や葵 - Aoi, Nippori

豚骨魚介つけ麺玉子入り - Tonkotsu Gyokai Tsukemen with Egg, ￥880

    Continuing the search around my local neighbourhood I stumbled upon Aoi, which is about a 10 minute walk from home. Aoi actually has two locations in Nippori - One is about 30 seconds from Nippori Station and this, the honten, about 15 minutes. In an attempt to bring you the authentic (and possibly better) Aoi taste I went for the longer walk.
   Aoi doesn't seem to be catering to a crowd who like a pleasant atmosphere when they are having lunch. The dining area is full of fridges and pipes.



    However, they did have a few buttons marked osusume on the ticket machine which recommended about 3 different  choices. I went for the tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen... Again. I took my seat and waited uncomfortably wondering what I should do with these eggs. Are they there for customers?

    After a pretty decent wait my tsukemen finally arrived and I suddenly forgot that I had been waiting.

   With a little gyokai powder sprinked on top.



     The noodles were really think and katame, a little hard at first but I quickly got used to them. This kind of thick, heavy noodle is great for tsukemen as everything sticks to it. In fact I was a little worried my soup would run out before I finished the noodles. The soup itself was full of favour without being too busy, but it is definitely in need of some soup wari, broth to even out the consistency if you want to finish it completely.



    Once again I'm feeling pretty happy to have found a quality bowl close to home. Although the heavy, greasy soup did take a little spring out of my step.

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Aoi Homepage

麺彩房 - Mensaibo, Nishi Nippori

玉子つけ麺 - Tsukemen with Egg (Tonkotsu Gyokai) ￥850

   I'm a little skeptical of the Nippori-Toneri Train line as I can see it from the street however I can't recall ever seeing a train here... Or hearing one for that matter. This branch of Mensaibo lurks in the shadows of the mysterious train line and is about 5 minutes from Nishi Nippori station on foot. The others are in Gotanda and Nakano.
   A tricky ticket machine greeted me at the door where you must choose between the large or the regular service at the top left hand corner before making your selection. Perhaps it was this rookie error that led to the staff asking whether it was the first time I'd eaten tsukemen. Or maybe she was bored as customers were almost outnumbered by the staff during the usually busy lunch hour.

   Tsukemen is anything but subtle, particularly tonkotsu gyokai and I would go so far as saying the soup here was one of the most overwhelming I've had. It may have been bursting with too much flavour much like audio clipping destroys the intricacies of a record at the expense of volume. It was a little too busy with a sweet yet sour, acidic aftertaste.

   
     The hanjuku eggs were great too, with the outer edge of the yolk cooked slightly more than the central area delivering an almost crispy texture. I wish I could do this!

    I didn't feel like finishing the soup but with the staff hovering around and wiping the same space on the counter directly in front of me over and over, I felt I had little choice.
 

    Mensaibo is a pretty decent tsukemen shop and I certainly wouldn't rule out going there again, although that could be difficult when Tetsu is only 10 minutes away from here.

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馬賊手打拉麺 - Bazoku, Nippori

坦々つけ麺 - Tantan Tsukemen, ￥800

　　I don't know whether this is a Nippori institution or whether it's just close to the station, but either way Bazoku is probably the most well-known ramen shop in Nippori. There are often people wandering by who stop and look at the noodles being made on a pretty regular basis in the shop-front window. That said, it's just us much fun inside with the constant thud of the noodles smashing into the counter. These ones were making themselves....

    I went for the tantan tsukemen since it's been warming up a little recently and wanted an oolong hai too, but apparently it's not on the menu anymore.

    Not sure whether the regular procedure includes staff asking 2 or 3 other customers if it's their order, but that's what happened to my soup as it seemingly had a whole tour of the store before coming to it's rightful owner.

    That's right. Just the soup... I should have used this.

    The noodles got there eventually.

   The soup had a really strong sesame flavour. Also, it had an initial spiciness that remained throughout however, like most spicy foods, it didn't intensify the further I went on. The noodles were soft but fairly chew and seemed incredibly fresh. These are what keeps the turnover high, I guess. However, they are probably the longest noodles I've encountered - transferring them to my soup was quite a task. 

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麺-酒処ぶらり - Burari, Nippori

鶏白湯ラーメン - Toripaitan Ramen, ￥890

     
    I was pretty excited to be going to Burari for the first time. I had heard good things about it from people and it is yet another that is pretty close to home... It's not difficult to find, but you have to know where you're going too - A narrow lane leads you from the street to the entrance, and it's tucked in behind another building. Once you see the Tanuki, you're probably in the right spot.

