Hiroshima Tsukemen (激辛つけ麺 唐々亭新天地店- Karakaratei @ Hiroshima)

Apologies for the lack of updates! I've been eating Ramen non-stop, but with so many original styles it's been tough to identify and write about regional ramen. Enough with the excuses. It's time to get back in the saddle and get some posts up.

Today I want to introduce a style of Tsukemen that's spicier than usual. I'm referring specifically to Hiroshima Tsukemen. I had a chance to visit the city awhile back, and had to check out the local specialty.

Hiroshima Tsukemen  is referred locally as "Reimen" or chilled noodles, and is a variation on Hiyashi Chuka. Hiyashi Chuka is soupless chilled noodle dish that is popular in the summer. Typical toppings include cucumber, egg, tomato, and a sauce of shoyu/vinegar/sesame is poured on top.

Hiroshi Tsukemen traces it's roots to a shop started in the 1950's called Shinkaen. Ramen noodles are topped with boiled cabbage, sliced cucumber, green onions, and cha-shu. The dipping sauce is a shoyu base with togarashi, ra-yu (chili oil), vinegar, and sesame seeds. This shop was a hit, and imitators sprung up all over the city. Despite it's popularity in Hiroshima, it hasn't become a national hit. I've seen a few shops come and go in Tokyo but nothing that's considered a "must-eat".

During my trip I spent most of my time eating Okonomiyaki. I was a bit tight on time, so found a spot near my hotel to try Hiroshima Tsukemen.

Karakaratei has a few branches around the city, and is a pretty standard Hiroshima Tsukemen bowl.

Quite frankly this was underwhelming. Noodles tasted like they were from the supermarket, the toppings were pretty light, and the sauce was like spicy water. The saving grace is that they are open until 3am. I'm glad I tried it to get a feel for the local style, but if you are in Hiroshima I recommend exploring other shops.

Supleks database

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.

Komurasaki


View Larger Map

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.

Supleks Database


View Larger Map

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!

Supleks Database

View Larger Map

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.

Supleks Database


View Larger Map

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