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.

Supleks Database



View Larger Map

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.

Supleks Database

View Larger Map

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.

Supleks Database


View Larger Map