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

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

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.

Supleks Database


View Larger Map

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!

Supleks Database



View Larger Map