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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