五行 - Gogyo, Ginza

焦がし味噌ラーメン - Kogashi Miso Ramen, ￥900

    Gogyo is a pretty interesting ramen shop to visit in that I don't feel I can use the term shop as the reality is it's a restaurant that happens to have a unique and very enjoyable ramen as the most popular dish on the menu. Rather than dip into the communal for your disposable chopsticks, there are chopsticks waiting you along with a warm oshibori and even a coaster for your drink.

    The restaurant itself is dimly lit and rather fashionable - not quite what we've come to expect from a ramen shop but in the competitive ramen business, shop owners have to use their nous to create sonmething that stands out from the crowd. That said, it fits right in in Ginza and the other restuarants on the 7th floor of the Velvia building.

  The restaurant floor frequently lights up when there is a bit of commotion in the kitchen...

    These little spot fires are quite common as they are necessary to complete the kogashi (to burn) part of the dish. Both the shouyu and miso ramen are seared like this before they are brought out to you. We ordered each and the shouyu arrived first.

     I only tried a little of the soup and it tasted a little like yakitori. At this point I was almost regretting my decision and wanted to dive into this bowl. Then mine arrived...

    It's always great to try something for the first time as you can't imagine just what it is your about to get yourself into. With ramen, some bowls are rather forgettable and there are others where you wish you could try for the first time again without any expectations. Kogashi miso ramen falls firmly into the latter. It's not much to look at but it certainly hits the spot and has a sophisticated ginger-y flavour that clashes with the overall charcoalness (I'm well aware that's not a real word!) of the soup . 

    Since Gogyo has a bar, it was only natural that we would order a drink that wasn't beer. (I'm pretty sure I've never seen anything else at a ramen store). I got a Gin and Tonic!

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Gogyo Homepage

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

一風堂 - Ippudo, Ueno

赤丸かさね味 - Akamaru (Tonkotsu Ramen), ￥850

     With my father deciding to brave the aftershocks and visit Tokyo, it was only natural that I would take him out to enjoy a bowl of ramen (or two) and there aren't many places better to go than Ippudo if you're only in town for a short time. This place is spreading the joy of ramen around the world these days with stores in New York City and Singapore. We were in Ueno so we went to that store... And lucky for us it was open.

    The usual lunchtime crowd of businessmen perched themselves around the large communal table that we were seated at but more interestingly there were a few freebies on the table which would surely be gobbled down by every single customer if this weren't Japan. We helped ourselves to some spicy moyashi while we waited for our ramen.

    Ippudo originated in Fukuoka and offers us 3 different varieties of the renowned hakata tonkotsu ramen that emerged from the same area. I've only tried 2 types there - The red (赤) and the white (白) - and decided to go with what I know best...

    Ippudo is one of the most popular and well-known chains in Japan with good reason. There really is nothing wrong with this ramen at all - The soup has a really rich, strong pork flavour and is only slightly spicy and it is a pretty decent serving. There isn't a great deal of chashu but they're not really skimping on it at the same time. And I'm pretty sure there weren't any octopuses weren't harmed here either - just some garlic oil. The thin hakata style noodles are great when you really want to shovel it in too.

    Not that it really needs it, but one of my favourite activities at Ippudo is to add some extra garlic myself and here we don't just scoop some crushed garlic out of a jar...

    I've never seen anyone take these away to be cleaned but they're always immaculate when I want to use them. They've got a pretty unique tipping system too, but I was a little suspicious of the salarymen around so I declined. 

   All in all, a pretty good place to visit and worth the 20 minutes of your day that it will take up - particularly so if you're in town for a short stay and only have time for one bowl.

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Ippudo Homepage

Tetsu, Nishi Nippori

夜つけ麺, Evening Tsukemen ￥800
  
     The first time I visited Tetsu was after 3 days in bed with norovirus and I feel I can say with some authority that ramen is not the meal you want to have first up after 3 days on electrolyte drinks, jelly and water. Luckily for me though the first visit didn't involve any waiting around outside in the cold.... Unlike this visit.

    Tetsu is another of the seemingly endless list of popular tonkotsu gyokai ramen shops that populate Tokyo although this one seems to be more popular than most. (It is ranked in the Top 10 on the Ramen Database!) The line wasn't so bad - maybe a 15 minute wait, but it was much worse by the time we left which seems odd for a Sunday night in a quiet part of town. They also have a few other stores around Tokyo (Roppongi, Shinagawa, etc)

     The shop is so small that there isn't any room for the ticket machine inside so be sure to grab a ticket before you get in line. As you can see, only half of the machine is lit up. This is because Tetsu has a different menu for daytime and nighttime and their most popular tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen is only available during the day and in the evening they offer a chicken and fish flavoured soup.

     I have to say that I'm pretty happy that this place is close to home since it is amazing. The soup has a quite complex flavour without being overpowering or too strong, and it also manages to stay at nice consistency without becoming gritty. Sometimes you just don't need an egg... Luckily we also get instructions on how to eat our tsukemen... Just in case.

    Did you read closely? Shwaaaaa! Once you've finished your noodles and want to finish your soup off there's a problem. The soup is not hot enough anymore so you can ask for a piping hot stone to put in and heat your soup back up... Genius!

    You can then thin the soup out a little with the boiling water that is on the counter (Please don't confuse this one with the drinking water!) and enjoy a really refreshing soup with just a small hint of yuzu... Wow!

     Tetsu is well worth a visit - It's a ramen store that offers something a little different from the others, albeit a stone that heats your soup up, but it certainly doesn't feel like a gimmick. I'll be back because it's some of the best ramen I've had in Tokyo!

    But be aware of what you might have to contend with.....

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Tetsu 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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Ando Homepage

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.

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Tenkaippin Homepage

 

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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