Kumamoto Ramen (こむらさき - Komurasaki @ Yokohama Ramen Museum)

Any trip to the Yokohama Ramen Museum requires a visit to several shops. The second shop I checked out served Kumamoto Ramen. For those fuzzy on Japanese geography, Kumamoto prefecture is part of Kyushu.

Anytime Kyushu is mentioned to Ramen lovers, the first image is Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen originating from Fukuoka prefecture. Hakata is the area that popularized Tonkotsu to the masses, which probably bugs Kumamoto-ites to no end.

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen eaters are used to a pungent soup with pickled ginger (beni shouga). The pork bones are stewed and blended over a long period of time (sometimes over several days). This produces a very flavorful (but smelly to some) soup. The ginger helps cover the strong smell. The noodles are thin and usually hard. It is common to order second and third helpings of noodles (called Kaedama).

Tonkotsu Ramen was popularized in Fukuoka prefecture. Spreading through Kurume City (Fukuoka prefecture) onto Tamana City (Kumamoto prefecture) to Kumamoto City, the ramen evolved.

One of the leaders of Kumamoto Ramen is Komurasaki. This shop started in 1954, and now operates three branches in Kumamoto City and one branch at the Yokohama Ramen Museum. Komurasaki is recognized as on of the three originators of Kumamoto Ramen, along with Kodaiko (founded 1954) and Shouyouken (founded 1954)

So what makes this Kumamoto Ramen unique? Typical Tonkotsu is produced from various pork bones. Kumamoto Ramen often uses just pork skulls blended with chicken to produce their soup. The noodles are straight and a little thicker that Hakata Ramen. Instead of beni shouga, Kumamoto Ramen has garlic oil and roasted garlic chips to cover the pungent soup smell. One other important point is that the soup is prepared and served on the same day, which reduces the chances of overpowering flavor (stink?). Toppings are usually chasu, menma, bean sprouts, kikurage, and scallions.

It was a solid bowl and good for those of you who don't have to worry about garlic breath. Worth a try if in the area.

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Nabe Yaki Ramen (谷口食堂 - Taniguchi Shokudo @ Yokohama Ramen Museum)

I've been busy eating Ramen, but haven't had anything worth writing about until recently. Earlier this month I was down in Yokohama, which means I should stop by the Yokohama Ramen Museum. This is the first Ramen theme park in Japan, and features nine shops nestled in a reincarnated Showa era. Kinda like the movie Always: Sunset on Third Street.

All the places at the Yokohama Ramen Museum are branches of established shops, or recreations of now-closed shops.  One of the spaces is reserved for limited time runs (usually three month), which is a chance to switch things up so regulars don't get bored. Tanimura Shokudo was the featured shop, and they specialize in Nabe Yaki Ramen.

Nabe Yaki Ramen originated in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture. Taniguchi Shokudo started serving this style shortly after WWII. Nabe Yaki Ramen became popular throughout the city and in 2002, the Susaki Chamber of Commerce made a concerted effort to promote Nabe Yaki Ramen as a local specialty.

According to the Chamber of Commerce's PR material for Nabe Yaki Ramen, there are seven defining characteristics:

1. Soup: Shoyu chicken base (specifically egg laying hens)
2. Noodles: thin straight noodles, usually served slightly firm
3. Toppings: chicken, chikuwa, scallions, raw egg
4. Clay pot bowl
5. Served boiling hot
6. Pickled radish served on side
7. Every bowl served with a hospitable heart (you can take that one with a grain of salt)

The original Taniguchi Shokudo has closed, but they had a limited revival at the Ramen Museum from January 26th through April 7th.

Being as they are the originator of Nabe Yaki Ramen, all the defining characteristics were there. The clay pot is on a gas burner and the noodles and topping are cooked together. The soup is rather light, reflecting the era in which it started. You can mix the egg in the soup, or scoop it out and eat the ramen sukiyaki style (dipping noodles into the raw egg). It was quite unique, and pretty tasty. This is a unique Ramen bowl I hope to experience again.