   
    It's rather calm inside and seems to have been converted into a ramen store rather than conceived as one which seems to offer a little more space for the wait staff to help you with your order. Although the noise of the nearby trains funneling through the kitchen's exhaust fan outlet could be a little unsettling to those not accustomed to the rattling of daily life in Tokyo. 
     I went with my method of trying the top left button of the vending machine when in doubt of what to select, and then found a menu at the counter... (Not 100% sure why it's there since we've already ordered at this point.)

    It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere inside and seemed to appeal more to people who are eating out together, more so than your average ramen shop. There were also more women inside than usual. I had heard it was popular with females due the soup being high in collagen. I didn't have to wait too long.  

 This was a pretty interesting place since the ramen seemed to have a different quality than most other ramens. We usually have a very full-on, in-your-face kind of flavour that leaves little to the imagination but this is a lot more subtle. The chicken dashi broth makes the concept of umami, our fifth taste sense, applicable to this ramen. I got an egg in mine...

Mmmmm. Delicious....

   I can understand why this shop is popular and highly rated but you definitely have to be in the right mood for it, not when you are simply craving ramen since it just has different qualities to your average bowl. I left thinking it could be a little cerebral for me but then I saw a poster of AKB48 visiting this store and realised that couldn't possibly be the case.

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Burari Homepage

ラーメンあんど - Ramen Ando, Minowa

 

醤油つけ麺, Shouyu Tsukemen, ￥1000

     Having lived in Minowa for about 6 months I cannot for the life of me figure why I never at ate Ramen Ando. I was aware of it's existence and walked past quite often but, regrettably, never went inside. I can now say I have and, since it's pretty close to home, I might even go there again. It definitely looks a lot nicer than the other places in Minowa and I guess the prices reflect that - The shouyu tsukemen that I had was ￥1000 as was the other recommendation above the ticket machine- shouyu ramen.

    We were walking past just as it opened so we were the only customers at first but by the time we left there were only 2 or 3 empty seats, so turnover seems quite high. The restaurant is really clean inside and has a bright and friendly atmosphere (the tissue box for each seat on the shelf under the counter is a nice touch).

    The staff were quite friendly and chatty with some of the customers which seemed a little different to the regular eat-your-ramen-and-get-out attitude (which I also like).

 

    The tsukemen itself was really well-presented and for a little extra fun you get to put your chashu, egg, nori and vegetables into your soup when you felt like them. The chashu once in the soup broke up nicely and was a little surprise each time you dipped in your chopsticks for some more noodles. At one point my soup became curry flavoured thanks to the curry powder on the counter. 

    I would highly recommend this once you're about halfway through, but be sure not to make it too strong! Once you've finished the staff will ask if you'd like to put in some hot water to finish your soup which, as always, was a great way to finish the meal.

 

 I was pleasantly surprised with Ramen Ando and I think it's well worth a trip out to Minowa.   

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にゃがにゃが亭 - Nyaga Nyaga Tei, Mikawashima

醤油つけ麺, Shouyu Tsukemen ￥750
     
     Nyaga Nyaga Tei is another place that is close to home that I do not remember seeing when I first moved to the area. I'm pretty sure it's quite new since it looks as though it's a renovated or new building and I'm sure I would have remembered seeing the line outside which is usually about 5 or 6 people deep on a Sunday afternoon around lunchtime. I had been wanting to try this place for a little while and my choice was made much easier by the fact that trains were disrupted due to the massive earthquake off the coast of Japan. Nyaga Nyaga was collecting donations.

     It was a windy Wednesday afternoon when I visited and I made the newbie error of forgetting my change in the ticket machine. Luckily enough one of the other customers told me about it, but I must admit I was a little surprised to have her speak English. The beauty of carrying a camera with you in to restaurants like this is that everybody assumes you're a non-Japanese speaking tourist. (Which is actually pretty close to the mark)

   I chose the tsukemen even though most people seemed to be eating the ramen... It was actually the first bowl I've had since writing this that had naruto in it. There is something about this that makes the bowl seem as though it has been prepared by your grandmother. Just has a very old-fashioned, home-cooked feeling...

    The tsukemen itself was pretty reasonable - I managed to finish it up pretty easily, but I'm a fan of soy sauce. The shouyu was a little too strong for my taste but there do seem to be plenty of people around who enjoy it. Not sure if I'd line up for it though...

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