らーめん 元山亭 - Motoyama Tei, Hiyoshi

冷やし塩らーめん - Cold Shio Ramen, ￥750

    So what do you do when you have a quench for some ramen at the peak of summer? For a lot of people (Not me!) the idea of soup is unthinkable, so you either go without, brave the hot soup, or have it a little chilled. Since Motoyama Tei was offering the later, we went with that one.
   There were a few people around for the awkward Sunday 4pm lunch(?), despite their being an abundance of ramen shops in Hiyoshi - which I'm certain is related to there being a Keio University campus on the other side of the station - and an interior that resembled a burger joint more than a ramen shop. The shop itself is an offshoot of the more famous shio ramen shop, Honmaru Tei, in Yokohama.

   It definitely provides the relief from the heat that you are looking for which, if it's your main purpose, can be a great thing but the ramen itself may not be for everyone. The noodles were quite firm and suited the citrus-tinged soup well - the soup, however, was a bit same-y and lacked some punch, so I added some yuzu paste to get it going.

    Not the greatest, but far from the worst and points for trying to adapt to the climate.

Ramen Database

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天下一品 - Tenkaippin, Kawasaki

チャーシューメン, Chashumen ￥970

     Introducing another of the popular chains that can be found in and around Tokyo, Tenkaippin. The first time I found myself at a Tenkaippin was at the Shinjuku branch after a few drinks in Kabukicho. As I remember, Tenkaippin was good but not necessarily the kind of ramen you want to be eating after a few drinks. It's too rich...

     This store in Kawasaki is a little different to most places in that the kitchen is located in the back so you can't see what is going on in the kitchen, which is probably a good thing since the staff all seem to be in their late teens anyway. And rather than admire the amazing haircuts on display across the counter as in Kabukicho, you can appreciate the stunning interior.

 

    The ramen itself is quite good but, as I said earlier, a little rich and very, very thick. I would almost consider it a gravy rather than a soup. Did I mention that the was thick? 

 

     I ordered the chashumen and was pretty pleased with it, although I tend to prefer the eggs cooked a little less so that the yolk is still a little runny, and the chashu is a little greasy, however it is a good size and left me feeling quite content.

 

    Perhaps the "We're waiting for you again tomorrow" message inside the bowl is a little presumptuous, but I did manage to make it to the end. Though, you do have to wonder though how many days on end you could visit Tenkaippin before it all became too much.

Ramen Database

Google Maps (Kawasaki Store)

Tenkaippin Homepage