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Vegetable Ramen (ソラノイロ - Sora no Iro in Kojimachi)

Ramen has a relatively recent history starting around WW II. This was a poor time for Japan and ingredients for Ramen were not in abundance. As a result most shops put out cheap and rather bland offerings of Shoyu, Shio, and later Miso Ramen. As the economy grew, richer soups became popular. The best example would be the way Tonkotsu exploded in popularity in the 90's. Entering the 21st Century it seemed soups were getting thicker and richer, especially with the boom in Tsukemen shops. Well, the Ramen world can only take so much. Especially as all the loyal eaters are getting fatter with higher blood pressure.

Enter Vegetable Ramen. This can include Veggie Potage, Veggie Soba, etc. Regardless of naming, there is a clear trend for healthier Ramen options. Popular shops are stepping up their game and pushing out some delicious options. Some examples include Enji in Koenji and Chabuton in Akihabara.

The other day I had a chance to visit Sora no Iro, the place with the biggest veggie buzz. This shop is in the middle of a quiet business district. Luckily one of my clients is in the area and wanted to meet with me. Woo hoo!

Sora no Iro is definitely pushing the boundaries of Ramen, and this bowl blew me away. 

Paprika is mixed to create an orangy flat noodle. Carrots are pureed and mixed with Sora no Iro's Chuka Soba soup (tori gara, genkotsu, sardines, konbu, dried mackerel, aji blend). They use Guerande (France) salt in the Shio Tare, which is mixed with mussels, scallops, konbu, mackerel, and more. Komiyu (香味油) is roughly translated as flavored oil. At Sora no Iro garlic, scallions, onions, and shallots are fried in lard. This is then mixed with chicken oil and placed on top of the bowl. Other toppings include broccoli, paprika, and ham. There is also a dab of spicy seasoning that you can mix in later to add a kick.

This bowl is a reminder that Ramen is evolving at light speed. Don't sleep on this shop!

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Tori Potage Ramen (鶏ポタラーメン THANK - Tori Potage Ramen THANK in Daimon)

Those of you who've been in Japan for awhile know that Japanese people are always into new trends. One Ramen trend that seems to be catching hold is Tori (chicken) Potage Ramen. Chicken is nothing new in Ramen. It is a standard ingredient in orthodox Shoyu or Shio Ramen bowls. Usually the broth is a clear golden color, kind of like Swanson's Chicken Broth

These days there seems to be a number of Ramen shops serving a thicker potage style broth. Potage is a French word referring to a mix of meat and vegetables boiled together to form a thick soup. This usually requires a longer cooking time to break down the bone marrow. The same theory applies to Tonkotsu soup, which is why the soup is cloudy.

There are two shops that have emerged as leaders in "Tori-Pota". Sasarindo in Setagaya and THANK in Daimon. Both shops opened in 2012 and have quickly carved out solid reputations. Today I checked out THANK.

The owner of THANK previously worked at the now closed Ramen Zero. Zero was famous as a "Mukacho" (無化調) shop, which means they use no artificial ingredients. THANK carries on this tradition and only uses top grade chicken cooked with five different vegetables (I tasted carrots and potatoes, but I've been known to be wrong). THANK uses shio tare which contains scallops, dried shiitake, and konbu dashi. You can choose from three different levels of soup thickness.

Standard toppings are nori, fresh menma, steam roasted chicken chasu, and chopped scallions. Half-boiled egg is extra. The noodles are thin like Tonkotsu noodles,  and are produced from 100% Hokkaido flour. You can choose how firm you want them to cook it. Extra noodles are available for 100 yen, or you can add rice (100-150 yen) and create a ramen risotto. THANK also has curry powder on the table, which you can add to your liking.

Overall, pretty tasty. It was a little hard to find, but the best places always are. Definitely a bowl I will recommend with confidence.

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Kyoto Ramen (よってこや - Yottekoya in Shinjuku)

Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Known for golden temples...

exotic geisha...

and amazing food...

Kyoto cuisine has a reputation for being delicate and refined. Kaiseki Ryori restaurants are know for turning down Michelin stars for fear of cheapening their image. Despite this refined background, Kyoto Ramen is geared for those with less delicate palates.

According to legend (and the Ramen Museum in Yohama), Kyoto Ramen traces its roots back to a Ramen stall started near Kyoto station back in 1938. The owner hailed from Zhejiang, China and grew the business into a successful shop called Shinpuku Saikan (新福菜館) that exists to this day. They are know for producing a thick looking Shoyu Dobutsu-kei (probably Chicken, Tonkotsu, or a blend of both).

The heavy looking broth is to highlight the Kyo-yasai (Kyoto grown vegetables). Kyoto-ites are extremely proud of their local produce, borderline stuck-up even. Shimpuku Saikan uses a thin bean sprout and Kujo Negi (Kyoto scallions ??) as standard toppings.

 

The other day I was stumbling around Shinjuku and came across a place claiming to serve Kyoto Ramen called Yottekoya. I'm too poor to visit Kyoto these days so I figured this would be my best chance to try it. Yottekoya is a mediocre chain shop that in my drunken stupor didn't realize I'd visited before.

 

The noren (cloth sign above the door) says Kyoto Yatai Aji Ramen. "Yatai Aji" is a clear nod toward Shinpuku Saikan's roots as a Yatai shop.

The soup here is Shoyu with Chicken/Tonkotsu blend. Many Kyoto Ramen shops also sprinkle Se-Abura (pork back fat) to add depth. The picture is a little blurry but Yottekoya uses this technique. They also use the thin type of bean sprouts, which are hidden here by the volume of chopped scallions. Overall OK, but it's not the kind of bowl to go out of your way for. Yottekoya's best quality is that they are open late.

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Jigoku Ramen (麺屋 そら - Menya Sora in Daimon)

Recently I braved the depths of the underworld to experience Jigoku (地獄) Ramen. For those who don't know, "Jigoku" is the Japanese word for Hell.

There seems to be a few variations on Jigoku Ramen, but the most common refers to Spicy Miso Ramen. Jigoku Ramen (地獄ラーメン) in Kita Hiroshima, Hokkaido claims to be the originator of this style. This shops also holds the Japanese Trademark to the "Jigoku Ramen" name.

Apparently there was a Spicy Ramen boom in the late 80's, and the owner decided to add togarashi to his Miso Ramen.

You can choose your level of spiciness. Jigoku Ramen shops typically use 1 chome (1丁目), 2 chome (2丁目), etc to denote level of spiciness. "Chome" is the numbering system for postal addresses. I have nooooo clue why Jigoku Ramen used this, but now most Jigoku Ramen shops employee this system.

The finished product at the original Jigoku Ramen looks like this:

The original Jigoku Ramen takes advantage of the Hokkaido seafood, however toppings do not define Jigoku Ramen. The only defining quality is togarashi in Miso broth. With no further ado, I went to the closest place I could find. Menya Sora in Daimon.

I've passed by this place for years. Their menu shows Miso, Shio, Shoyu, Jigoku Ramen, and Soupless Ramen. I'm from the school of thought that Ramen shops should focus on no more than one or two items and make them the best they can. Menya Sora had all the trappings of a mediocre shop.

 

I chose 2丁目 spicyness. This looked and tasted exactly like a normal bowl of Miso Ramen. Yellow Hokkaido style noodles. Tons of bean sprouts. A slightly spicy kick. Now I know why I avoided this place for years.

There is nothing wring with spicy Ramen but if you're going to do it, do it right. There are better ways to create unique spicy ramen without dumping a bunch of togarashi in soup and trademarking a name. I recommend Kikanbo in Kanda or Nakamoto in Itabashi. Jigoku Ramen is just laziness and I was pissed off at myself for eating this utterly uninspiring bowl.

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Yokohama Ie Kei Ramen ( 麺家 黒 - Menya Kuro in Meguro)

Yokoyama Ie Kei Ramen (横浜家系) is a style that has been around for some time. Yoshimuraya (吉村家) is credited as the birth of Ie Kei. This shop started in 1974 in Yokohama, and is known for their rich broth and quality noodles. The name Yoshimuraya can be translated as "House of Yoshimura", kinda like "House of Windsor" or "House of Usher". The last kanji (家) means house. When Ramen shops put this kanji at the end of their name, it usually implies that their Ramen is influenced by the "House of Yoshimura". Years ago I had a chance to visit Yoshimuraya and have to say it was pretty awesome. Didn't have a camera on me that day though...

My ex-colleague lives in Meguro, and is always encouraging me to check out the Ramen shops there. I finally got off my lazy butt and let him take me to his favorite spot. We went to Menya Kuro.

I knew something was up when I noticed the wall was covered in autographs of random celebrities.

This can be interpreted in two ways. Either the shop puts a lot of time in PR and hits up every famous person for an autograph, or the Ramen is really damn good and they earned all the praise. I've seen some shops try too hard for recognition, and it makes them look desperate. I'd say Menya Kuro is in the "good" category and earned their praise.
Here's what I ate:

Pretty tasty. Typical Ie kei Ramen is made of very rich blend of tonkotsu and chicken broth with a shoyu tare. Standard toppings are nori, thick chashu, and spinach. The eggs are usually soaked in the same soup the chashu was stewed in. At most Ie Kei shops, you can customize your order including volume, hardness of noodles, richness of soup, and oiliness. Noodles are straight and thicker than average.

Menya Kuro follows everything to a tee. Because the broth is so rich, they offer a bowl of rice free to dump in the soup (after the noodles are gone) or eat separately to give your taste buds a break from the soup. Overall I'd say this is a great bowl of Ramen if you are in your 20's. Any older and you might feel pretty heavy the next day.

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Tsugaru Ramen (中華そば つし馬 - Chuka Soba Tsushima in Asakusa)

I keep a running list of Ramen shops to check out. One that has been on my list for years has been Tsushima in Asakusa. This is run by the same group that operates Tanaka Shoten, the legendary Hakata Tonkotsu shop deep in Adachi-ku. Finally had a chance to visit, and now understand what Tsugaru style Ramen is. Tsugaru (津軽) is the western region of Aomori-ken, way up at the tip of Honshu. As with many parts of Japan, Tsugaru claims to have great fish. Niboshi (dried small fish) are relatively cheap to process, and are in much supply there. Niboshi could refer to dried sardines, herring, mackerel, or flying fish.

Typical fish are placed in racks and sun-dried to produce Niboshi.

In Aomori, the fish are slow roasted to dry them. Is it always cloudy there?? This is called Yaki Niboshi (焼き煮干し)

Tsuguru style Ramen means that ALOTTA Yaki Niboshi is boiled to produce a pungent soup.  It is uncommon to blend the Niboshi soup with other soups (tonkotsu, chicken, etc.). This results in a fishy (in a good way) soup that is not oily. Standard toppings are menma, negi, and chashu. The chashu is thicker than most places to add a meaty punch.

When looking for Tsushima I could smell it before even turning the corner to their stretch of the shotengai. Being a stones throw from Kaminarimon, Tsushima makes a big effort to be tourist friendly. Many of the signs are in English EXCEPT the ticket machine. At least they tried ;-)

Here's what I ate...

Just for good measure, here is the Tsukemen they serve...

Some might find it a bit salty. One thing I do appreciate is that Tsushima used Niboshi with the intestines cleaned out. When the intestines are left in, the soup often has a bitter taste. Any of you who've been to Nagi in Shinjuku Golden Gai may know what I'm talking about.

All in all worth a try if you're in Asakusa!

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Tantan Men (麻布 ラーメン - Azabu Ramen in Azabu Juban)

If you are a Ramen lover, at some point or another you've eaten Tantan Men. I think we all know what it looks and tastes like, but have you ever thoughts about what it is? Never put much deep thought into it beyond "I'm in the mood for something a little spicy", which is when I realized its time to educate myself.

Tantan Men has its roots in the Shichuan area of China, famous for their spicy dishes. One of the most popular is Dandan Mein. Dandan refers to the pole balanced on the shoulder by street peddlers with baskets hanging on each end holding the noodles and soup. Noodles are mixed in a sauce consisting of soy sauce, chili oil, ya cai (pickles mustard green), and black Chinese vinegar. The dish is topped with ground pork flavored in soy sauce, rice wine, and Tianmianjiang.

A chef named Chin Kenmin is often credited as the first person to bring Shichuan cooking to Japan. He was born and raised in Shichuan the youngest of 10 children. Chin learned his craft in restaurants across China before moving to Japan in 1952. He was the first to introduce Japanese people to Shichuan dishes like Dandan Mein and Mabo Tofu. Chin started a restaurant in 1958 called "Schezuan Restaurant" (四川飯店) in Akasaka that is currently run by his son

As with many foreign dishes, Dandan Mein was "localized" for Japanese tastes. Ra-yu and sesame paste is added to reduce the spiciness. The noodles are served in a Ramen-like soup to water down the spice into a drinkable medium. Since there is no strictly defined definition for Tantan Men, shops freely use different kinds of ground meat (beef, pork, chicken), and toppings like chingensai, spinach, snap peas, and bean sprouts.

The other day, I wandered into a local shop and tried their Tantan Men. It was a classic example of typical Tantan Men.

This bowl was full of sesame paste which added a slightly heavy and oily flavor. This also masked the Chinese spice. Once the ground meat mixed into the soup, there was a perforated spoon to help scoop it up. This is a perfectly mediocre bowl that can be found across Japan. No need to go this specific shop.

There are sub-styles of Tantan that are gaining popularity, and hope to write about those in the future.

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Sano Ramen (万里 - Banri in Sano City, Tochigi)

It's getting cold in Tokyo so I want to bring up warm happy thoughts. Last summer I made the trek to Tochigi to try Sano style Ramen. Sano is a city in central Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo. There's not a whole lot going on in this town, so the local tourism center decided to promote this Ramen back in the mid-80's to attract visitors.

Most Ramen focuses on the soup, with the noodles made to match. In the case of Sano, the noodles are the main attraction. Typically noodles are processed through a machine, much like pasta. In the case of Sano, the dough is pounded by a bamboo pole and cut by hand. This method is referred to as Aotakeuchi (青竹打ち) and is displayed prominently outside shops in the area. Here's a short clip:

I'd probably fall on my butt, or hurt something dear to me in the crotch region. Don't try this at home ;-)

During my visit I checked out Banri, one of the standard bearers for Sano Ramen. It was highly recommended by the locals I spoke with so I took their advice.

Here is the finished bowl. The hydrolytic (?) rate is high in the noodles, resulting in a chewier texture. The soup is Shoyu base mixed with a light Doubutsu-kei (probably tonkotsu or chicken). For Ramen eaters who crave more of a punch, they might find this a bit lacking.

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Takeoka Ramen (竹岡らーめん 梅乃家 - Umenoya in Onarimon)

Today I want to explore a style called Takeoka Ramen. Takeoka is a fishing port section of Futtsu City in Chiba Prefecture, just south of Kisarazu. This style has roots going back over fifty years, and Umenoya is the shop credited with popularizing this style.

Since I'm a poor salary man living in Tokyo, I don't have time to go deep into the wilds of Chiba. Instead, I stumbled across an Umenoya on one of my client visits. This shop is on a back street between Onarimon and Shimbashi stations.

Looks like Shoyu Ramen, right? So what makes this bowl unique to Takeoka? Your typical Shoyu Ramen is made wtih Shoyu tare mixed with a separately prepared soup. For Takeoka style, the Shoyu tare is mixed with the water the noodles are boiled in. This results in a very light and simple taste (NOT to be mistaken for bland). Ever had a really tasty bowl of Tonkotsu or Miso, only to feel sick and bloated afterwards? You won't have that problem here. I rarely drink all the soup at Ramen shops, but finished this one with ease. The bowl is also topped with chopped onions which sweeten the soup. At Umenoya, they recommend adding sansho and vinegar which is available on the counter.

For those of you sick of all the heavy Ramen out there, Takeoka style Ramen is a refreshing blast from the past. Check out Umenoya if you have the chance!

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Why another Ramen blog?

Hello world! Just another Ramen eater trying to make sense of what I’m slurping on. Briefly about myself, I’m a native Californian who’s been living in Japan since 2005. Never cared much for ramen before coming to Japan, but now am hooked. As of 2012 been to over 300 different shops and counting…

There are a select few English language blogs that thoroughly cover the Ramen experience. They are all great and have been reference points in my own explorations of Ramen. So why do we need another blog? In short… we probably don’t.

The mission of this blog is explore the traditional styles of Ramen, and also introduce ever changing trends in the Ramen World. This place is basically a forum for me to compartmentalize and make sense of everything I’ve eaten so far. We all know Sapporo Miso or Hakata Tonkotsu.There is more out there that needs to be exposed in the English language. Hope you guys have fun following my exploration! Thanks for checking this out.